hermitgeecko

Eldertongue has no "to be" verb. One of the closest verbs it has is jen. Jen is a verb addressing both physical proximity and status relationships. It does not translate terribly well into English, and understanding it is key to understanding the mindset of Eldertongue's native speakers. (Who are not, despite jadasc's hope, draconic. This will become more obvious when anatomy and movement are reached, but tails and scales are not involved. Moving right along....)

If two Eldertongue natives are in an area together, they are both automatically aware of the power relationships involved. This may be a formally established power relationship, such as the relationship between a parent and child, or it may be a temporary one caused by circumstance, such as the relationship between two strangers when one person is angry and the other is conciliatory. Whoever has more control of the situation or whoever is held in higher respect (by mutual and unspoken accord) has status over the other and is the subject of a jen sentence.

The closest English translation of jen is "to cause (the object) to be in the presence of (the subject)". A shorter version is "to presence over", though the concept doesn't hold properly in English.

Like any Eldertongue sentence, the default of jen is in near-future tense. However, translating jen as "about to be presencing over" would suggest that the power situation described in the sentence is not the present state. By contrast, using jen in present tense suggests an imminent change in power. For this reason, the near-future jen sentences below have been translated in present tense. (While setting this up, I realized that I want this to be the case for most verbs describing relationships between two people -- near-future tense incorporating present status, and present tense anticipating imminent change. I will have to change my djalur examples.)

(On a side note, if your name is Jen, please don't take this personally. It was short, easy to say, easy to spell, and highly memorable -- I briefly used zhen instead, but modified it to this close neighbor for convenience.)

Here are translations of static, default time tense jen sentences along with their meaning.

Jen.
You are in my presence.
This is a very rare sentence because anyone saying it would be indirectly saying the opposite -- the need to assert jen aloud would automatically indicate a slipping state of authority. Real jen status is maintained without discussion.

Rou jen.
I am in your presence.
This is used routinely to indicate willingness to obey and to be instructed. It is a common politeness appropriate from an inferior to a superior.

Jen zhol.
I am in my own presence.
Depending upon circumstance, this means one of two things. First, it may mean "I submit to no one physically present at this time" -- a statement of ego and pride. Second, it may mean "I am physically alone".

Rou jen zhol.
You are in your own presence.
By definition, this sentence could not be addressed to someone who is physically alone, as the lack of proximity and gender markers indicates that the speaker is present with the recipient. Therefore, this is intense flattery -- the sort appropriate for rulers, lovers, war heroes, and other idealized figures.

Jen madozo di zhol.
You (female, distant) are in your own presence.
This sentence would be appropriate either in writing or in telepathic contact, but, like jen zhol, more context is required to determine whether this is flattery or a statement of physical solitude.

Jen odaroo.
There is a dog in my presence.
A clearer translation would be, "There is a dog here." With rare exception, people have jen precedence over animals and objects.

Jen odaroo doun rula.
There is a friendly dog in my presence.
An English speaker would have said, "The dog is friendly." Jen incorporates the speaker's status position automatically, but the primary purpose of this sentence is to describe the object of the sentence. This sentence is an observation on the situation.

Rou jen odaroo doun rula.
There is a friendly dog in your presence.
Again, an English speaker would have said "The dog is friendly." Since the subject is the person being addressed, this should be understood as actively providing information to the person being addressed. If the person being addressed knew already that the dog was friendly, then the observational jen odaroo doun rula would have been used instead.

Rou jen maroo.
I am in the presence of a dog.
This is the aforementioned exception -- the speaker is expressing weakness and ceding control of the situation to the dog. (Presumably, the dog is hostile and scary.)

Jen maroo.
You are in the presence of a dog.
This is mockery and should be understood as an insult, even if the dog is hostile and scary. It is one thing for a person to admit weakness, respect, or fear of an animal, but it is another thing entirely to have that weakness, respect, or fear attributed from an outside source.

