Gerenian language: Difference between revisions

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|Name          = Gerenian |
|Name          = Gerenian |
|NativeName    = Žerénies
|NativeName    = Žerénies
|Logo          = File:KNSEZ_logo.png
|Logo          = File:KNSEZ_logo.png|
|Text          = [[Gerenian Language National Commission]] logo
|Pronunciation  = [ʐɛ'rɛnɪɛs] |
|Pronunciation  = [ʐɛ'rɛnɪɛs] |
|Nation        = [[File:Gerenia_flag.png]] [[Gerenia]]
|Nation        = [[File:Gerenia_flag.png]] [[Gerenia]]
Line 20: Line 21:
Gerenian is written using the Latin alphabet.
Gerenian is written using the Latin alphabet.
==History==
==History==
''Coming soon''
''See also: [[Gerenian alphabet#History|History of the Gerenian alphabet]]
===Origin===
===Origin===
The origin of the Gerenian language can be found in mid-2004, when it was created a [[wikipedia:Writing system|writing system]] that would be adopted as the Gerenian one. This system (which name seems to be lost to history, so now it is called ''Proto-Gerenian system'') was composed of 28 letters, all but one of them being equivalent to the letters of the [[wikipedia:Spanish alphabet|Spanish alphabet]]. At the same time, it began the invention of the Archaic Gerenian (also called ''Proto-Gerenian''), a first Gerenian vocabulary, constituted with common words, of daily use. Nevertheless, the development of the language came to a standstill during early 2005, and until the foundation of the then United Gerenian Republic, the Proto-Gerenian system was used to encode documents only.
Between 2005 and 2008, Archaic Gerenian developed as a [[wikipedia:Written language|written language]] irregularly, without regulations.
===Development===
===Development===
With the foundation of the [[Gerenia|Republic of Gerenia]] as a [[wikipedia:Micronation|micronation]] (which was called at the time ''United Gerenian Republic'') in December, 2011, it was revived the interest in a national language, which would become a major aspect of a forming culture. As a beginning, most of Archaic Gerenian vocabulary was discarded, and new words were created. In June, 2012, after decreeing a set of ortography and grammar rules, the government of the Republic established the [[Gerenian Language National Commission]].
The Commission established definitive rules for Gerenian in every level. With regards to the writing system, the Commission rejected the adoption of the Proto-Gerenian system (either as the only one or co-official alongside [[wikipedia:Latin writing system|Latin]]). With regard to the alphabet, it was modified several times before the [[Gerenian alphabet#Modern alphabet|Modern alphabet]] was finally approved.
Since its creation, the Commission has invented up to 400 words, and continues to do so, as the vocabulary is added to a database. A dictionary is planned to be released in December, 2012.
==Grammar==
==Grammar==
Gerenian is an [[wikipedia:Fusional language|inflected language]] with three [[wikipedia:Grammatical gender|grammatical genders]].
Gerenian is an [[wikipedia:Fusional language|inflected language]] with three [[wikipedia:Grammatical gender|grammatical genders]].

Revision as of 19:54, 25 November 2012

Gerenian
Žerénies
File:KNSEZ_logo.png
Pronunciation [ʐɛ'rɛnɪɛs]
Language family

Constructed languages

  • Gerenian
Source English, Spanish
Archaic Gerenian (or Proto-Gerenian)
Dialects Espannes
Official status
Official language in Gerenia flag.png Gerenia
Regulated by Gerenian Language National Commission
Language codes
MOS-9 codes gr

Gerenian (self-designation: žerénies, engre žerénies ['ɛngrɛ ʐɛ'rɛnɪɛs]) is a conlang spoken in the Republic of Gerenia, where it has official status.

Most Gerenian vocabulary has been created with random letter sequences, while some words are derived from other languages, mainly English and Spanish.

Gerenian is written using the Latin alphabet.

History

See also: History of the Gerenian alphabet

Origin

The origin of the Gerenian language can be found in mid-2004, when it was created a writing system that would be adopted as the Gerenian one. This system (which name seems to be lost to history, so now it is called Proto-Gerenian system) was composed of 28 letters, all but one of them being equivalent to the letters of the Spanish alphabet. At the same time, it began the invention of the Archaic Gerenian (also called Proto-Gerenian), a first Gerenian vocabulary, constituted with common words, of daily use. Nevertheless, the development of the language came to a standstill during early 2005, and until the foundation of the then United Gerenian Republic, the Proto-Gerenian system was used to encode documents only.

Between 2005 and 2008, Archaic Gerenian developed as a written language irregularly, without regulations.

Development

With the foundation of the Republic of Gerenia as a micronation (which was called at the time United Gerenian Republic) in December, 2011, it was revived the interest in a national language, which would become a major aspect of a forming culture. As a beginning, most of Archaic Gerenian vocabulary was discarded, and new words were created. In June, 2012, after decreeing a set of ortography and grammar rules, the government of the Republic established the Gerenian Language National Commission.

