Velgarin Language

Writing System

Velgarin Alphabet Structure & Design
1. Consonant Rune Names

Rune	Transliteration	IPA	Approx. English	Rune Name	Notes
ᛒ	B	/b/	b in “bed”	“Be” (pron. BEH)	Short, punchy
ᛞ	D	/d/	d in “dog”	“De” (DEH)	Crisp “d”
ᚷ	G	/g/	g in “go”	“Ge” (GEH)	Can be slightly guttural
ᚺ	H	/h/	h in “hat”	“He” (HEH)	Soft exhalation
ᚴ	K	/k/	k in “keep”	“Ka” (KAH)	Aspirated “k”
ᛚ	L	/l/	l in “lamp”	“El” (EHL)	Quick “l”
ᛗ	M	/m/	m in “moon”	“Em” (EHM)	M-hum sound
ᚾ	N	/n/	n in “night”	“En” (EHN)	Nasal “n”
ᚱ	R	/r/	rolled “r”	“Er” (EHR, rolled)	Trilled or rolled “r”
ᛋ	S	/s/	s in “sun”	“Es” (EHS)	Hissy “s”
ᛊ	Sh	/ʃ/	sh in “ship”	“Esh” (EHSH)	Some dialects merge S + H
ᛏ	T	/t/	t in “time”	“Te” (TEH)	Crisp “t”
ᚦ	Th	/θ/ or /ð/	th in “think”/“this”	“The” (THEH)	Choose voiced or unvoiced
ᚡ	V	/v/	v in “victory”	“Ve” (VEH)	Sharp “v”
ᛉ	Z	/z/	z in “zebra”	“Ze” (ZEH)	Buzzing “z”

Notes on Consonant Names • Many are C + “e” or C + “a” forms, giving a short, clear name. • R (“Er”) is specifically noted to be rolled (EHR). • Sh is “Esh,” distinct from “Es” (S).
2. Vowel Rune Names

Rune	Transliteration	IPA	Approx. English	Rune Name	Notes
ᚨ	A	/a/ or /ɑ/	“ah” (father)	“Ah” (AH)	Broad, open vowel
ᛖ	E	/ɛ/ or /e/	“eh” (pet) / “ay”	“Eh” (EHH)	Choose /ɛ/ or /e/ usage and remain consistent
ᛁ	I	/i/	“ee” (machine)	“Ee” (EEE)	High front vowel
ᛟ	O	/o/	“oh” (bone)	“Oh” (OH)	Rounded “o”
ᚢ	U	/u/	“oo” (flute)	“Oo” (OO)	Back, rounded vowel

Notes on Vowel Names • Each name is essentially the sound of the vowel itself, elongated or clear. • If your tribe/dialect uses a different vowel realization, you can rename them accordingly.
3. Special / Auxiliary Characters

Symbol	Function	Name	Usage
' (apostrophe)	Glottal stop / break	"Sha-cut"	e.g., rek'ath ("will break")
(acute accent)	Optional stress marker	"Zar-stress"	e.g., rável (emphasize first syllable)
– (hyphen)	Compound connector	“Vel-link”	e.g., kalr’al (“gold-substance”)
(Runic punctuation)	Marks for Punctuation	“Nar-fork” etc.	Periods, commas, exclamations, etc.

4. Velgarin Runic Punctuation

Runic Mark	Shape	Name	Usage	Approx. English
᛫	A single short line or dot (·)	Sha-Dot	End of a simple statement	Period (.)
᛬	A split double line (like “:”)	Dual-Sha	Minor pause, separating short clauses	Comma (,) or short pause
᛭	A crossed fork (“✠”)	Nar-Fork	Strong emphasis or command ending	Exclamation (!)
ᛮ	A curved hook or question shape (“ᛮ”)	Zah-Hook	Marks an inquiry or uncertainty	Question (?)
ᛯ	A vertical slash with a small crossbar	Vel-Slash	Major pause or break, sometimes used where English might use a semicolon	Semicolon (;)
ᛰ	Two stacked lines (“=” shape)	Di-Lash	Longer pause or explanation start	Colon (:)
ᛲᛲᛲ	Repeated triple glyph (“ᛲᛲᛲ”)	Mur-Chain	Drawn-out pause, trailing off thoughts or listing items	Ellipsis (…)

4.1. Descriptions & Style
1. Sha-Dot (᛫)

• A short, singular line or dot.

