Infernal
The native language of devils has a harsh sound to it and is spoken with every syllable is uttered like a command. The Nine Hells is a harsh place for most speakers to live, which has shaped the language. Many of the more raspy sounds stem from Celestial being spoken amongst fumes and ashes. Other parts of the language borrow from Abyssal, even if speakers of either would never willingly admit it.
To an extent, Infernal is carried by blood. This is why tieflings often find it very easy to pick up. It also means that drinking the blood of several devils aid in learning the language.
Phonology
Consonants
Transliterations are written within parenthesis.↓Manner / Place→ | Bilabial | Labio-dental | Dental | Alveolar | Palato-alveolar | Velar | Uvular | Glottal |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Nasal | m | n | ||||||
Stop | p b | t d | k g | q | ʔ (') | |||
Affricate | ʧ (ts) ʤ (dz) | |||||||
Fricative | f v | θ (th) ð (th) | s z | ʃ (sh) | χ (x) | h | ||
Trill | ʀ (r) |
Vowel
Front | Back | |
---|---|---|
High | i | u |
High-mid | e | o |
Low | a |
Morphology
Articles
Definite | xeth> /χeθ/ |
Indefinite | xeq> /χeq/ |
Nouns
Nominative: The person the sentence is about.
Genetive: Who or what something belongs to.
Instrumental: Someone not the nominative that acts.
Object: What is acted upon.
Inflecting "th'zaq" (pain).
Singular | Plural | |
---|---|---|
Nominative | No affix
th'zaq> /θʔzaq/ |
If contains vowel$: Suffix -θ
Else: Suffix -aθ th'zaqath> /θʔzaˈqaθ/ |
Genetive | If contains vowel$: Suffix -ze
Else: Suffix -eze th'zaqeze> /θʔzaqeˈze/ |
If contains vowel$: Suffix -za
Else: Suffix -aza th'zaqaza> /θʔzaqaˈza/ |
Instrumental | If contains vowel$: Suffix -qeθ
Else: Suffix -eqeθ th'zaqeqeth> /θʔzaˈqeqeθ/ |
If contains vowel$: Suffix -qaθ
Else: Suffix -aqaθ th'zaqaqath> /θʔzaqaˈqaθ/ |
Object | If contains vowel$: Suffix -χe
Else: Suffix -eχe th'zaqexe> /θʔzaqeˈχe/ |
If contains vowel$: Suffix -χa
Else: Suffix -aχa th'zaqaxa> /θʔzaqaˈχa/ |
Verbs
Inflecting "fadath" (destroy).
Future | If contains vowel$: Suffix -x
Else: Suffix -ax fadathax> /faˈdaθax/ will destroy |
Fated | If contains vowel$: Suffix -xaq
Else: Suffix -aq fadathaq> /fadaˈθaq/ prophesied to destroy |
Present | No affix
fadath> /faˈdaθ/ destroying or to destroy |
Imperfect | If contains vowel$: Suffix -θ
Else: Suffix -aθ fadathath> /faˈdaθaθ/ destroyed |
Perfect | If contains vowel$: Suffix -qeθ
Else: Suffix -eθ fadatheth> /fadaˈθeθ/ has destroyed |
Legendary | If contains vowel$: Suffix -χaqeθ
Else: Suffix -aχeq fadathaxeq /ˌfadaˈθaχeq/ said to have destroyed |
Derivational morphology
Adjective → adverb = Prefix ʧu-Adjective → noun (the quality of being [adj]) = Prefix χe-
Adjective → verb (to make something [adj]) = Prefix qi-
Noun → adjective (having the quality of [noun]) = Prefix θo-
Noun → adjective relating to noun (e.g. economy → economic) = Prefix ʃe-
Noun → verb (to create [noun]) = Prefix χi-
Verb → adjective (result of doing [verb]) = Prefix ðu-
Verb → adjective (likely to do [verb]) = Prefix ke-
Verb → noun (the act of [verb]) = Prefix qe-
Verb → noun that verb physically produces (e.g. build → building) = Prefix vu-
One who [verb]s (e.g. paint → painter) = Prefix no-
Place of (e.g. wine → winery) = Prefix θu-
Diminutive = Prefix a-
Augmentative = Prefix aza-
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