San (Tï Sanăp Kkaïla)

Workshop Conlanging
1

The San Language (Tï Sanăp Kkaïla)

San or Sani (Tï Sanăp Kkaïla /ti sɑnɐp qɑi̯lɑ/) is a language isolate spoken by a small community of the Vordynian species (Tï Wørdanăp K'ark'ada /ti wɒrdɑnɐp kʼɑrkʼɑdɑ/) numbering around 30 thousand. It bears no recognizable relation to the Vordynian language, and these two languages are, for the most part, mutually unintelligible. Due to it being unwritten, the Vordynian alphabet is used here, in a form adapted to the sound system of San.

Phonology and Alphabet (H'aukkheralr lrĕ Kx̄öğoïb /ʕɑuqʱɘrɑɻ ɻɜ kχʼøʀoi̯b/)

  1. A ɑ
  2. Ă ɐ
  3. B b
  4. C c
  5. C' cʼ
  6. CH cʱ
  7. Č t͡ʂ
  8. Č' t͡ʂʼ
  9. ČH t͡ʂʱ
  10. D d
  11. E ɛ~ɘ
  12. Ĕ ɜ
  13. G g
  14. Ğ ʀ
  15. H ɦ
  16. H' ʕ
  17. I ɪ
  18. Ï i~j
  19. K k
  20. K' kʼ
  21. KH kʱ
  22. KX k͡x
  23. KX' k͡xʼ
  24. KX̄ k͡χ
  25. KX̄' k͡χʼ
  26. KK q
  27. KK' qʼ
  28. KKH qʱ
  29. L l
  30. HL ɬ
  31. LR ɻ
  32. M m
  33. N n
  34. Ŋ ŋ
  35. O ɔ
  36. Ŏ ʌ
  37. Ö ø
  38. Ø ɒ
  39. OU ʊ
  40. P p
  41. P' pʼ
  42. R r
  43. S s
  44. Š ʂ
  45. T t
  46. T' tʼ
  47. U ʉ
  48. Ü u
  49. Ŭ ʊ
  50. W w
  51. X x
  52. X̄ χ
  53. Y ɨ
  54. Z z
  55. Ž ʐ
  56. ' ʔ

Gender and Numbers

San lacks a grammatical gender, but distinguishes between dual and plural forms.

Singular Dual Plural
1st Person Ïrĕ Sïrĕ Ïsanrĕ
2nd Person Ïa Sïa Ïsïabă
3rd Person Ïh'o Sïh'o Ïsïh'ogŏ

Numbers

San has a base-10 number system
0. Ad /ɑd/

  1. Cʼŏl /cʼʌl/
  2. Rŭŭoba /rʊːo̯bɑ/
  3. Arăupʼ /ɑrɐʊ̯pʼ/
  4. Hʼĕğmö /ʕɜʀmø/
  5. Ülrür /uɻur/
  6. T’økk’ /tʼɒqʼ/
  7. Kx̄abï /k͡χɑbi/
  8. Čaubo /t͡ʂɑʊ̯bo/
  9. Šölymbïe /ʂølɨm͡bie̯/
  10. Akx̄ʼĕĕre /ɑk͡χʼɜːre/