• Used at the end of a sentence (like a period).

2. Dual-Sha (᛬)

• Resembles two short lines or a split colon (:).

• Used for minor pauses—akin to a comma in English.

3. Nar-Fork (᛭)

• A forked or crossed shape reminiscent of ✠.

• Placed at the end of exclamatory sentences, commands, or war cries.

4. Zah-Hook (ᛮ)

• A hook-like or crooked rune (ᛮ).

• Indicates a question—when a Beast Folk wonders or challenges.

5. Vel-Slash (ᛯ)

• A vertical slash with a slight crossbar.

• A more pronounced pause or break—like a semicolon.

6. Di-Lash (ᛰ)

• Two horizontal lines stacked (like =), but stylized.

• Suggests a pause leading to more detail—like a colon.

7. Mur-Chain (ᛲᛲᛲ)

• Triple repeating glyph (ᛲ or some stylized shape), drawn in a chain-like pattern.

• Represents ellipsis, trailing off, or a list of items.

4.2. Punctuation in Context
Here’s how these runic marks might appear in short Velgarin phrases:
1. Statement End (Sha-Dot)

• “Ei sharr rek’an᛫”

• “We endured [past tense].” → (Period)

2. Minor Pause (Dual-Sha)

• “Tyrralen rek’ath᛬ ghorath mural’ath᛫”

• “Chains will break, tyrants will fall.”

• (Comma before finishing the statement)

3. Exclamation (Nar-Fork)

• “Zellach zvelkar᛭”

• “Mighty and defiant!” (War cry)

4. Question (Zah-Hook)

• “Ku fel’an ghorath mural’isᛮ”

• “Did you see the tyrants fall?”

5. Semicolon-Like Pause (Vel-Slash)

• “Ei relvar Kalr’al kor’alᛯ Kuei nar’ash.”

• “We need gold coins; you for the tribe.”

• (Used for a stronger break than a comma, but not a new sentence)

6. Colon-Like Explanation (Di-Lash)

• “Vi tel’an nah gemalᛰ Rubal, Emer’al, mir Diahre.”

• “I saw all the gems: rubies, emeralds, and diamonds.”

• (Colon introducing a list)

7. Ellipsis (Mur-Chain)

• “Re mur ishalᛲᛲᛲ”

• “It is quite intriguing…” (Trailing off thought)

Phonology

1. Phonemic Inventory
1.1 Consonants

Place	Plosive	Fricative	Nasals	Approximants	Trill
Bilabial	/b/		/m/
Labiodental		/v/
Dental	/d/, /t/	/θ/, /ð/
Alveolar	/t/, /d/	/s/, /z/	/n/
Post-Alveolar		/ʃ/
Velar	/k/, /g/
Glottal		/h/
Alveolar Trill					/r/

Key Notes:

• Fricatives: /ʃ/ and /θ/ (voiceless) or /ð/ (voiced) add texture and are emphasized in tribal or ceremonial contexts.

• Trilled R: /r/ is often rolled or trilled, enhancing the language's rhythmic quality.

• Stops and Voicing: Voiced and voiceless stops (/b/, /d/, /k/, etc.) are prevalent and clear, making the language sound punchy and deliberate.

1.2 Vowels

Front	Central	Back
High	/i/
Mid	/e/ or /ɛ/
Low	/a/ or /ɑ/

Key Notes:

• The vowel inventory is relatively small, with vowels often taking broad and distinct sounds for clarity.

• Variations like /ɛ/ vs. /e/ may appear due to dialectal differences.

2. Prosody
2.1 Stress
Stress typically falls on the first syllable of a word.

• Example: lan’SHAR ("eyes").

Optional acute accents (´) are used to mark stress when necessary for emphasis or clarity.

• Example: rável (hope).