Rou jen mazhen.
I am in the presence of a house.
In the case of inanimate objects, jen indicates respect or awe -- not normally for the object itself, but for what it signifies. It is appropriate for artifacts, major historical sites, magical items of remarkable quality, and so on. (Zhen, or house, is a new vocabulary term, but it will be repeated in a proper vocabulary post later.)

Jen mazhen.
You are in the presence of a house.
Like rou jen mazhen, this is not normally rude. It indicates that the inanimate object has some special significance and implies an offer of explanation if the other person is unfamiliar with the inanimate object's significance. (Of course, if the inanimate object has no particular significance or value, it becomes an insult.)

Jen marbadeuveg zhol.
We (mixed gender, all present, includes the person being addressed) are in our own presence.
This is a formalized expression of equality between two people or groups. Hierarchies are natural and equality is rare in the Eldertongue mindset, giving this particular weight. It is a statement of alliance and partnership.

Jen mabeuveg zhol.
We (mixed gender, all present, excludes the person being addressed) are in our own presence.
This is like jen zhol's first meaning -- "We submit to no one physically present at this time." Since there is another person present by definition, this cannot be meant as a statement of physical solitude -- unless this is written or conveyed through telepathy, in which case it could be physical solitude instead.

The default near-future time tense, when applied to a static jen, addresses status situations in some cases and physical proximity in some cases. However, all other time tenses for static jen address status and power situations.

Ver jen.
You are in my presence now (anticipates imminent change.)
This is the present tense default for jen. This is an expression of doubt or an admission of shifting power. In this sentence, the speaker recognizes his current control of the situation and admits to fear or doubt that he will retain control.

Rou ver jen.
I am in your presence now (anticipates imminent change.)
This is an expression of defiance. The speaker recognizes that he is currently not in control of the situation, but expresses confidence that he will gain control shortly.

Azever jen.
You have always been in my presence.
This is a recognition of loyalty and a high compliment to that loyalty.

Rou azever jen.
I have always been in your presence.
This is an assertation of the speaker's history of loyalty to the person being addressed.

Rou azever jen maburjoz.
I have always been in this person's presence.
This can be one of two things, depending upon the context. First, it may be an assertation of loyalty to the person who is the subject of the sentence, as with rou azever jen. Second, it may be an accusatory complaint about stifled ambition.

Vor jen.
You just began to be in my presence.
This is an expression of victory. The speaker has just gained the upper hand and is pointing it out to the person being addressed.

Rou vor jen.
I just began to be in your presence.
This is used as an expression of surrender or defeat. It can alternately be a statement of praise meaning "You impress me."

Googru jen.
Someday, you will be in my presence.
This is a statement of ambition and defiance, but it is definitely childish and rather rude -- rou ver jen recognizes an immediate change, and therefore is not rude, but googrou jen recognizes a change far in the future. Eldertongue's native speakers expect subordinates either to accept their roles or to change them, but not to talk about change that isn't happening. Complaining and vague future threats (like googru jen are considered pathetic.

Googruv jen.
It is possible that you will someday be in my presence.
This statement suggests English's Golden Rule. It promises that, if the speaker should ever be in the superior position, the actions done now by the person being addressed will be remembered and returned in kind. It can be either a promise of aid or a threat.

Rou googru jen.
Someday, I will be in your presence.
This statement simultaneously recognizes the great potential of the person being addressed and the lesser potential of the speaker. It carries overtones of pride and regret.

Rou googruv jen.
It is possible that I will someday be in your presence.
This is a statement of empathy. It carries an inherent request that, if the situation should change, the person being addressed should treat the speaker as the speaker has treated the person being addressed.

Ver deligar jen.
You will always be in my presence.
This is a crushing thing to say to someone -- not rude, but usually cruel. It is the sort of statement made to slaves immediately after they have been enslaved.

Rou ver deligar jen.
I will always be in your presence.
This is an expression of devotion and loyalty or despair and hopelessness, depending upon the context.

