Tellurian

The Tellurian language, spoken by the enigmatic and advanced civilisation of the same name, laid the foundation for what became known as the Ancient Language. This language, central to the Light Age, was a transformative linguistic system that carried the essence of Tellurian thought, science, and magic. The Ancient Language evolved directly from Tellurian, streamlining its intricate structures while retaining its core phonology, vocabulary, and cultural significance.

Writing System

1. Script: • Semi-logographic: Combining phonetic characters with ideograms for complex ideas (e.g., Ra’shiv represented as a symbol for sacred fire). 2. Direction: • Written left to right, reflecting the progressive nature of the Tellurian civilisation. 3. Notable Features: • Circular glyphs for vowels and angular strokes for consonants. • Key symbols: • Kalaran: A flowing circle around intersecting lines, representing shaping. • Vhor’kai: A darkened triangle with radiating streaks.

Geographical Distribution

Telluria was a large, unified kingdom, home to a range of peoples with varying customs, but all shared a common language—Tellurian. The language served as a tool for governance, scholarly pursuits, and religious practices. Throughout Telluria, the Tellurian language unified the diverse peoples under a single cultural and political entity. It was used in rituals, governance, trade, and public life, as well as in scientific and arcane research.

Phonology

Phonology

• Vowels: Tellurian vowels follow a harmonic system, maintaining euphonic consistency within words. Short: a, e, i, o, u Long: â, ê, î, ô, û Consonants: Soft yet complex, often combined with liquid sounds: Stops: p, t, k, b, d, g Fricatives: f, v, s, z, sh Liquids: l, r Nasals: m, n Special: zhr, vhr (used in arcane words) Stress: Emphasises the first syllable in most cases unless a prefix or suffix requires a shift.

Morphology

1. Root-Based: • Tellurian words often have roots conveying essential meanings, modified by prefixes, suffixes, or infixes. • Example: Kalaran (shape) → Ri-kalaran (shaped). 2. Affixation: • Prefixes: Indicate tense or negation (Ri- for past, Sy- for future, Tha- for negation). • Suffixes: Mark aspect or politeness (-il for ongoing action, -reth for completion). • Infixes: Rare but used for emphasis (kalaran → ka-lor-aran for “profound shaping”). 3. Gender-Neutrality: • Words do not encode gender, emphasising inclusivity and functionality.