2.2 Intonation
Declarative Statements: Generally have a falling intonation.
Questions: Rising intonation, often coupled with a glottal stop for emphasis.

• Example: "Ku tel’an?" ("Did you see?").

3. Syllable Structure
Basic Structure: (C)V(C)

• Example: sav ("clean"), dar ("protect").

Clusters: Velgarin allows some consonant clusters, particularly at the start or end of words.

• Example: tharv’en ("community").

Glottal Stops: Mark breaks within words, often denoted by an apostrophe (').

• Example: rek’ath ("will break").

4. Phonotactics
Allowed Sounds:

• Initial Position: Most consonants, including clusters (e.g., /br/, /st/).

• Medial Position: Vowel-heavy with optional glottal stops (e.g., kath’al).

• Final Position: Typically a single consonant, though some clusters like -rk or -sh are acceptable (e.g., nar’k).

Constraints:

• Glottal stops may not occur at the start of a word.

• Certain sounds, like /ʃ/, are restricted to specific cultural words or exclamations.

5. Morphophonemic Rules
Tense Suffixes:

• No suffix for present tense: rek ("break").

• /-ath/ for future: rek’ath ("will break").

• /-is/ for past: rek’is ("broke").

• /-ahr/ for conditional: rek’ahr ("would break").

Pluralization:

• /-en/ or /-ath/: ghorath ("tyrants"), tyrralen ("chains").

6. Dialects and Variations

• Liopard Tribe: Softer consonants, emphasis on vowels (e.g., sharrahn for "endure").

• Lupin Tribe: Harsher, guttural consonants (e.g., Gral instead of Goral for "gold").

• Velgarin Dialects: May drop or lengthen vowels for effect.

Summary of Phonological Characteristics:

• The Velgarin language has a straightforward yet distinct phonemic inventory with clear vowel-consonant contrasts.

• It employs stress, syllable structure, and phonotactic rules to create a language that sounds deliberate and rhythmic, befitting the cultural identity of its speakers.

Morphology

1. Word Formation
Velgarin relies on roots, suffixes, and prefixes to create new words, modify meanings, and indicate grammatical relationships.
1.1 Roots
Roots are often short (1-2 syllables) and serve as the foundation for verbs, nouns, or adjectives. Examples:

• rek ("break")

• sav ("clean")

• dar ("protect")

1.2 Affixes

• Suffixes dominate Velgarin morphology, while prefixes are less common but still present for certain contexts.

2. Verb Morphology
2.1 Tenses
Velgarin verbs use suffixes to indicate tense:

Tense	Suffix	Example	Translation
Present	(none)	rek	"breaks"
Past	-is	rek'is	"broke"
Future	-ath	rek'ath	"will break"
Conditional	-ahr	rek'ahr	"would break"

2.2 Infinitives Root forms serve as infinitives:

• Example: dar ("to protect"), rek ("to break").

3. Noun Morphology
3.1 Pluralization
Plurals are formed with consistent suffixes:

• -en or -ath:

• tyrral ("chain") → tyrralen ("chains").

• ghor ("tyrant") → ghorath ("tyrants").

Collective nouns may use -ennen:

• ghorennen ("horde of tyrants").

3.2 Gender and Case Velgarin inherently marks gender in third person singular pronouns but does not do so systematically for nouns. Gender is often reflected contextually or through explicit word forms:
Pronouns:

• Rin (he/him), Ran (she/her), and Shir (they/them) explicitly mark gender in singular contexts, with Shir remaining gender-neutral for plural.

Nouns:

• Context or adjectives may imply gender, but explicit forms exist for certain roles or titles. For example:

• ragor ("king"), ragora ("queen").

This flexibility allows for a balance between specificity and neutrality depending on cultural or linguistic needs.

3.3 Compound Nouns
Nouns combine to form new meanings:

• khar’vel ("death ceremony") = khar ("death") + vel ("group").

• valdar ("leader") = val ("guide/test") + -dar ("protector").

4. Adjective Morphology
4.1 Basic Forms
Adjectives typically follow their nouns and remain uninflected:

• Example: zellach zvelkar ("mighty and defiant").

