Elw language/OOC considerations

Because I'm too lazy to actually create a conlang, we're using Greenlandic for Elw, but with regular sound changes (see below), and added loanwords from various languages that are adapted to the phonology and orthography of Elw (see main article).

Getting to a Greenlandic text

Options:

1. Ask Ric to check his dictionary.
2. Use this Danish–Greenlandic/Greenlandic–Danish dictionary (DeepL, Google Translate, Wiktionary, etc. can help you get stuff into Danish).
3. Use Google Translate or DeepL to translate a text from English to Danish, then run the text through this Danish–Greenlandic machine-learning translator.

Adapting Greenlandic to Elw

We're using the following text to show you the example of processing a text from Greenlandic to Elw:

Inuit tamarmik inunngorput nammineersinnaassuseqarlutik assigiimmillu ataqqinassuseqarlutillu pisinnaatitaaffeqarlutik. Silaqassusermik tarnillu nalunngissusianik pilersugaapput, imminnullu iliorfigeqatigiittariaqaraluarput qatanngutigiittut peqatigiinnerup anersaavani.

"All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood."

Step 1: e/o > i/u

In step 1, adapt the Greenlandic orthography to an etymological orthography. Modern Greenlandic uses e/ee and o/oo as allophones of i and u before guttural consonsants (q, r).

As such, we begin simply by changing all e to i, and all o to u.

Inuit tamarmik inunngurput namminiirsinnaassusiqarlutik assigiimmillu ataqqinassusiqarlutillu pisinnaatitaaffiqarlutik. Silaqassusirmik tarnillu nalunngissusianik pilirsugaapput, imminnullu iliurfigiqatigiittariaqaraluarput qatanngutigiittut piqatigiinnirup anirsaavani.

Step 2: Deal with the suffixes

In step 2, we deal with the suffixes by beginning to adapt them to the Elw language. Begin with the longer suffixes, and end the adaption with the shorter ones.

Greenlandic	Elw
unga	on
utit	u
oq	or
gut	ruh
usi	us
ut	uh
aq	ar
p	h
mik	meq
nik	neq
mut	muh
mit	myh
mi	ym
kkut	kuh
tut	duh
ni	yn
nit	nyh
nut	nuh
p	h
t	h
k	q
q	r

Our text now looks like this:

Inuih tamarmiq inunngurpuh namminiirsinnaassusiqarlutiq assigiimmillu ataqqinassusiqarlutillu pisinnaatitaaffiqarlutiq. Silaqassusirmiq tarnillu nalunngissusianiq pilirsugaappuh, imminnullu iliurfigiqatigiittariaqaraluarpuh qatanngutigiittuh piqatigiinniruh anirsaavayn.

Step 3: Initial consonants

Adapt all words beginning with consonants, as follows:

Greenlandic	Elw	Comment
k	k
l	l
m	m
n	n
p	b
q	q
s	s
t	d
v	Ø	i.e. Delete

Our text now looks like this:

Inuih damarmiq inunngurpuh namminiirsinnaassusiqarlutiq assigiimmillu ataqqinassusiqarlutillu bisinnaatitaaffiqarlutiq. Silaqassusirmiq darnillu nalunngissusianiq bilirsugaappuh, imminnullu iliurfigiqatigiittariaqaraluarpuh qatanngutigiittuh biqatigiinniruh anirsaavayn.

Step 4: Intervocalic consonants

In step 4, we adapt the consonants who have vowels both before and after.

Greenlandic	Elw	Comment
f	h
ff	v
g	r
gg	q
j	j
k	g
kk	k
l	l
ll	ll
m	m
mm	mm
n	n
nn	nn
ng	nm
nng	mn
p	b
pp	p
q	q
qq	rq
r	r
rf	rz
rl	rz
rm	rm
rn	rn
rp	rb
rq	rq
rs	rs
rt	rd
s	s
ss	z
t	d
ts	c
tt	t
v	Ø	i.e. Delete

Our text is now:

Inuih damarmiq inumnurbuh namminiirsinnaasuziqarzudiq aziriimmillu adaqqinazusiqarzudillu bisinnaadidaaviqarzudiq. Silaqazusirmiq darnillu nalumnizusianiq bilirsuraapuh, imminnullu iliurziriqadiriitariaqaraluarbuh qadanmudiriituh biqadiriinniruh anirsaaayn.

Step 5: Initial vowel clean-up

Step 5 a: triple vowels

Make sure that there are no triple vowels (e.g. aaa). Shorten them to a double vowel (e.g. aaa > aa).

Our text is now:

Inuih damarmiq inumnurbuh namminiirsinnaasuziqarzudiq aziriimmillu adaqqinazusiqarzudillu bisinnaadidaaviqarzudiq. Silaqazusirmiq darnillu nalumnizusianiq bilirsuraapuh, imminnullu iliurziriqadiriitariaqaraluarbuh qadanmudiriituh biqadiriinniruh anirsaayn.

Step 5 b: delete y after vowel

Delete any y that follows a vowel.