Sample Text

San San IPA English Vordynian Vordynian IPA
C’ălgep Ölrŭŭda cʼɐlgep̚ øɺʊːdɑ Queen of the Sun Āmïka Ïanhah ɑmikɐ iɑ̯nʱɐħ
Ïrĕnde măărakʼïa süüarap' iɾɜⁿdɛ mɐːrɑkʼi̯ɑ suːɑ̯rɑpʼ May you bless me on this Day Nad jarrāujohe kō' ïanmïba'n nɐɾ ʝɐɽ͡rɒʊ̯ʝɔħə kʌʔiɑ̯nmibɐʔn
Ïrĕnde h'ïl raadıep iɾɜⁿdɛ ʕil rɑːdi̯ɛp̚ Give me the strength Nad lōuge wıt lüena nɐɾ lʌːʊ̯gɛ wɪʔ luɜnɐ
Udawğă lrö Č'auhödo ʉdɑwʀɐ ɻø t͡ʂʼɑʊ̯ɦødo To tear down the Mortal Binds K' ïker'rar wıt Agēnden Maudaıb kə‿ikɜrːɑr wɪʔ ɐgɛːⁿdɜn mɒʊ̯dɐɪ̯b
Ïrĕnde mălımgöh' arb iɾɜⁿdɛ mɐlɪm͡ɢøʕ‿ɑrb Bring me forth to your arms Nad küerbherre măl adēben'ıllăh nɐɾ kuɜ̯rbʱɜɽ͡rɛ mɐ̆l ɐdeːbənʔɪɭɐħ
Č’ah’ŏgĕ ulad aïg t͡ʂʼɑʕʌgɜ ʉlɑd ɑi̯g To the Eternal Light Măl ēgenmōla kōbaïaïbb mɐl ɜːgɛnmʌːlɐ kobɐi̯ɑi̯b
Ölrŭŭd ı kxøa arb øɻʊːd ɪ k͡xɒɑ̯ ɑrb Bring forth a new Sun Ïanha aunab Küerbherre iɑ̯nʱɐ ɑu̯nɐb kuɜ̯rbʱɜɽ͡rɛ
Ïrĕnde Akkhăl Č’ah’ŏgĕ! iɾɜⁿdɛ aqʱɐl t͡ʂʼɑʕʌgɜ Return the Light to Me! Nand ēgenmōla mgēbatte! nɐⁿd ɜːgɛnmʌːlɐ‿mgɛːbɐʈə
3 Likes
2

this is a language in very early embryonic stages.

3

Holy smokes that's a lot of sounds

4

it gets a lot more maximalist in some of my other conlangs (kentauri gets up to just over 100 without clicks)

5

Schleicher's Fable in San

Hʼaawï lrĕ Aïïsül
Cŏŏhokxʼïč atwölnaupʼhʼaawï aïïsül, cʼŏl bagonšahakkx̄ʼal, cʼŏl rakkhøuračalguhal lrĕ cʼŏl poudačalguhal rakaïr. Kkaïlak hʼaawï aïïsülümb: «Ïrĕmb hašakmïtʼ kaarü, cŏŏhokxʼol pouda aïïsülakkoŋehal». Kkaïlak aïïsül: «Hʼyypʼ, hʼaawï! Ïnrĕmb möhʼ ïhʼo cŏŏhokxʼïn hašakmïnd kaarüül: Pouda, akkoŋoub, wölnaupʼ ap hʼaawïb ŭlhıkʼ čauhʼĕrĕšmob ümïhʼomo ïagaudahal, lrĕ atïr wölnaupʼ ap hʼaawï». Hʼyypʼohalïhʼo, bgauhïč ŭl ölraaud hʼaawï.

Word-for-word into English, according to San's free word order.

Saw, the non-woolen sheep horses, one a wagon pulling, one a large load carrying, and one a man carrying with speed. Said the sheep unto the horses: «Me, pains my heart, seeing a man horses driving». Said the horses: «Hear, sheep! Us when this we see ache our hearts: A man, the lord, the wool of the sheep into a warm garment for himself makes, and there is no wool at the sheep». Having heard this, flee into the plain, the sheep did.

IPA

ʕɑːwi ɻɜ ɑi̯isul
cʌːħok͡xʼit͡ʂ ɑtwølnɑu̯pʼʕɑːwi ɑi̯isul, cʼʌl bɑɢonʂɑħɑq͡χʼɑl, cʼʌl rɑqʰɒu̯rɑt͡ʂɑlɢʉħɑl ɻɜ cʼʌl pou̯ɾɑt͡ʂɑlɢʉħɑl rɑkɑir. qɑi̯lɑk ʕɑːwi ɑi̯isulumb: irɜmb ħɑʂɑkmitʼ kɑːru, cʌːħok͡xʼol pou̯ɾɑ ɑi̯isulɑqoŋeħɑl. qɑi̯lɑk ɑi̯isul: ʕɨːpʼ, ʕɑːwi. iⁿrɜmb møʕ iʕo cʌːħok͡xʼin ħɑʂɑkmiⁿd kɑːruːl: pou̯ɾɑ, ɑqoŋouɓ, wølnɑu̯pʼ apˤ ʕɑːwiɓ ʊlħɪkʼ t͡ʂɑu̯ʕɜrɜʂmob umiʕomo jɑɢɑu̯ɾɑħɑl, ɻɜ ɑtir wølnɑu̯pʼ ɑpˤ ʕɑːwi. ʕɨːpʼoħɑliʕo, bɢɑu̯ħit͡ʂ ʊl øɻɑu̯ɾ ʕɑːwi.