Speedlanging Challenge XI during the Christmas holiday

[Omzinesý]

The challenge will start on Saturday the 23th of December and last to Monday the 1st of January. The longer time span is because for some Christmas is very busy and some have very much free time. In practice, you are always free to participate even years afterwards though.

This is speedlaning, however, so choose a moment you happen to have time and spend some ours during two days at max. You are recommended to create the language without pause.

The constraints/requirements

PHONOLOGY
- The phoneme inventory should include more than 25 consonants
- The phoneme inventory should include a voiced alveolar spirant or approximant /ɹ/.
- The phoneme inventory should include at least one medial (non-sibilant, non-lateral) affricate (p̪f, tθ ...).

MORPHOSYNTAX
- Some kind of sandhi phenomena operating between words (historical or synchronic) — consonant mutation, raddoppiamento fonosintattico, tone sandhi, Sanskrit-style sandhi shit, etc.
- Primarily dependent-marking
- Some method for topic and focus marking

Because I don't find anything newer, the old declaration of human rights used in many other challenges will be the transition passage you should translate into your speedlang. "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."

---

The older ones:
viewtopic.php?t=467 "Speedlang", Dec 2010, by Micamo
viewtopic.php?t=931 "Minimal Phonology Challenge" ,Apr 2011, by roninbodhisattva
viewtopic.php?t=2201 "Speedlanging", Jul 2012, by Click
viewtopic.php?t=2224 "Speedlanging challenge", Jul 2012, by nmn
viewtopic.php?t=2319 "Speedlanging Challenge 2.0", Aug 2012, by Solarius
viewtopic.php?t=5222 "Speedconlanging Weekend", Jan 2016, by Keenir
viewtopic.php?t=2459 "Speedlanging challenge 4", Oct 2012, by Click
viewtopic.php?t=5222 "Speedconlanging Weekend", 22 Jan 2016, by Keenir
viewtopic.php?t=5485 "CBB Speedlanging Weekend II", Jun 2016, by DesEsseintes
viewtopic.php?t=5737 "CBB Speedlanging Weekend III", Sep 2016, by DesEsseintes
viewtopic.php?t=6032 "Speedlanging weekend IV: Weekend of April 8th", Mar 2017, by Nachtuil
viewtopic.php?t=6079 "Speedlanging weekend V: 22th April", Apr 2017, by k1234567890y
viewtopic.php?t=6169 "The Great CBB Speedlanging Weekend VI Thread (June 9th-11th)", Jun 2017, by qwed117
viewtopic.php?t=6346 "Speedlanging Challenge VII (22 - 25 September)", Sep 2017, by Omzinesý
viewtopic.php?t=6654 "Speedlang VIII (May 4, 5, 6)", Apr 2018, by Nachtuil
viewtopic.php?t=6563 "One hour challenge - Da Vinci Quote", Feb 2018, by Adarain
viewtopic.php?t=7149 "Speedlang IX (Jan 17-19)" Jan 2020, by spanick
viewtopic.php?t=7660 "Speedlanging challenge X", Feb 2022, by Omzinesý
viewtopic.php?t=7855 "One Hour Conlang Challenge? April 2023 Edition?", Apr 2023, by GoshDiggityDangit

[spanick]

I'm interested.

Btw there are at least two more speedlangs threads:
Speedlang VIII viewtopic.php?t=6654 (May 2018)
Speedlang IX viewtopic.php?t=7149 (January 2020)

[conlang-creature]

Sure. Could help me learn more linguistic terms too.

[sketch]

I've wanted to make a speedlang for a while now. I figure it could help with approaching the bigger projects and more important langs.

[Arayaz]

I might, since I think I can make a good language pretty fast.

[VaptuantaDoi]

I shall join also. If no-one objects here are some ideas for constraints:

Spoiler:

- More than 25 consonants
- Some kind of sandhi phenomena operating between words (historical or synchronic) — consonant mutation, raddoppiamento fonosintattico, tone sandhi, Sanskrit-style sandhi shit, etc.
- Primarily dependent-marking
- Some method for topic and focus marking

[Omzinesý]

If no-one objects here are some ideas for constraints:

They sound very nice. I can add a phoneme or two that you should include.

Can you blur the constraints before the challenge?

[Omzinesý]

Because nobody has said anything about the time, I decide that the challenge will start on Saturday the 23th of December and last to Monday the 1st of January. The longer time span is because for some Christmas is very busy and some have very much free time. In practice, you are always free to participate even years afterwards though.

This is speedlaning, however, so choose a moment you happen to have time and spend some ours during two days at max. You are recommended to create the language without pause.

[VaptuantaDoi]

Sounds good!