The Commission established definitive rules for Gerenian in every level. With regards to the writing system, the Commission rejected the adoption of the Proto-Gerenian system (either as the only one or co-official alongside Latin). With regard to the alphabet, it was modified several times before the Modern alphabet was finally approved.

Since its creation, the Commission has invented up to 400 words, and continues to do so, as the vocabulary is added to a database. A dictionary is planned to be released in December, 2012.

Grammar

Gerenian is an inflected language with three grammatical genders.

Nouns

Gerenian nouns inflect into:

  • two cases: nominative and genitive.
  • three genders: masculine, feminine, or neuter.
  • two numbers: singular and plural.

Verbs

Inflection of standard Gerenian includes:

Conjugation of Gerenian verbs consist on isolating the stem of the verb and adding one or two endings, depending on the sentence.

Mood Tense Prefix Suffix
Indicative Present
Preterite -(e)l
Future -(e)r
Past perfect a- -(e)l
Present perfect a-
Imperative -(e)m
Subjunctive -(e)f

If the stem of the verb ends in a consonant, a letter e is added to the suffix in order to make pronunciation easier.

When the subject is a personal pronoun, such pronoun must be placed after the stem of the verb (and before the tense suffix, if any).

Articles and determiners

Gerenian has two articles: a definite article, corresponding to English the, and an indefinite article, corresponding to English a/an.

The possessive determiners are used to indicate the possessor of the noun they determine, and they are formed in adding to the noun the corresponding pronoun as a prefix.

The demonstrative determiners can mean either this or that, these or those. In Gerenian, the word der is the only demonstrative determiner, and is added to the noun as a prefix.

Pronouns

The personal pronouns are the following:

Number Person Pronoun
Singular 1st io
2nd ni
3rd je, ja, de
Plural 1st ios
2nd nis
3rd jei, jai, des

Adjectives

An adjective agrees in gender and number (except the neutral ones) with the noun it modifies, and it always appear after it.

The feminine adjectives are formed by adding the suffix -ka (singular) or -kai (plural). Analogously, the masculine adjectives are formed by adding either the suffix -ke (singular) or -kei (plural). Regarding the neutral form, the suffix -es must be added, regardless of the number of the modified noun.

Adverbs

They are used to modify adjectives, other adverbs and verbs or clauses. All Gerenian adverbs are formed by adding the suffix -so to the neutral form of the adjective they are derived from.

Negation

Negation in both the indicative and the subjunctive mood are formed in adding the prefix dis- to the verb. On the other hand, in order to express negation in the imperative mood, the word na is used.

Examples:

  • «Diseztjel'at sodki.» — "He did not see anybody."
  • «Na ilbnim.» — "Do not come."

Word order

There are two common word orders: one (VSO) for sentences where the subject is a pronoun, and another (SVO) for sentences where the subject is not a pronoun, and for questions.

Vocabulary

Most Gerenian vocabulary is not derived from any language, but it has been created randomly.

It is estimated that 20% of common Gerenian words are of foreign origin. About 26% of these foreign words come from English, followed by Spanish (17%). However, roughly a half of Gerenian words of foreign origin come from both English and Spanish at the same time, as the influence is the result of resemblance between an English word and its Spanish equivalent, or viceversa.

The size of the Gerenian vocabulary is in constant growth. According to the KNSEŽ (Kamițianetoles'ar er Engre Žerénies, Gerenian Language National Commission), Gerenian had 420 words as of mid-November 2012.

Ortography

Gerenian is written in the Latin alphabet. In addition to 24 of the 26 standard letters (neither q nor x are used), Gerenian has three vowels with diaeresis: ä, ö and ü, and the letters ž, î, ĵ, ý and ț. The vowels a, e, i and o can be marked with an acute accent to mark stress, but they are not distinct letters in the alphabet.

Gerenian alphabet

See also: Gerenian alphabet

Gerenian has 32 letters: 11 vowels and 21 consonants.

Capital letters
A Ä E B V F C S Z Ž D G H I Î J Ĵ Y Ý K L M N O Ö P R T Ț U Ü W
Lower case
a ä e b v f c s z ž d g h i î j ĵ y ý k l m n o ö p r t ț u ü w

Phonology

Vowels

letter A Ä E I Î J Y O Ö U Ü
phoneme a ɛ ɛ ɪ ə ɨ ɪ o œ ʊ ʏ

Gerenian vowels can form digraphs (in writing) and diphthongs (in pronunciation). The following imply a change in the expected pronunciation:

spelling äe, ee ou
pronunciation /ɛɪ/ /aʊ/

Consonants

letter B V F C S Z Ž D G H Ĵ Ý K L M N P R T Ț W
phoneme b v f ɕ s θ ʐ d g h x ʃ k l m n p r t t͡s w

Notes:

  • The letter t is palatalized when at the end of a word: the centre of the tongue is raised during and after the articulation of such consonant.
  • The group gh is pronounced /x/.
  • The group sh, borrowed from English since the June Reform, represents the sound /ʃ/, like the letter ý. However, while sh can be placed only at the beginning of a word, ý can be placed anywhere.