Syntax

Syntax in Tellurian refers to the rules governing the arrangement of words and phrases to create meaningful sentences. Below is an overview of the key syntactical structures in Tellurian:
Basic Sentence Structure
Tellurian follows a Subject-Object-Verb (SOV) word order. The subject (the doer of the action) comes first, followed by the object (the receiver of the action), and the verb (the action itself) is placed at the end of the sentence. • Example: • Rahyel vhor’kai ri-kalaran. • Translation: “We destroy the darkness.” • Literal Translation: “We darkness destroy.”
This structure reflects the Tellurian people’s preference for contemplation and precision, highlighting the action at the end of the sentence.
Modifiers and Adjectives
Adjectives in Tellurian typically precede the noun they modify, emphasizing the descriptive quality before the subject. This is a key feature in the language’s syntax, aligning with the language’s tendency to highlight attributes before the objects themselves. • Example: • Rh’arani ra’shiv thara’shin. • Translation: “Ancient sacred knowledge of the earth.” • Literal Translation: “Ancient knowledge earth.”
Modifiers such as adverbs, adverbial phrases, or adjectives can be placed before or after the noun or verb to add further specificity.
Verb Placement
The verb in Tellurian is typically positioned at the end of the sentence. This is particularly important in declarative statements, where the verb concludes the sentence. However, the verb can also be isolated for emphasis in specific contexts. • Example: • Rahyel ri-kalaran-reth. • Translation: “We destroyed it completely.” • Literal Translation: “We destroy completely.”
This use of verb repetition or isolation emphasizes the importance of the action.
Questions
Questions in Tellurian are introduced by a particle va- at the start of the sentence. The subject-object-verb order remains, but the particle signals that the sentence is interrogative. • Yes/No Questions: • Example: • Va-rahyel vayloth kalaran? • Translation: “Do we use magic to shape?” • Literal Translation: “Question-we magic shape?” • Open Questions: • Open-ended questions (those asking for specific information) are introduced by question words like varath (“what”), vathra (“why”), and vejan (“where”). • Example: • Varath vayloth shyval? • Translation: “What does magic guide?” • Literal Translation: “What magic guides?”
Negation
Negation in Tellurian is formed by adding the prefix na- to the verb, turning an affirmative sentence into a negative one. This structure is used to create negative sentences across all tenses. • Example: • Rahyel na-kalaran. • Translation: “We do not shape.” • Literal Translation: “We not shape.”
The negation particle na- applies directly to the verb, keeping the sentence structure intact.
Possession
Possession in Tellurian is marked by the suffix -tha attached to the possessor or noun. This structure highlights the owner of the object in the sentence. • Example: • Rai-tha saelar shyval. • Translation: “My stars guide.” • Literal Translation: “My stars guide.”
The possessive suffix -tha is added to the noun or pronoun indicating ownership.
Conjunctions
Conjunctions are used to link clauses or phrases within a sentence. The most common conjunctions in Tellurian include: • Tha (“and”) • Lor (“but”) • Shor (“because”)
Examples: 1. Tha (“and”) is used to connect related actions or ideas. • Rahyel vayloth tha kalaran. • Translation: “We use magic and shape.” • Literal Translation: “We magic and shape.” 2. Lor (“but”) introduces contrast or opposition. • Vhor’kai kai zor, lor thyrethan vael thara. • Translation: “Darklings destroyed life, but the Sun gives life.” • Literal Translation: “Darkness destroyed life, but the Sun gives life.” 3. Shor (“because”) introduces a reason or cause. • Rahyel kalaran shor ra’shiv vayloth. • Translation: “We shape because knowledge is magic.” • Literal Translation: “We shape because knowledge magic.”
Subordinate Clauses
Subordinate clauses (dependent clauses) are used to add extra information to a sentence. They are usually linked with conjunctions like shor (“because”) or lor (“but”). • Example: • Rahyel vayloth kalaran thara’shin shor saelar shyval vra’len. • Translation: “We use magic to shape the earth because the stars guide destiny.” • Literal Translation: “We magic shape earth because stars guide destiny.”
The word shor introduces the subordinate clause explaining the reason for the action.
Topic-Prominent Structure
Tellurian can sometimes employ a topic-prominent structure, where the topic of the sentence is introduced at the beginning, and then the verb and other sentence components follow. This style emphasizes the subject or the object before explaining what happens to it. • Example: • Vhor’kai, rahyel ri-kalaran. • Translation: “The darkness, we destroyed.” • Literal Translation: “Darkness, we destroy.”
This structure is particularly useful when the sentence is designed to focus on a specific element, such as the object or subject, rather than the action itself.
Adverb Placement
Adverbs in Tellurian are typically placed directly before the verb or the object they modify. This placement helps maintain clarity in describing actions or attributes. • Example: • Vayloth kalaran-il. • Translation: “Magic is shaping.” • Literal Translation: “Magic shaping.”
In this case, the adverb -il (denoting continuous aspect) modifies the verb “shape.”
Honorifics and Formality
The syntax of Tellurian reflects respect and formality through the use of honorifics. These are usually attached to pronouns or titles to show deference. Honorifics may appear after the subject or directly before the verb, depending on emphasis. • Example: • Ireth Arathan, thyrethan vael thara. • Translation: “Your Majesty, the Sun gives life.” • Literal Translation: “Your Majesty, Sun gives life.”
Honorifics like Arathan (Great Leader) are used to show respect for authority or divine status.
Summary of Tellurian Syntax Rules
• Word Order: Subject-Object-Verb (SOV) is standard. • Modifiers and Adjectives: Modifiers (adjectives, adverbs) precede the noun or verb they modify. • Negation: Achieved with the prefix na- before the verb. • Questions: Formed with the question particle va- or open question words like varath (what), vathra (why), and vejan (where). • Possession: Indicated by adding the suffix -tha to the possessor or noun. • Conjunctions: Use tha (“and”), lor (“but”), shor (“because”) to connect clauses. • Subordinate Clauses: Introduced by conjunctions like shor (“because”) to explain reasons or causes.

Vocabulary

1. Nature & Magic: • Vayloth: Magic • Thara’shin: Knowledge of the Earth • Ra’shiv: Sacred Knowledge 2. Cultural Terms: • Rh’arani: Ancestors • Arathan: Great Leader 3. Action Words: • Kalaran: Shape • Ri-kai: Destroy 4. Abstract Concepts: • Vhor’kai: Darkness • Zhyriqan: Technology

Phonetics

1. Consonant-Vowel Harmony: • Example: Ra-shiv-tha maintains fluidity between syllables. 2. Stops and Liquids: • Stops are softened by adjacent vowels (Thara’shin flows with a soft th).