Azever deligar jen.
You have always been in my presence, you are in my presence, and you will always be in my presence.
This is a weird and complex statement. Depending upon the context, it can indicate megalomania, sarcasm, or a certain quality of hopelessness. (To understand the hopelessness, think of "Once More With Feeling" on Buffy the Vampire Slayer -- the concept Azever deligar jen is exactly what Giles expresses to Buffy when he sings "Standing in the Way".)

Rou azever deligar jen.
I have always been in your presence, I am in your presence, and I will always be in your presence.
This is a sentiment that should only be expressed when addressing a god or some other immensely impressive and permanent force (for example, an Eldertongue poet inspired by the sight of a familiar mountain range might address the mountains this way.)

In contrast to the static state, the commencing and reversal tenses of jen relate only to physical proximity. The best basic translation of commencing jen is "to have (the object) arrive in the presence of (the subject)", and the best basic translation of reversal jen is "to have (the object) depart from the presence of (the subject)." This is a weird reversal of the normal order of things, but jen is a weird verb; to sort it out, just remember that the subject does not move and the object does.

Bi jen.
You are about to arrive in my presence.
The translation above is literal, but the best translation of this imperative is "Come here." Note that this can be addressed to someone who is still close enough that the default you can be utilized -- it's the sort of thing that Eldertongue parents yell out the window to their children.

Bi jen ododom.
You could be about to arrive in my presence. (to a male)
Because the hypothetical "you" is being used, this is from an inferior to a superior (reflecting social status in addition to physical presence, but focusing on physical presence.) The spirit of bi jen ododom is best translated as "Could I have a moment of your time?"

Rou bi jen.
I am about to arrive in your presence.
This is an appropriate response to Bi jen, though Dza (I agree with you) is just as good. It can be used like English's "I'm coming over there" as long as the person being addressed is still considered proximate instead of distant.

Rou bi jen madodom.
I could be about to arrive in your presence. (to a male)
Like bi jen ododom, the basic concept is "Could I have a moment of your time?" The difference has to do with who is going where. In this sentence, the speaker is approaching the person listening, whereas in bi jen ododom, it is the other way around.

Gulbi jen.
You are about to depart my presence.
"Leave me" and "Go away" are more succinct translations.

Gulbi jen ododom.
You could be about to depart my presence.
"Please go away" is the best translation of this. As it uses the hypothetical pronoun, it carries the connotation that the person being addressed will only go away by choice and cannot be forced to do so -- not just a request, but a plea.

Rou gulbi jen.
I am about to depart your presence.
This is a neutral statement, neither polite nor rude. It offers the other person an opportunity to interrupt the announced departure if there is a reason why the speaker should not leave. In English, a close approximation would be "If there isn't anything else we need to do, I'm going to leave now."

Rou gulbi jen madodom.
I could be about to depart your presence.
This is a polite request for permission to leave.

Eldertongue draws very little distinction between adjectives and adverbs. In theory, any word that can be used as the one can also be used as the other (although, as Avram Chomsky demonstrated with his Colorless green ideas sleep furiously for English, it is perfectly possible to create a nonsensical sentence that is grammatically correct in Eldertongue.)

Starting with some basic vocabulary...

jiniz - ill/weak
vorganan - healthy/strong
rula - friendly (either)/playful (adjective)/in pretend (adverb)
rivan - serious
adali - aesthetically attractive, beautiful
biljoob - aesthetically repulsive, ugly
zhloora - fancy
zhool - simple
idi - quick
dool - slow

It is worth noticing that, while all Eldertongue adjectives can be used as adverbs, the meaning can change from an English speaker's perspective. One excellent example is the young/old pairing. Obviously, English does not say that one "youngly" did something or one "oldly" did something, but Eldertongue, in its own way, does.

nani - instinctively (adverb)/young (adjective)
vorzro - due to experience (adverb)/old (adjective)

Positioning an adjective or an adverb in a sentence is easy. The word doun always indicates that the next word is an adjective or adverb joined to the noun or verb that came immediately before doun. So:

Zharoo.
I am about to sing to you.

