Sha'ree
This is the official language of the Sh'areen Calipahte. Several different but closely related languages used to be spoken in the region, but as the Caliphate took over, so did its language.
Writing System
The Sha'ree alphabet is an abjad - that is, vowels are added to the consonant symbols to create syllable characters. It is written left-to-right, top-to-bottom. The exception is if something is within a a cartouche (box with half-circle endings), in which case the contents is mirrored.
Geographical Distribution
The language originates in the Sa'ar Desert, but has spread from there along with ethnic migration. Also, the cultural exchange has shifted it somewhat closer to the more common amalgam of language that is somewhat intelligible between at least larger meeting places in the world.
Phonology
Syllables are normally vowels or consonant-vowel clusters. Consonant clusters longer than two are rare. Normally, nouns, verbs, and adjectives consist of at least two sounds and are often longer due to grammar, as affixes do a lot of heavy lifting.
Some phonetic changes happen when words are formed:
- ð becomes θ at the beginning of a word.
- ðθ becomes ʤ.
- θð, dð, and ðd all become d.
- ʤθ becomes ɛθ.
- ʧθ > tʃ
- Consonants that are stops become ɛ if before ʃ at the beginning of a word.
- ə becomes ɛ after i, m, j, p, n, s, t, b, d, f, ʧ, ʃ, z, ʤ, v, ʒ, ð, or θ. It disappears and makes an ɛ before it longer instead.
- ɪ becomes ə after a front vowel.
- j becomes ʤ after a vowel if followed by i.
- ts becomes ʧ when between vowels.
- Alveolar consonants become voiceless before voiced consonants.
- ʤg becomes j.
- ʊi becomes ɪ before a syllable boundary.
- ŋ becomes n at the beginning of a word.
- hχ and χh both become χ.
- bʤ becomes bj.
- j becomes i after a front vowel.
- h becomes aspirated at the beginning of a word.
- ɛi, iɛ, and aɛ form their respective diphthongs ɛi̯, iɛ̯, and aɛ̯.
- What would be two or more of the same vowel in a row becomes a longer version of that vowel.
- The same consonant can't appear twice in a row. The exceptions are s and z which can be extended into a longer sound.
- The following clusters can't exist:
- The clusters kv, ʃχ, χʃ, ʃh, hʃ, zʤ, sz, and pb.
- Any consonant followed by ŋ
- q preceded or followed by another consonant.
- ʤ followed by another consonant.
- ʤ preceded by any stop consonant.
- kb preceded by a consonant.
- sg preceded by a consonant.
- bl, pt, kb, sand g can't exist at the beginning of a word.
- bl and kb can't exist at the end of a word.
Syntax
Sha'ree is a Subject-Verb-object language in almost any clause, but older forms of the language can shift to Subject-Object-Verb in the case of questions or conditional clauses. Adjectives normally go before the noun and adverbs before the verb, but the order between them can vary.
Vocabulary
Pronouns
There are three sociological genders and this is reflected in the language. Pronouns aren't gendered and other grammar only rarely contain vestigial remains of three grammatical genders. However, when gender is talked about it is in the form of men (aitze : /aitzɛ/), women (eitze : /ɛitzɛ/), and uitze (/ʊitzɛ/) which represents those who identify as a different gender, no gender or something else. Inclusive and exclusive plural has nothing to do with being rude or polite. It is simply a way to differentiate things such as if "we're going to the market later" includes an expectation that the one spoken to is expected to join or if it refers to the speaker and others.First person
| Singular | Plural, inclusive | Plural, exclusive | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Honourary | suj (/suʒ/)
I (honourary) |
sh'azuje (/ʃaˈzuʒɛ/)
we, including you (honourary) |
sh'azuj (/ʃaˈzuʒ/)
we, excluding you (honourary) |
| Regular | su (/su/)
I |
juth (/ʤuθɛ/)
we, including you |
juth (/ʤuθ/)
we, excluding you |
| Dimunative | uj (/uʒ/)
I (diminutive) |
uji (/uˈʒiɛ/)
we, including you (diminutive) |
uji (/uˈʒi/)
we, excluding you (diminutive) |
Second person
| Singular | Plural, inclusive | Plural, exclusive | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Honourary | qal (/qal/)
you (honourary) |
qalthen (/qalˈθɛn/)
you and your group (honourary) |
qalthēn (/qalˈθɪn/)
your group (honourary) |
| Regular | sōth (/sʊð/)
you |
sōthe (/sʊˈðɛ/)
you and your group |
sōthu (/sʊˈðu/)
your group |
| Dimunative | uth (/uð/)
you (diminutive) |
uthi (/uˈðɛ/)
you and your group (diminutive) |
uthi (/uˈði/)
your group (diminutive) |
Third person
| Singular | Plural | |
|---|---|---|
| Honourary | k'aɦri> /k'aˈɦri/
he/she/it (honourary) |
arak'ri> /aˈrak'ri/
they (honourary) |
| Regular | ẹrath> /əˈrað/
he/she/it |
ẹrai> /əˈrai/
they |
| Dimunative | rath> /rað/
he/she/it (diminutive) |
rẹath> /rəˈað/
they (diminutive) |
Phonetics
| ↓Manner/Place→ | Bilabial | Labiodental | Dental | Alveolar | Palato-alveolar | Palatal | Velar | Uvular | Glottal |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nasal | m | n | ŋ | ||||||
| Stop | p b | t d | k g | q | |||||
| Affricate | ʧ ʤ | ||||||||
| Fricative | f v | θ ð | s z | ʃ ʒ | χ | h | |||
| Approximant | j | ||||||||
| Trill | r | ||||||||
| Lateral approximant | l |
| Front | Central | Back | |
|---|---|---|---|
| High | i y | u | |
| Near-high | ɪ | ʊ | |
| Mid | ə | ||
| Low-mid | ɛ | ɔ | |
| Low | a |
Dictionary
Spoken by
tʃ (start of word) > ch'
a > a
aː > aa
ɪ > ē
ɪ: > ēē
ɛ > e
ɛ: > ee
ə > ẹ
ə: > ẹẹ
i > i
i: > ee or ii
ɔ > o
ɔ: > oo
u > ō
u: > ōō
ʊ > u
ʊ: > uu
ʃ > sh
ʃ (start of word) > sh'
ʒ > j
ʒ (start of word) > jh'
tʃ > ch
θ > th
ð > th
χ > h
ʤ > j
ʤ (end of word) > je
ŋ > ng
hʰ > h
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