4.2 Derived Adjectives
Suffixes like -al or -ach turn nouns or verbs into adjectives:

• sav ("clean") → sav’al ("cleanly").

• zarr ("beauty") → zarr’al ("beautiful").

5. Pronouns
5.1 Personal Pronouns
Velgarin uses a compact set of personal pronouns, with explicit gender distinctions in the third person singular:

Velgarin	English
Vi	I / me
Ei	we / us
Ku	you (singular)
Kuei	you (plural)
Rin	he / him
Ran	she / her
Shir	they / them

5.2 Possessives
Possessive pronouns are often identical to subject pronouns, relying on context to determine possession:

• Example: Ku goral ("your gold").

For gendered third-person singular:

• Rin goral ("his gold").

• Ran goral ("her gold").

5.3 Reflexives
Reflexive actions are implied through word order or emphasis, with the subject repeated for clarity:

• Example: Vi dar vi ("I protect myself").

For gendered pronouns:

• Rin dar Rin ("He protects himself").

• Ran dar Ran ("She protects herself").

6. Morphophonemic Adjustments
6.1 Glottal Stops
The apostrophe (') marks glottal stops, dividing syllables and ensuring clarity:

• rek’ath ("will break").

• aravel ("hope").

6.2 Euphonic Changes
Certain suffixes may alter the final sound of a root for smoother pronunciation:

• rek + -is → rek’is (not rekis).

7. Derivational Morphology
7.1 Creating New Words
New words are derived by combining roots and affixes:

• val ("test") + ash ("formal") = valash ("pact").

• dar ("protect") + -en ("pluralizer") = dar’en ("guardians").

7.2 Specialized Terms
Cultural or tribal dialects may introduce variations:

• Kalr’al ("gold") → Gral (Lupin dialect).

8. Syntax-Dependent Morphology
Velgarin's SOV (Subject-Object-Verb) word order often determines how affixes interact:

• Ei tyrralen rek’ath. ("We chains will-break.") → emphasizes "chains."

• Tyrralen Ei rek’ath. ("Chains we will-break.") → emphasizes "we."

9. Lexical Borrowing
Velgarin adapts foreign words by applying native suffixes or phonological rules:

• Example: A borrowed word for "merchant" might be transformed into dovar with native suffixation.

10. Summary

• Velgarin Morphology is affix-heavy and highly regular, with flexibility for creativity and cultural adaptation.

• Verbs: Tense indicated by suffixes.

• Nouns: Pluralization through -en/-ath, with compounding for new meanings.

• Adjectives: Derived with -al/-ach suffixes.

• Pronouns: Compact and context-driven.

• Morphophonemic adjustments ensure clarity and ease of pronunciation.

Syntax

1. Basic Structure
Velgarin follows a Subject-Object-Verb (SOV) word order. This structure emphasizes the subject and the object before describing the action, giving the language a deliberate and rhythmic cadence.
Example: Ei tyrralen rek’ath.

• Literal: "We chains will-break."
• Meaning: "We will break chains."

2. Modifiers and Adjectives
Modifiers, including adjectives, typically follow the noun they describe. This placement ensures that descriptive details enhance the focus on the noun.
Example: Tyrralen zellach.

• Literal: "Chains mighty."

• Meaning: "Mighty chains."

3. Questions
Questions in Velgarin retain the standard SOV structure but rely on intonation and optional question particles like ku ("you") for clarity.
Example: Ku tel’an?

• Literal: "You saw?"

• Meaning: "Did you see?"

4. Negation
Negation is expressed by placing the particle neh ("no/not") before the verb or predicate. The sentence structure remains otherwise unchanged.
Example: Ei neh rek.

• Literal: "We not break."

• Meaning: "We do not break."

5. Prepositions
Prepositions in Velgarin precede their objects, but they are often compounded with nouns or verbs to form meaningful phrases.
Example: Dra-lah gorr’nav.

• Literal: "In-every shadowed-corner."

• Meaning: "In every shadowed corner."

