Karoi

Karoi is the language spoken by the three major cultures in the Karoa region, including the Mosori, Sabani, and Ilisi. Each have slight differences in accent and local lingo.

Note: This page is still a work in progress. Much more is to come.

Phonology

Accent
The h sound in Mosori is pronounced in the back of the throat, and is emphasized with varying degrees in different tribes. Most northern tribes enunciate it clearly, but it is common for southern tribes to make the h sound breathier, or to even drop it altogether — especially in casual settings.
Throughout Mosoria, people speak with a small mouth shape, and vowels are brief and sharp. Harder consonants like k and t are usually softened a bit. The t sound is made at the very front of the mouth, right behind the teeth.
Vowel pronunciation guide

• a is a flexible character in Latin scripts, and when used for Mosori words it can either indicate ah, aw, or uh. It is a stand-in for two separate characters in Mosori; one for ah and aw, and another for uh. If unsure which sound you should use, consult the Google Doc dictionary. Note: In some cases where ah is written in the dictionary, a northerner would still say aw. This slight variation in accent is overlooked in the dictionary, in favor of representing the most common pronunciation.
• ae is always pronounced ey, as in prey. Note that in the Karoi writing system, this sound is one letter, not two. If the a and e are meant to be pronounced separately, they will be written as follows: a'e. This would be indicated by two separate characters when writing in the Karoi script.
• ai is always pronounced ahy, as in my. Note that in the Karoi writing system, this sound is one letter, not two. If the a and i are meant to be pronounced separately, they will be written as follows: a'i. This would be indicated by two separate characters when writing in the Karoi script.
• If you encounter a vowel combination like aii or aei, you can assume it is two syllables, since there is no apostrophe separating the a from the first i or e. The vowel combinations previously mentioned, for example, would be pronounced ahy-ee and ey-ee, respectively.
• oi is not a diphthong Mosori, unlike ae and ai. The sound you hear in the English words toy and joy does not exist in Mosori. Instead, wherever you see oi, read it as two syllables: oh-ee.
• ao is also not a diphthong. The sound you hear in the English words bow and howl does not exist in Mosori. Wherever you see ao, pronounce it as ah-oh, and add a slight stop between each sound rather than letting them slur together.

Vocabulary

See full vocabulary in the official Google Doc.

Spoken by

• Mosori

Common Phrases

Note: See full list of phrases, idioms, and expressions in the official Google Doc.

Sohana

Greetings (formal)

Soa, nisai an ahi?

Hi, how are you?

Navi siiha, dae ahi?

I'm good, and you?

Sani

Fine

Imorae

Great, amazing, fantastic

Sorana

Okay, all right, stable, healthy, functioning

An no mahi ala?

What's your name?

An no mavi Lasía.

My name is Lasía.

Alamahána

Good morning (literally: bright morning)

Lorhana/Lorana

Good day (literally: bright day) (common with northern tribes)

Alorabae

Good day (literally: blessed day) (common with southern tribes)

Karanasih

Goodnight

Nasa

Sorry

Ennali

Excuse me, pardon me

An aki mahani

It's all good, no worries, apology accepted

Mahani

It's all good, no worries, apology accepted (shortened)

Ahani?

All good? Okay? Is that agreeable to you?

Common Female Names

Note: The Mosori people acknowledge five genders. These names are for the two "feminine" genders.

Adaela

Strong one

Alaea

Happiness

Alaia

Love

Alaii

Loved, Beloved

Alora

Caring one

Kaína

Strong one

Lorini

Caring one

Saelani

Helper

Sairani

Unknown meaning

Sari, Saria

Dance

Saruni

One who trusts, one who is trustworthy

Common Male Names

Note: The Mosori people acknowledge five genders. These names are for the two "masculine" genders.

Adaelo

Courageous one

Davani

Spirit, spirited

Falii

Dusty

Kaíno

Strong one

Masano

Boulder, stone

Saelano

Helper

Saruno

One who trusts, one who is trustworthy

Common Unisex Names

Halasi

Good arrival

Halaae, Halae

Happy arrival

Sarunae

One who trusts, one who is trustworthy

Ulío

Unknown meaning