Zharoo doun adali.
I am about to sing beautifully to you.

Zharoog odaroo.
I am about to sing to the dog.

Zharoog odaroo doun adali.
I am about to sing to the beautiful dog.

Zharoo doun adalig odaroo doun adali.
I am about to sing beautifully to the beautiful dog.

Unlike English (where "the leather black jacket" is incorrect and "the black leather jacket" is correct), adjectives or adverbs may be applied to their applicable noun or verb in any order. It is important to note, however, that adverbs do not modify adjectives in Eldertongue -- all doun clauses refer back to the noun or the verb.

I find myself thinking that, for someone who despised French gender-agreement so intensely, it's downright peculiar that I am modifying nouns with so much enthusiasm.

Perhaps it's revenge.

In Eldertongue, nouns are modified based upon three properties.

Proximity - A noun can be proximate, distant, or hypothetical.
Gender - A noun can be male, female, neuter, or of mixed gender.
Plurality - A noun can be single or plural.

If a noun is proximate to the speaker (which may be in the immediate physical vicinity, or close enough to be seen and/or heard) then no further modifications need to be made to the noun. Context (or a physical gesture) suffices to indicate whether gopda references a single gelding or the whole mixed-gender herd of horses. Modifying the noun is acceptable for stress and emphasis, but it is not mandatory.

If a noun is a specific thing, place, or person, but it is not physically present with the speaker, then it must be designated as distant and modified by gender and plurality.

If a noun is unspecific -- one dog among the many dogs that exist as opposed to a specific known dog, for example -- then the noun is hypothetical. It must be designated as hypothetical and modified by gender and plurality.

Proximate male singular: +do
Proximate male plural: +doj
Proximate female singular: +zo
Proximate female plural: +zoj
Proximate neuter singular: +ro
Proximate neuter plural: +roj
Proximate mixed plural: +euveg

Distant male singular: +do di
Distant male plural: +dooj di
Distant female singular: +zo di
Distant female plural: +zooj di
Distant neuter singular: +ro
Distant neuter plural: +rooj di
Distant mixed plural: +euvegi

Hypothetical male singular: +dom
Hypothetical male plural: +domoj
Hypothetical female singular: +zom
Hypothetical female plural: +zomoj
Hypothetical neuter singular: +rom
Hypothetical neuter plural: +romoj
Hypothetical mixed plural: +euvum

To illustrate the difference...

Mornuv odoudin.
I am about to hunt this deer. (the deer is present/visible at the time of speaking)

Mornuv odoudindo di.
I am about to hunt that stag. (the stag is a known, specific animal, but is not present or visible at the time of speaking)

Mornuv odoudindom.
I am about to hunt a stag. (there is no specific stag being referenced)

And a second illustration, this one a bit more complex.

Roug azegurval zharoo odburjoz.
I wish you had sung to this person. (the person is neither the speaker nor the person being spoken to, but is present.)

Roug azegurval zharoo odburjozo di.
I wish you had sung to that woman. (the woman is a known, specific woman, but is not present or visible at the time of speaking)

Roug azegurval zharoo odburjozom.
I wish you had sung to a woman. (there is no specific woman being referenced)

Although the examples above use the unspoken object or subject, both subjects and objects do exhibit this behavior.

Vorgan ruluv mameudo dig odaroo.
I heard that the tomcat just followed this dog. (the tomcat is not present; the dog is present.)

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Q: Shouldn't Roug azegurval zharoo odburjoz translate to "You wish you had sung to this person"?

A: No. Evidentiality always references the speaker's position on the matter. In similar vein, Roug azegurgan zharoo odburjoz would translate to "I heard that you sang to this person", not "You heard that you sang to this person."

Q: How do I say "You wish you had sung to this person"?

A: Patience, grasshopper.

Q: That means you don't know either, doesn't it.

A: Walk first, run second. Hush.

http://www.angelfire.com/scifi2/nyh/how__all.html

Hallelujah, I found terminology!