Tenses

Tenses
• Prefixes: • Ri-: Past (e.g., Ri-kalaran = “Shaped”) • None: Present (e.g., Kalaran = “Shape”) • Sy-: Future (e.g., Sy-kalaran = “Will shape”) • Aspect: • -il: Continuous action (e.g., Kalaran-il = “Shaping”) • -reth: Completed action (e.g., Kalaran-reth = “Has shaped”)

Sentence Structure

• Sentence Structure: • SOV (Subject-Object-Verb): Reflecting a contemplative structure. • Example: Rahyel Vhor’kai ri-kalaran. (“We destroy the darkness.”) • Variations allow emphasis by reordering: • Object First: Vhor’kai, rahyel ri-kalaran. (“Darkness, we destroy.”) • Verb Repeated: Rahyel ri-kalaran-reth. (“We destroy it completely.”) • Conjunctions: • Tha: “And” (e.g., Rahyel vayloth tha kalaran. = “We use magic and shape.”) • Lor: “But” (e.g., Vhor’kai kai zor, lor thyrethan vael thara. = “Darklings destroyed life, but the Sun gives life.”) • Shor: “Because” (e.g., Rahyel kalaran shor ra’shiv vayloth. = “We shape because knowledge is magic.”)

Adjective Order

• Order of Emphasis: 1. Quantity: Veythra (many) 2. Quality: Ra’shiv (sacred) 3. Descriptor: Thara’shin (of the Earth) • Example: Veythra ra’shiv thara’shin = “Many sacred knowledge of the Earth.”

Structural Markers

1. Politeness: • -tha: Indicates respect (e.g., Rahyel-tha = “Our [honoured]”) 2. Negation: • Tha- Prefix: Negates an action (e.g., Tha-ri-kalaran = “Did not shape”) 3. Possession: • -na: Marks ownership (e.g., Thara’na = “Of the Earth”)

Dictionary

24 Words.

Successor Languages

• Vesyrian
• The Old Language
• The Ancient Language

Spoken by

• Tellurians

Common Phrases

Greetings and Everyday Phrases
1. Good Morning • Vayloth shor vejan! • Literal Translation: “Magic guides the day!” • (A hopeful greeting, suggesting that the day ahead will be full of opportunities guided by magic.) 2. Good Night • Vayloth thal vael shyn! • Literal Translation: “May magic guide your dreams.” • (A peaceful wish for rest and dreams guided by magic.) 3. Hello • Rai thara! • Literal Translation: “We meet!” • (A simple greeting, indicating a meeting or encounter.) 4. Goodbye • Rai thal thara’shin! • Literal Translation: “May we meet again!” • (A farewell phrase implying a future reunion.) 5. How are you? • Thal shor vejan thara? • Literal Translation: “How does the day guide you?” • (A formal way of asking about someone’s well-being.) 6. I am well, thank you. • Rai vayloth ka’riv, vael ra’nath. • Literal Translation: “We shape well, the Sun gives life.” • (A response that acknowledges well-being, reflecting the influence of the Sun and magic.) 7. Please • Rai shor tha’riv. • Literal Translation: “We shape to request.” • (A polite request form, meaning “please.”) 8. Thank you • Rahyel thal rith’ra. • Literal Translation: “Our thanks are given.” • (A formal expression of gratitude.) 9. You are welcome. • Rai shor vael. • Literal Translation: “We shape the gift.” • (A response to thank you, meaning “You’re welcome.”) 10. Excuse me • Thal’ka shorath ra’vetha. • Literal Translation: “You shape aside.” • (A polite phrase used to get someone’s attention or when trying to move through a crowd.)
Expressions of Love and Affection
1. I love you. • Atta dor mâna veksha-nath. • Literal Translation: “Father and mother protect the daughter.” • (A poetic way of saying “I love you,” reflecting deep familial bonds.) 2. I love you, my daughter. • Rai veksha-nath dor mâna veksha. • Literal Translation: “I love my daughter, father’s protection.” • (A direct expression of love for a daughter.) 3. You are my world. • Thal saelar-shyn dor ri’ra’nykth. • Literal Translation: “You are my stars, my path is lit.” • (An expression of endearment, indicating that the person is central to one’s life.) 4. You are beautiful. • Thal thara’shin veksha. • Literal Translation: “You are a light of hope.” • (A compliment, meaning “You are beautiful” with a focus on inner beauty.)
Gratitude and Respect
1. Thank you very much. • Rahyel thal rith’ra, vael sa’el. • Literal Translation: “Our thanks are given, the Sun provides.” • (A deeper expression of gratitude, implying that the giver has been blessed.) 2. I appreciate it. • Rahyel shor’vin vejan. • Literal Translation: “We shape thanks for guidance.” • (A formal expression of appreciation.) 3. It is an honor. • Rai thara’shin darthra. • Literal Translation: “It is my honor to meet.” • (Used when expressing thanks for an honor or privilege.) 4. You are great. • Thal Arathan. • Literal Translation: “You are a Great Leader.” • (A respectful phrase, acknowledging someone’s greatness or wisdom.)
Time-Related Phrases
1. What time is it? • Varath shor vejan vathra? • Literal Translation: “What does the day guide?” 2. It’s early. • Vaelthra kalaran. • Literal Translation: “The Sun shapes the dawn.” • (Used to indicate that it is early in the day.) 3. It’s late. • Thar’shin kalaran. • Literal Translation: “The night shapes the land.” • (Used to indicate that it is late in the evening.) 4. See you later. • Rai thal vael kalaran-shin. • Literal Translation: “We will meet, the Sun shapes the journey.” • (A way to say “See you later” with an emphasis on the day’s progress.)
Common Polite Phrases
1. Sorry. • Rai’ka vael, thal shor-rah. • Literal Translation: “We shape to apologize.” • (A polite way of saying sorry.) 2. It’s okay. • Rahyel-tha vejan-tha vael. • Literal Translation: “Our guidance provides peace.” • (A way of saying that there’s no issue.) 3. Please wait. • Thal shor’vin theran. • Literal Translation: “Please, shape time.” • (Used when asking someone to wait.)
Common Questions
1. Where are you from? • Ve’jan shorth vael? • Literal Translation: “Where does your path begin?” 2. What is your name? • Varath thal rhothan? • Literal Translation: “What do you shape?” 3. Do you understand? • Va-thal shor shai’ra? • Literal Translation: “Do you shape understanding?”
Miscellaneous Phrases
1. I don’t know. • Rai thal na-othen. • Literal Translation: “We do not shape knowledge.” 2. I’m sorry for your loss. • Rai shor vejan thal-tha. • Literal Translation: “We shape through grief.” 3. I will always be here for you. • Sy-ral’ver shor thal thara’veth. • Literal Translation: “I will always shape the path to you.”

