Kolu'a

"Despite the Kolu themselves only making up a small fraction of the population of the region, their language has become an essential part of life for the average person in northern Kedizlim"

— A Brief History of Kedizlim

The Kolu language, known as Kolu'a, is a language isolate spoken by the Kolu of northern Kedizlim as a native language but also by various peoples of the Asimara and Asimapa river basins and beyond as a lingua franca. The language's relatively simple grammar and writing system combined with the trade influence of the Kolu Republic are the major factors which lead to the languages development as a trade language and widespread adoption even beyond the Kolu sphere of influence.

Geographical Distribution

Kolu'a is spoken throughout Northern Kedizlim but is also well-known throughout much of the Black Ocean world due to the trade influence of the Kolu Republic.

Syntax

Kolu'a follows an O-S-V word order. ie "Au Mai'ka Mak'umu'a" translates to "I [the] water drink[ing am]" or "I drink water."

Phonetics

Consonants

/m/ /n/ /p/ /t/ /k/ /l/ /ʔ/ /h/ /w~v/ /s/ /j/

Vowels

/a/ /a:/ /e/ /e:/ /i/ /i:/ /o/ /o:/ /u/ /u:/ non-native speakers of Kolu often mistakenly believe that diphthongs are a part of the vowel phonology but native speakers will actually pronounce the component vowels as separate rather than as a single sound.

Tenses

Kolu'a possesses simple past, past perfect, present, present progressive, and simple future tenses.

Spoken by

• Kolu
• Taqoi

Common Phrases

Proverbs and Idioms

Ha'ku wel'ee pa'ku tay'mo su'pay'alu

Only rocks and gods live forever (an old proverb about the importance of living a full life rather than seeking a long one)

Tee'ak Uli'ka'pa ta'no ik'wa'la'amu

Good swords and bad pens pierce flesh alike

Mo'no A'ku'lu'awa

Raining sun/Sunshower (used to refer to a dishonest person)