Vox Hordain /ˈvɔx ˈhɔɾdɛɪn/
Phonology
Consonants
- Plosives: /p, t, k, g/
- Fricatives: /s, ʃ, x, ɣ/
- Affricates: /t͡s, t͡ʃ/
- Nasals: /m, n/
- Lateral and Rhotics: /l, r/
Note: Vox Hordain does not distinguish between voiced and voiceless stops; all stops are treated equally in terms of voicing.
Palatalization
Palatalization primarily affects borrowed words, making consonants followed by front vowels (i, e, ü, ö) sound slightly softer and more "palatal."
Vowels
Vox Hordain has a rich vowel system with the following ten vowels:
- Front vowels: /i, e, ü, ö/
- Back vowels: /ı, a, u, o, ɔ, ʊ/
Vowel Harmony
Vox Hordain uses vowel harmony, meaning words tend to contain only front or back vowels. Suffixes in the language must match the vowel type of the root word (front or back vowels).
Syllable Structure
The preferred syllable structure in Vox Hordain is simple and straightforward, typically following the CVC pattern (Consonant-Vowel-Consonant).
Stress
Stress in Vox Hordain words typically falls on the first syllable, providing a rhythmic and consistent feel to the language.
Rhythm
Vox Hordain has a syllable-timed rhythm, with a clear distinction between long and short vowels. This rhythmic quality gives the language a steady, measured cadence.
Morphology
Vox Hordain is agglutinative, meaning it uses a system of suffixes attached to root words to convey grammatical meaning. Each suffix represents a specific feature, such as tense, number, case, or possession, and there is a strict order for affixes.
Cases
Vox Hordain uses the following cases to express grammatical relationships:
- Nominative: Used for the subject of a sentence.
- Accusative: Used for the direct object.
- Dative: Used for the indirect object (to/for).
- Genitive: Indicates possession (of).
- Ablative: Used to show movement away from (from).
- Locative: Indicates location (in, at, on).
Person/Number
Verbs in Vox Hordain are conjugated for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd person in both singular and plural forms. Vox Hordain pronouns distinguish between person and number, but there is no formal distinction between singular and plural second-person pronouns, as the distinction is clear based on the context of the conversation.
Possession
Possession is indicated through possessive pronouns that precede the nouns.
Tenses
Vox Hordain verbs are conjugated for three main tenses:
- Present: Used for actions happening currently.
- Past: Used for actions that have already occurred.
- Future: Used for actions that will happen.
Aspect
Vox Hordain verbs also reflect two main aspects:
- Perfective: Indicates completed actions.
- Imperfective: Indicates ongoing or habitual actions.
Tense and aspect markers combine freely.
Mood
Vox Hordain has three main moods:
- Indicative: Used for stating facts or asking questions.
- Imperative: Used for commands or requests.
- Conditional: Used for hypothetical or conditional actions.
Syntax
The syntax of Vox Hordain is structured yet flexible, influenced by its agglutinative nature and the use of case markers. Below are the key syntactic features:
Word Order
Vox Hordain follows an SOV (Subject-Object-Verb) word order, where the subject comes first, followed by the object, and the verb at the end of the sentence. This structure is flexible to some degree due to the case system, but SOV remains the default pattern.
Adjectives
In Vox Hordain, adjectives always come before the noun they modify and do not agree in gender or number with the noun. Adjectives in Vox Hordain are invariant, meaning they do not change form regardless of the noun they modify.
Pronouns
Personal pronouns in Vox Hordain typically come at the beginning of the sentence, followed by the verb and the object. Possessive pronouns also precede the noun they modify.
Question Formation
Vox Hordain forms yes/no questions by adding a question particle at the end of the sentence. The word order remains the same as in a declarative sentence, with only the question particle added at the end.
Negation
To negate verbs, Vox Hordain uses a negation particle that attaches to the verb.
Postpositions
Vox Hordain uses postpositions, which come after the noun or noun phrase they modify.
Case Marking
Vox Hordain has a rich system of case markers, which are added to nouns as suffixes. These case markers are used to express the grammatical function of the noun in the sentence.
Vocabulary
Concepts
- Strength / Power – Arz /ɑrz/
- Survival / Endurance – Vorn /vɔrn/
- Freedom – Grax /ɡɾɑx/
- Independence / Autonomy – Loth /lɔθ/
- Victory / Triumph – Rak /rɑk/
- Honor / Respect – Vun /vʊn/
- Loyalty / Bond – Szar /szɑɾ/
- Trust / Faith – Lir /lɪr/
- Hearth / Fire – Kuna /kʊnɑ/
- Life / Living – Norx /nɔɾx/
- Death / End – Zhrak /ʒrɑk/
- Spirit / Soul – Thar /θɑr/
- Discord / Conflict – Gruth /ɡrʊθ/
- Oath / Vow – Aj /ɑʒ/
- Birth / New Life – Tavi /tɑvɪ/
- Language – Vox /ˈvɔx/
People
- Warrior / Fighter – Urok /uɾok/
- Family / Clan / Community – Horde /hɔɾdɛ/
- Tribe – Vaka /vɑkɑ/
- Brother / Sister – Nar /nɑr/
- Leader – Rox /ɾɔx/
- Elder / Ancestor – Tarak /tɑɾɑk/
- Mother – Thir /θɪr/
- Father – Khar /kʰɑr/
- Fellow / Companion – Dar /dɑɾ/
- Man – Grun /ɡrʊn/
- Woman – Nora /nɔrɑ/
- Hunter / Raider – Kar /kɑr/
- Leader Woman / Strong Woman – Rox-Nora /ɾɔx-nɔrɑ/
- Child – Skran /skɾɑn/
- Provider / Nurturer – Vart /vɑɾt/
Adjectives
- Brave / Fearless – Thrak /θrɑk/
- Courageous / Bold – Zarak /zɑɾɑk/
- Waste / Excess – Narg /nɑrɣ/
- Taboo / Forbidden – Shar /ʃɑr/
Activities
- Battle / Fight – Khor /xɔr/
- Feast / Celebration – Shan /ʃɑn/
- Raid / Pillage – Vrak /vɾɑk/
- Marking / Ritual – Vaka-Ruk /vɑkɑ-ɾʊk/
- Marriage – Malar /mɑlɑɾ/
- Challenge / Trial – Khorath /xɔɾɑθ/
- Funeral / Cremation – Khorak /xɔrɑk/
- Celebration of Life / Feast of the Dead – Lun /lʊn/
Nature
- Wind / Air – Kril /kɾɪl/
- Land / Earth – Vul /vʊl/
- Sky – Jana /jɑnɑ/
- Water – Rux /rʊx/
- Mountain – Karx /kɑɾx/
- Fire – Hath /hɑθ/
Animals
- Horse / Steed – Shal /ʃɑl/
Places
- Home / Camp – Mor /mɔr/
Items
- Body Paint / War Paint – Khor-Al /xɔɾ-ɑl/
- Offering / Gift – Draza /dɾɑzɑ/
Suffixes
- Genitive Suffix – -in /ɪn/
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