6. Emphasis and Focus
To emphasize a particular word or concept, Velgarin allows some flexibility in word order. However, the verb generally remains at the end of the sentence.
Example: Tyrralen Ei rek’ath.

• Literal: "Chains we will-break."

• Meaning: "We will break chains" (emphasis on "chains").

7. Compound Sentences
Conjunctions like mir ("and") and nah ("all/every") are used to link clauses or ideas. Each clause typically retains the SOV structure.
Example: Ei zhar’ath mir shir dar’ath.

• Literal: "We will-stand and they will-protect."

• Meaning: "We will stand, and they will protect."

8. Subordinate Clauses
Subordinate clauses are introduced by markers like dra- ("in/regarding") or mir ("until/while"). These markers precede the clause they modify.
Example: Ei sharr rek’ath dra-lah aravel.

• Literal: "We endure will-break regarding hope."

• Meaning: "We endure so that hope will break free."

9. Sentence Intonation

• Declarative Sentences: Falling intonation.

• Interrogative Sentences: Rising intonation, with optional glottal stops for emphasis.

• Exclamatory Sentences: Marked with strong stress on key words and typically end with emphatic punctuation (e.g., Nar-Fork (᛭)).

Example (Exclamation): Zellach zvelkar᛭

• Literal: "Strong defiant!"

• Meaning: "Mighty and defiant!"

10. Dialectical Variations
Different tribes may exhibit subtle shifts in sentence structure:
Liopard Dialects: Tend toward brevity, often omitting conjunctions or auxiliary markers.

• Example: Ei rek’is. ("We broke.")

Lupin Dialects: Use elongated, ceremonial phrasing with repeated prepositions.

• Example: Ei rek’is dra-lah dra velnar. ("We broke in every group.")

Summary Velgarin’s sentence structure is deliberate and rhythmic, with SOV word order, post-nominal modifiers, and flexible emphasis. These features reflect the language’s primal and tribal roots while allowing for rich expression through compounding and context-driven variation.

Adjective Order

In Velgarin, adjectives follow specific rules for placement and order, maintaining clarity and rhythmic balance in sentences. Adjectives typically appear after the noun they modify, and multiple adjectives follow a logical order of description.
1. Basic Rule: Adjectives Follow Nouns
Unlike English, where adjectives usually precede nouns, Velgarin places adjectives after the noun to emphasize the core subject before describing its qualities.
Example: Tyrralen zellach.

• Literal: "Chains mighty."

• Meaning: "Mighty chains."

2. Order of Adjectives
When multiple adjectives describe a single noun, they follow this preferred order:

1. Quantity
2. Quality or Opinion
3. Size
4. Age
5. Shape
6. Color
7. Origin
8. Material
9. Purpose

This order ensures logical progression from general to specific descriptions.
Example: Velnar lok zellach kalr’al.

• Literal: "Groups one mighty golden."

• Meaning: "One mighty golden group."

3. Adjective Agreement
Adjectives in Velgarin do not change form to match the noun’s number, gender, or case. Context determines the relationship between the noun and its modifiers.
Example (Singular): Ragor zellach.

• "Mighty king."

Example (Plural): Ragor’en zellach.

• "Mighty kings."

4. Emphasis in Adjectives
If emphasis is needed on a particular adjective, it may be placed before the noun, though this is rare and used primarily for poetic or ceremonial speech.
Example: Zellach tyrralen.

• Literal: "Mighty chains."

• Used for emphasis: "The chains are mighty."

5. Adjective Compounding
Adjectives can combine with nouns to create compound words when describing intrinsic or inseparable qualities.
Example: Kalr’al goral.

• Literal: "Golden gold."

• Meaning: "Gold made of gold."

6. Special Adjectives
Certain adjectives in Velgarin are unique and hold cultural or contextual significance. These often appear first for emphasis and may be used as standalone descriptors:

• Zellach ("mighty")

• Zvelkar ("defiant")

Example: Zvelkar shir mir nah kath’al.

• Literal: "Defiant they and all free."

• Meaning: "They are defiant, and all are free."

7. Dialectical Variations
Adjective order may vary slightly among tribes:
Liopard Tribes: Favor shorter phrases with fewer adjectives.

