Tetrian (language)
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Contents |
[edit] Alphabet
The characters of the Tetrian alphabet are most closely pronounced as follows:
When not at the beginning of a word, the consonant w is silent. All consonants are vocalized, and all vowels are pronounced with their long vowel sounds.
[edit] Transliteration
The most common transliteration of Tetrian script into the Roman alphabet is called Tetrian Basic. The transliteration is reproduced below:
Transliterated Tetrian words are written in italics.
[edit] Grammar
[edit] Sentence Structure
In formal speech, sentence structure always follows this pattern (sections in parentheses are optional):
Indicator
Verb
(Preposition-Noun) (conjunction)
(Preposition-Noun)
Etc...
Time-Specifier Adverb
(Adverb)
(Adverb)
Etc...
All sentences/clauses begin with one of these indicators:
mogvew - Command
zalvew - Statement
galvew - Question
vilvew - Conditional
What are considered adjectives in English are adverbs in Tetrian, as they modify the verb "to be".
Clauses can be joined with infinite recursion by replacing a sentence's Preposition-Noun block with another complete sentence, beginning with an indicator.
[edit] Word Roots
All verbs, nouns, and adverbs are formed from basic word roots with various endings:
Root + baw = Concept (Noun)
Root + raw = Place (Noun)
Root + law = Person (Noun)
Root + haw = Recipient of action (Noun)
Root + liw = Action (Verb)
Root + biw = To begin the action (Verb)
Root + low = Adverb
The root "to be", more accurately translated as "to exist", is hor. It is conjugated:
horbaw - Existence
horraw - Location
horlaw - Being (something alive)
horhaw - Thing
horliw - To exist
horbiw - To come into existence
horlow - Existent
[edit] Pronouns
Pronouns are formed from combinations of the 3 indefinite subjects, followed by xaw:
tel - Speaker
nel - Listener
gel - Uninvolved 3rd person
Each indefinite subject (except for tel) can be pluralized by appending zav. Thus:
telxaw - I
nelxaw - you
gelxaw - he/she/it
nelzavxaw - y'all
gelzavxaw - they
telnelxaw - you and I
telgelxaw - he and I
nelgelxaw - you and he
telnelgelxaw - I, you, and he
telnelzavxaw - y'all and I
telgelzavxaw - I and they
telnelzavgelxaw - I, y'all, and he
telnelgelzavxaw - I, you, and they
telnelzavgelzavxaw - I, y'all, and they
nelzavgelxaw - y'all and he
nelgelzavxaw - you and they
nelzavgelzavxaw - y'all and they
[edit] Prepositions
Prepositions precede every noun in Tetrian, identifying the role in the sentence or relation to other nouns. Preposition-noun blocks can be joined by inserting the conjunction rel between them. There are 6 types of preposition:
Locational (ending with zah)
bimzah - Near to
mimzah - Far from
gimzah - At
bilzah - Inside
milzah - Outside
bitzah - On the left of
mitzah - On the right of
gitzah - In between
birzah - Above
mirzah - Below
bibzah - In front of
mibzah - Behind
Directional (ending with lah)
bimlah - Towards
mimlah - Away from
gimlah - Through
billah - Into
millah - Out of
bitlah - To the left of
mitlah - To the right of
gitlah - Between
birlah - Over
mirlah - Under
biblah - Ahead of
miblah - Behind
Instrumental (ending with vah)
telvah - With (via)
nelvah - Without
tevvah - For (the purpose of)
nevvah - Against
Relational (ending with rah)
texrah - With (a person)
nexrah - Without (a person)
gezrah - As
tezrah - Like
nezrah - Unlike
Chronological (ending with mah)
tirmah - Before
nirmah - After
girmah - At (the time)
tilmah - Until
nilmah - Since
gilmah - During
Role-defining (ending with gah)
margah - Action is done by
bargah - Action is done to
[edit] Time-Specifiers
All adverbs are formed from word roots except for the time-specifier adverbs, which determine the tense of a clause or sentence:
tirlow - In the past (past)
wirlow - Currently (present progressive)
girlow - Now (present finite)
nirlow - In the future (future)
[edit] Reported Speech
Reported speech is enclosed in a rectangular box, and can only be used as an object in a sentence. For example:
[ZALLOW:]
[edit] Vocabulary
[edit] Example Roots
ton - Read
tol - Write
val - Put
kix - Eat
nov - Travel
xat - Want
mig - Teach
zig - Learn
var - Be able to
laz - Imagine
zag - Live
ber - Make
bil - Know
lox - Be slow
rox - Be fast
vet - Give
zet - Receive
vetzet - Trade
geb - Guide
zal - Befriend
mot - Calculate
tom - Have
laxxal - Speak
tirroz - Combine/connect
nirroz - Divide
[edit] Example Words
tetrow - tetrow - Tetro
gammiwwallaw - gammiwwallaw - Gamiala (Continent)
xavvar kamden - xavvar kamden - Javar Camden (Tetrian name)
verroklaw - verroklaw - Verockla (Vehicle manufacturing firm)
ninliw - ninliw - Ninli (Visual language of Magnetates)
[edit] Example Phrases
Tetrian script: zalvew horliw margah telxaw gezrah zallaw wirlow.
Transliteration: zalvew horliw margah telxaw gezrah zallaw wirlow.
English translation: I am a friend. (formal Tetrian greeting)
Tetrian script: zallow.
Transliteration: zallow.
English translation: Hello! (lit. "friendly") (Informal Tetrian greeting)
[edit] Numbers
All Tetrian numbers are written in base 3. The digits are:
0 = 0
1 = 1
2 = 2
When spoken, the digits are pronounced:
0 = xav
1 = gav
2 = zav
When a multi-digit number is written, the digits become strung together:
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