Inuih damarmiq inumnurbuh namminiirsinnaasuziqarzudiq aziriimmillu adaqqinazusiqarzudillu bisinnaadidaaviqarzudiq. Silaqazusirmiq darnillu nalumnizusianiq bilirsuraapuh, imminnullu iliurziriqadiriitariaqaraluarbuh qadanmudiriituh biqadiriinniruh anirsaan.

Step 6: Regarding i and ii

Step 6 a: Initial i and ii

i as the first vowel of a word will transform into e, unless the next syllable has a double vowel or diphthong (i.e. combination of two different vowels), in which case it will transform to y.

ii as the first vowel of the word will transform to a simple i, unless the following consonant is q, in which case it will transform to e.

Example:

isluus > ysluus

illu > ellu

iilu > ilu

iiqar > eqar

Our text is now:

Inuih damarmiq enumnurbuh namminiirsinnaasuziqarzudiq aziriimmillu adaqqinazusiqarzudillu bisinnaadidaaviqarzudiq. Silaqazusirmiq darnillu nalumnizusianiq bilirsuraapuh, emminnullu eliurziriqadiriitariaqaraluarbuh qadanmudiriituh biqadiriinniruh anirsaan.

Step 6 b: Lonely interconsonantal i and ii

Lonely i, that is with consonants on either side of it, will transform to y, unless of the consonants on either side is q, in which case the lonely i will transform into e, or ll in which case the lonely i will remain i.

Examples:

anira > anyra

aniqa > aneqa

Interconsonantal ii will transform to i, unless one of the consonants on either side is q, in which case the lonely i will transform into e, or ll in which case the lonely ii will transform into i.

aniira > anira

aniiqa > aneqa

Our text is now:

Inuih damarmeq enumnurbuh nammynirsynnaasuzeqarzudeq azyrimmillu adaqqinazuseqarzudillu bysynnaadydaaveqarzudeq. Sylaqazusyrmeq darnillu nalumnyzusianeq bylyrsuraapuh, emmynnullu eliurzyreqadyritariaqaraluarbuh qadanmudyrituh biqadyrinnyruh anyrsaan.

Step 7: Diphthongs

For the purposes of this step, a diphthong consists of two or more vowels together who are not the same vowel, e.g. iu, ui, but not uu, aa.

In the transformation to Elw, we wish to avoid diphthongs as much as possible.

Step 7 a: i + vowel

First of all we have a special rule with this type of diphthong with

Transform from	Transform to
sia, tia, dia, zia	ca
siu, tiu, diu, ziu	cu
sio, tio, dio, zio	co
siaa, tiaa, diaa, ziaa	caa
siuu, tiuu, diuu, ziuu	cuu
sioo, tioo, dioo, zioo	coo

All other i + vowel will be dealt with as follows:

Transform from	Transform to
ia, iaa	aa
iu, iuu	uu
io, ioo	oo

Our text is now:

Inuih damarmeq enumnurbuh nammynirsynnaasuzyqarzudeq azyrimmillu adaqqinazusyqarzudillu bysynnaadydaaveqarzudeq. Sylaqazusyrmeq darnillu nalumnyzucaneq bylyrsuraapuh, emmynnullu eluurzyreqadyritaraaqaraluarbuh qadanmudyrituh biqadyrinnyruh anyrsaan.

Step 7 b: u + vowel

Transform from	Transform to
ua, uaa	aa
ui, uii	e

Our text is now:

Ineh damarmeq enumnurbuh nammynirsynnaasuzyqarzudeq azyrimmillu adaqqinazusyqarzudillu bysynnaadydaaveqarzudeq. Sylaqazusyrmeq darnillu nalumnyzucaneq bylyrsuraapuh, emmynnullu eluurzyreqadyritaraaqaralaarbuh qadanmudyrituh biqadyrinnyruh anyrsaan.

Step 8: When to transform u

Finally, we will transform u (but not uu) to o before m and n. Our text is now:

Ineh damarmeq enomnurbuh nammynirsynnaasuzyqarzudeq azyrimmillu adaqqinazusyqarzudillu bysynnaadydaaveqarzudeq. Sylaqazusyrmeq darnillu nalomnyzucaneq bylyrsuraapuh, emmynnullu eluurzyreqadyritaraaqaralaarbuh qadanmudyrituh biqadyrinnyruh anyrsaan.

Comparing input and output

Input	Output
Inuit tamarmik inunngorput nammineersinnaassuseqarlutik assigiimmillu ataqqinassuseqarlutillu pisinnaatitaaffeqarlutik. Silaqassusermik tarnillu nalunngissusianik pilersugaapput, imminnullu iliorfigeqatigiittariaqaraluarput qatanngutigiittut peqatigiinnerup anersaavani.	Ineh damarmeq enomnurbuh nammynirsynnaasuzyqarzudeq azyrimmillu adaqqenazuseqarzudillu bysynnaadydaaveqarzudeq. Sylaqazusyrmeq darnillu nalomnyzucaneq bylyrsuraapuh, emmynnullu eluurzyreqadyritaraaqaralaarbuh qadanmudyrituh beqadyrinnyruh anyrsaan