[Keenir]

I can try, sure

[Arayaz]

So it's just, we make a language within the constraints within 2 days? (New to this, sorry.)

[spanick]

So it's just, we make a language within the constraints within 2 days? (New to this, sorry.)

Pretty much, yes. Typically you post a brief description in this thread when you’re done. Obviously, you’re trying to focus on the ways in which you’ve met the criteria.

[DesEsseintes]

I’m gonna try to participate using a generator and probably ignoring the constraints.

[Arayaz]

Possibly I'll record the process and upload it as my first Youtube video on my new channel.

[Omzinesý]

The constaints/requirements are visible now and you are free to speedlang!

Late signups are welcome too.

[Visions1]

Already started mine. Hope to make PDF when done.

[Omzinesý]

Poofakhaal language

[po:fkxä:l]
poofa 'language'
kaal 'the endonym of the peaople'

Official starting time 18:14
Finished 21:10

Goals
- Much ergativity
- Using my beloved "nasal affricates"
- The given requirements

What was hard.
- I made very many alternatives for the consonant systems. I don't like big phoneme inventories. It wasn't very speendlangy cos I have been thinking about them for a week.
- I happen to have a polysynthetic mood. It was hard to keep it even a bit dependent marking.

The sketch surely has typos. I don't have strength to edit more.

Phonology

Spoiler:

Consonants
p͡ɸ t͡ɹ̥ t͡s t͡ʃ k͡x
p t tʲ k
mṼ nṼ nʲṼ*
m n nʲ
ɸ s sʲ x ʍ h
ɹ l j w

25 consonants (I admit. I used some tricks and another analyses might be possible.)
a voiced alveolar spirant or approximant /ɹ/
medial (non-sibilant, non-lateral) affricates (Yes, there are many!)

* "Palatal affricates" are an affricate that makes the following vowel nasalize.

Vowels
i, i:, eˀ
o, o:, oˀ
ä, ä:, äˀ
Glottalized vowels do not distinguish length. They often realize as [VʔV̯].

After palatals (t͡s, tʲ, nʲ, nʲṼ, sʲ, j) /o, o:, oˀ/ becomes [ʉ, ʉ:, ɘˀ].

All vowels are reduced in syllables that are not phrase-initial or -final, V -> ə, V: -> ɨ(:), Vˀ -> əˀ/ʔ.
After palatals (t͡s, tʲ, nʲ, nʲṼ, sʲ, j), the reduced vowels are [e, i(:), eˀ/ʔ], respectively.

In practice, long vowels reduce to a central closed vowel that is rarely long. For example the verb in (1) is /sʲokiˀsis/ 'to write' but it reduces to [sʲʉkəˀsis] or even [sʲʉkʔsis].

The maximal syllable is CVC.

Morphophonology

Spoiler:

When a modifier precedes its head, it undergoes fortition, a similar consonant mutation to that of Celtic languages.
Stops become affricates: p t tʲ k -> p͡ɸ t͡ɹ̥ (t͡s) t͡ʃ k͡x
Nasals become nasal affricates: m n nʲ -> mṼ nṼ nʲṼ
/j/ becomes an affricate: j -> t͡ʃ

* Sometimes /t/ becomes /t͡s/ instead of /t͡ɹ̥/.

Affricates do however appear in other environments too, so it's no useful to analyse them just suprasegmental. They don't appear word-initially very often though.

Some kind of sandhi phenomena operating between words. Vowel reduction is another one.

Syntax

Spoiler:

Without topicalizations, the neutral word order is VOS. Intransitive subject and transitive object has Absolutive case while transitive subject has Oblique case. If there is an indirect object, it also has Absolutive.

The transitive subject is, however, very often topicalized if it appears as an explicit NP.
Topicalized and focused NPs are fronted. Usually there is a stort pause between the fronted NP and the verb.
A topicalized NP has no contrastive stress. A (argument) focused NP has a contrastive stress.
If a focused transitive subject is inanimate it maintains Oblique case. If it is animate, it is marked with Absolutive.
(1a) is considered the most "neural" word order, but (1b) is actually more frequent. Topicalization of objects is far less frequent.

(1a)
Sjuke'sis jampo toppo-lo.
write book man-ERG
'The man wrote a book.'

(1b)
Toppo, sjuke'sis jampo.
man, write book
'The man wrote a book.'

(1c)
Tóppo, sjuke'sis jampo.
man.FOC, write book
'It was the man who wrote the book.'

Some method for topic and focus marking.

Morphology Nouns

Spoiler:

Nouns have two cases: Absolutive and Oblique. Their syntactic use is described above. The oblique also codes any adjunct: instrument, place, or time.
Its markers:
-lo (consonant-final stems)
-l (vowel-final stems)

There are two numbers: singular and plural. Many words like countries or companies are pluralia tantum.
Singular -∅
Plural -tju /tʲo/ (Some plurals might be zero-marked.)