Eldertongue verbs have:
- no person or number agreement
- eight tenses (three past, one present, three future, and one eternal)
- three aspects (static, commencing, and cessative)
- and six evidentialities, which might arguably be moods instead (definite, probable, possible, hearsay, desired, and untrue).

Sentences are formed VSO (verb subject object). (There may be circumstances under which this isn't the case, but I haven't solidified any yet.)

And then there's valency, which has to do with how many arguments a verb requires. As explained on the site above, verbs come in four categories.

0, or impersonal (English doesn't have any of these)
1, or intransitive ("he runs")
2, or transitive ("she eats lettuce")
3, or ditransitive ("we gave presents to them")

Eldertongue has only transitive and ditransitive verbs.

It is also worth noticing that every verb in Eldertongue must be able to accept a person as its object. English concepts such as "drink" or "shimmer" or "gallop" will be repackaged accordingly.

Back at the conlang...

If you want to follow along, I'll be going slowly through most of the topics covered in the Language Construction Kit at http://www.zompist.com/kitlong.html#phono.

To start with, here are some basic tips on pronunciation and syllable construction. This is a "say it as you spell it" language; some oddities of spelling may show up later, but I'm much more concerned about how everything is said right now. I won't try to sort this out in official phonetics, but I hope everything is clear anyway.

Vowel Sounds
a - "ah"
e - "eh"
i - "ee"
o - "oh"
u - "uh" (the schwa)
oo - "oo"
au - "aw"
eu - "ew"
ou - "ow"
uu - "uw"

Consonant sounds are a bit more tricky. The important thing to remember is that there are no unvoiced consonants. (There is also no voiced "th" sound. To be honest, the primary reason for this is that I didn't want it confused with the unvoiced "th" that is so common in English.)

Consonants
b
d
g
j
l
m
n
r
v
w
z
zh (this is a voiced sh)

There are also some possible consonant combinations, but a consonant combination can appear only at the beginning of a syllable.

Consonant Combinations
bl, br, bz, bzh
dj, dr, dz, dzh
gl, gr, gz, gzh
vl, vr, vz, vzh
zl, zr, zv
zhl, zhr, zhv

This is not a tonal language, which simplifies matters somewhat. As a general rule, stress falls on the first syllable and the third syllable of a word. The primary exceptions are the prefix "ma" and the prefix "od", which are never stressed. (More on "ma" and "od" later; they're important.)

In the syllable structure of Eldertongue, a syllable can be formed CVC, VC, CV, or V, but two vowels must have a consonant between them. This is true for syllables and for words both.

If a word ends with a vowel and the next word starts with a vowel, then a "g" is appended to the first word.

Example: Zharoo odaroo becomes Zharoog odaroo, pronounced ZHA-roog od-A-roo.

If a syllable with a terminating vowel meets a syllable with the same beginning vowel, then they merge into one syllable.

Example: ma+ aroo becomes maroo, pronounced mah-ROO.

If a syllable with a terminating vowel meets a syllable with a different beginning vowel, then a "d" is added to the second syllable.

Example: ma+ oudin becomes madoudin, pronounced mah-DOW-deen.

A side note: why did I call it "Eldertongue"? The fictional context for this language's existence is that a woman came across writings from an ancient civilization, writings that were similar to one of the languages she spoke, yet terribly different. Because her civilization does not have much interest in history, and she is not particularly a scholar herself, she eventually set the incomprehensible documents aside and forgot them. Years later, however, she began to have dreams in which a nameless, faceless authoritarian figure was teaching her the language on the scrolls. In her waking hours, the woman realized that she could, in fact, begin to understand the scrolls. She has not yet learned what this ancient civilization called itself, and so "Eldertongue" is what sticks in her head -- both from the age of the scrolls, and from the figure teaching her.

I'll start to crack open grammar and vocabulary another time... especially because that requires actual thought. Retyping my notes is one thing right now. Independent brain is another.