• Example: Tyrralen kalr. ("Golden chains.")

Lupin Tribes: Use longer, descriptive sequences.

• Example: Tyrralen lok kalr’al zellach. ("One golden mighty chain.")

Summary Velgarin adjectives are placed after nouns and follow a logical order of description. While generally uninflected, they can appear before nouns for emphasis or be compounded with them to convey deeper meanings. Dialectical variations add diversity to adjective usage across Velgarin-speaking regions.

Structural Markers

Structural markers in Velgarin serve as essential tools for organizing sentences, indicating relationships between words, and providing clarity. These markers include particles, conjunctions, and prepositions that help structure complex ideas.
1. Particles Velgarin particles are small, unchanging words that indicate negation, questions, or emphasis. They often appear before verbs or at the beginning of clauses.
1.1 Negation
Neh: "No / Not"

• Used to negate verbs or predicates.

Example: Ei neh rek.

• Literal: "We not break."

• Meaning: "We do not break."

1.2 Questions
Ku: "You / Question marker"

• Often used to indicate a question.

Example: Ku tel’an?

• Literal: "You saw?"

• Meaning: "Did you see?"

1.3 Emphasis
Nah: "All / Every"

• Emphasizes inclusivity or universality.

Example: Nah tyrralen rek’ath!

• Literal: "All chains will-break!"

• Meaning: "All chains will break!"

2. Conjunctions Conjunctions link clauses or phrases, enabling compound and complex sentences. Common conjunctions include:
Mir: "And"

• Links two ideas or actions.

Example: Ei zhar’ath mir shir dar’ath.

• Literal: "We will-stand and they will-protect."

• Meaning: "We will stand, and they will protect."

Vel: "But / However"

• Indicates contrast or exception.

Example: Ei rek’ath vel shir neh zhar’ath.

• Literal: "We will-break but they not will-stand."

• Meaning: "We will break, but they will not stand."

Dra: "In / Regarding"

• Introduces subordinate clauses or prepositional phrases.

Example: Ei sharr rek’ath dra-lah aravel.

• Literal: "We endure will-break regarding hope."

• Meaning: "We endure so that hope will break free."

3. Prepositions Prepositions in Velgarin precede their objects and often form compound expressions to convey nuanced relationships.
Dra-lah: "In every"

• Combines the preposition dra ("in") with the particle lah ("every").

Example: Dra-lah gorr’nav.

• Literal: "In-every shadowed-corner."

• Meaning: "In every shadowed corner."

Mir-nah: "Until all"

• Combines the conjunction mir ("and") with the particle nah ("all").

Example: Ei zhar’ath mir-nah kath’al.

• Literal: "We will-stand until all freedom."

• Meaning: "We will stand until all are free."

4. Subordinate Clause Markers Subordinate clauses are introduced with markers that define their relationship to the main clause:
Dra-: "Regarding / Concerning"

• Indicates the topic or focus of the subordinate clause.

Example: Ei tel’an dra shir aravel.

• Literal: "We saw regarding their hope."

• Meaning: "We saw their hope."

Mir-: "While / Until"

• Temporal or conditional marker.

Example: Shir sharr mir dra aravel.

• Literal: "They endure while regarding hope."

• Meaning: "They endure while holding onto hope."

5. Dialectical Variations Velgarin tribes may adjust or omit structural markers depending on context:
Liopard Tribes: Favor brevity and may drop conjunctions.
Example: Ei rek’is nah tyrralen.

• Literal: "We broke all chains."
• Meaning: "We broke all the chains."

Lupin Tribes: Extend structural markers for ceremonial or poetic effect.
Example: Ei rek’is dra-lah dra velnar.

• Literal: "We broke in-every in group."

• Meaning: "We broke within every group."

Summary Structural markers in Velgarin are essential for forming clear and rhythmic sentences. They include particles for negation and emphasis, conjunctions for linking ideas, and prepositions that form nuanced phrases. These markers reflect the cultural and linguistic diversity of Velgarin-speaking tribes while adhering to the language’s core syntactic principles.

Dictionary

382 Words.