The Microshan Language
A guide to conventions and pronunciation
The native language of Microsha is something most Microshans learn as an oral language. This has mostly to do with the fact that the dominant language has changed from Microshan to the surface/Glyssian language (i.e. "English" for the most part). Locals of Microsha learn the language at home and are taught mainly in Glyssian. Thus, most Microshans speak a rough, informal version of Microshan, though most are able to recognize "formal" or "proper" Microshan. Many of the younger generations of Microshans speak a kind of creole dialect (Microshan Creole Glyssian or MCG) but rely more heavily on the Glyssian language. You can tell a lot of where a Microshan came from and roughly their generation depending on how much Microshan they are comfortable using.
Fuhals and their households, as well as academics, are more likely to speak formal Microshan. Modern fuhals are required to learn both Microshan and Glyssian to fluency, though they often do not partake in much slang. Academics are encouraged to hone their language skills to fluency, and while it is not mandated by places like The College most students and professors opt to do so in order to gain the most out of their resources.
Morphology
Many Microshan words may have the letters "e'" in front of them (such as E'nul) which is used to place importance on the word. For example, "hasi" means "torment", but "e'hasi" (The Torment) has a specific usage and means something different from the normal word (e'hasi being more akin to "the stages of grief" than "torment"). Similarly, names with "J'" at the beginning act as a way to place emphasis on the word. For example "J'han" means the embodiment of darkness, or "an". Both "e" and "J" may have filler letters (such as the "h" in "J'han") in order to smooth out the transition of letters and make it easier to pronounce.
Words that end in "'i" often symbolize a group of people, translating directly as "of", and are most likely to be attached to prestigious professions or nations of people. For example, "Ishai'i" is an Ambassador, but the direct translation is more along the lines of "those of the ambassadors". The weight of the title rests on the profession as a whole rather than the individual (implying missteps taken by an individual reflect badly on the whole profession). [Additionally, this makes the worlds "Glyssian" and "Microshan" technically incorrect, as they should be "Glyssi'i" and "Microsha'i" respectively.]
The use of apostrophes is often debated among Microshan scholars (as traditional written Microshan has no need for them), but MCG has adopted apostrophes for several clarifying and grammatical uses. First, the apostrophe is used to clarify multiple same vowels in a row (such as the word gwata'an with two a's next to each other). This is to allow ease of reading and to emphasize the vowels as a reminder to pronounce each vowel separately. Second, when used in names (such as Go'ria), it may be used as a phonetic marker in order to clarify the separation of syllables and phonemes (so, it's not "gor-ia" it's "go-ria). Third, the apostrophe is used to indicate compound words or names (such as Luha'nia). While not strictly necessary for pronunciation, the apostrophe is kept as a grammatical indication.
There are no contractions in Microshan, making the language sound very formal when directly translated. However, truncated versions of words do exist in oral slang, creating opportunities for puns and wordplay.
Syntax
Microshan is an SVO language (Subject Verb Object) like English, and follow many structural rules of English. However, in spoken custom, there are many conventions that follow languages such as Japanese and Korean. For example, it is common for siblings to refer to each other as Hanei or Hanai (Big Brother or Big Sister), and may add additional honorariums such as Mahao- or Hanid- in front in order to pay homage or placate their siblings.
Some words do not follow traditional Microshan grammar conventions anymore. Words like fuhal should not use fuhals as a plural (as there are no plurals in traditional Microshan), but the creole grammar has overridden to create this plural form. Similarly, some Microshan words and names no longer follow the phonetics placed before them. For example "Jaris" should be pronounced "Ja-rees" (like Jaw and Reese) but is widely pronounced "Jer-ris" (like Ferris).
Phonetics
Microshan uses short vowels (think Spanish or Japanese), but mispronunciations using the long vowels are considered acceptable in certain instances (such as the word "Microsha" itself). Long vowels are usually an indicator that the word is Glyssian in origin.
Pronounce all vowels, especially if they are right next to each other. Typically same-sound vowels are separated by an apostrophe for clarification and emphasis, but may also indicate a compound word (such as sha'an). Words that have a double vowel at the end, like "Ishai'i", are more likely to be spoken with an elongated "i" sound (so, "e–" rather than "e-e"). However, words like "gwata'an" require both "a"s to be spoken (so "gwata" and then "an").
R's have a slight roll to them (again, think Japanese R's that have elements of L, R, and D in the sound), but not a hard roll as found in Spanish.