Common Female Names

Feminine names are often melodic, featuring soft vowels (like a, e, and i) and fluid consonants (l, r, v, n). Many feminine names are inspired by nature, celestial bodies, or virtues.
Examples:
• Lyvara (Light of the Stars): Associated with guidance and brilliance. • Tiranelle (Earth’s Guardian): Earthly protector or nurturer. • Vhalira (Mountain Stream): A name symbolising clarity and perseverance. • Rhanestra (Sacred Flame): Symbol of passion and spiritual strength. • Saelarith (Star-born): Celestial and ethereal.

Common Male Names

Masculine names tend to be more structured and bold, with harder consonants (r, k, d, t) balanced by flowing vowels (a, o, u). Many are inspired by strength, protection, or cosmic forces.
Examples:
• Rhykalos (Shaper of Fire): A name tied to creation and power. • Vhalorin (Mountain Guardian): Protector of high places. • Tiradek (Earth Carver): Reflecting craftsmanship or strength. • Dharanir (Eternal Shield): A name of resilience and defence. • Khorvayn (Cosmic Hunter): A seeker of truth or destiny.

Common Unisex Names

Unisex names are common in Tellurian culture, especially among magical practitioners, scholars, and those of fluid or undefined roles. These names often reflect balance, harmony, or dual forces.
Examples:
• Saelin (Guided by Stars): A name for seekers and wanderers. • Talyreth (Shaper of Harmony): Balanced and calm. • Vhaylen (Guardian of Light): Defender of ideals. • Zhyris (Knowledge Weaver): Someone who seeks understanding. • Dhrinath (Eternal Flame): Unyielding and passionate.

Common Family Names

Family names reflect ancestral roles, occupations, magical affinities, or geographic origins. They often begin with a prefix denoting the origin (Vha- for “of the mountains,” Tir- for “of the earth,” Dhy- for “magical lineage”) and end in descriptive suffixes like -dun, -kai, or -resh.
Examples:
• Tiradun (Of the Earth): Earth-shapers or builders. • Vhamoryn (Of the Mountains): Families from highlands or mountain regions. • Dhyresh (Lineage of Magic): Families tied to arcane practices. • Sael’vhor (Star of Darkness): Families known for navigating challenges or adversity. • Zhyrikan (Shaper of Knowledge): Scholars or inventors.