Genitive (or any non-nominal modifier too) is marked by the initial fortition.

(2a)
[jæmp(ə)t͡ɹ̥əppo]
jampo troppo
book man
'man's book'

Suffixaufnahme appaers. The Oblique marker is repeated in the possessor.
(2b)
[jæmpəlt͡ɹ̥əppol]
jampol troppol
book man
'man's book'

As can be seen in the examples (2), the head noun and its modifier form one phonological word.


Derivational morphology of nouns includes, at least:
-kon 'augmentative'
-si 'diminutive'

/ Primarily dependent-marking (There are syntactic cases at least.)

Morphology Verbs

Spoiler:

The pattern of verbs is:

-3 converb
-2 modals
-1 Voice / Nominalizer
0 root (+ number agreement)
1 manner suffix
2 incorporated noun

-3 Converb
The converb prefix is e'-.

All verbs (or clauses headed by them) can be used as relative clauses. They also get the initial mutation. It depends on the lengths of the phrase if the parts have independent unreduced vowels.

toppo troka'tarok
toppo FORT.tok-a'-tarok
man MODIFIER.ANTIP-give-kiss
'the man that gave a kiss'

-2 Modals
"Auxiliaries" appaer in the verb. At this point the only modal prefix I have is
pon- 'should'.

-1 Voice
ni- 'Passive'
The passive marker makes no changes to the syntax. The by-agent appears in the same Oblique case as the Ergative subject.

A'trarok fin. 'You got a kiss.'
Nia'tarok fin. 'You were given a kiss.'
Nia'tarok finsa. 'You were given a kiss by me.'

tok- 'antipassive'
Antipassive lets the transitive subject appear alone.

Tok-a'tarok las
ANTIP-kiss sg1ABS
'I kissed (somebody).'

There applicative voices too.
xal- 'location'
fon- 'time'
pe'l- 'instrument'
ju- 'manner'

All the marked voice forms can also function as (lexical) nominalizers.
Toka'tarok thus also means 'a kisser'.

0 The root
The root agrees the number of the absolutive argument. The plural formation is a bit irregular but usually a short vowel is lengthened.
sju 'do it'
sjuu 'do them'


1 Incorporation
Incorporation is quite lexicalized. There are only four verbs that regularly take an incorporated noun. It is rather the main method of deriving denominal verbs. They are sju 'do', loo 'be', a'k 'give', and paa 'have' ~ 'exist'. They do however have periphrastic alternatives with quite similar semantics, see (3).

(3a)
[ɑˀt͡ɹ̥ɘɹokfinsä]
a'-trarok fin-sa.
give-kiss sg2ABS-sg1ERG
'I kissed you.'

(3b)
[ɑˀtäɹokfinsä]
a' tarok finsa.
'I gave you a kiss.'

2 Manner suffixes
They are the same suffixes that appear in nouns.
-kon 'much, heavily'
-si 'a bit'

Dictionary

Spoiler:

a' 'to give'
a'tarok 'to kiss'
i 'as'
jaal 'to feel'
jampo 'a book'
jara 'human' 'person'
kats 'be born' 'give birth'
koppil 'to understand (what you do)'
loo 'be'
nup '(to be) free'
paa 'to have' 'to exist'
paakh 'a value'
po'ral 'right'
sju 'to do'
tarok 'a kiss'
tissik 'be dignified'
tjutsa 'a brother'
toppo 'a man'

Declaration of human rights

Spoiler:

Code: Select all

kaats		jaraches	e'njhu'p		e'paapaakxoot 		toktissiklo 		po'rallo.
kats.PL		jara-jes	e'-njhup.PL		e'-paa-paakh-oot 	tok-tissik-lo 		po'ral-lo
be.born.PL	human-all	CONV-FORT.free.PL	CONV-have-value-same	ANTIP-be.dignified-OBL	right-OBL 
'All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights.'

Code: Select all

taniaa'k		mohta	a chukoppil
ta-ni-a'k.PL		mohta	a MUT-ju-koppil
PERF-PASS-give.PL	reason	and MODIF-NMLZ-understand 
'They are endowed with reason and conscience.' 

Code: Select all

ponsjuu		mah		jujaallo	chu-loo-tjutsa
pon-sju.:	mah		ju-jaal-lo	MUT-ju-loo-tjutsa
should-do.PL	each.other	NMLZ-feel-OBL	MODIF-NMLZ-be-brother 
'They should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood.' 

[qwed117]

A quick a post based on the Nilotic language Lugbara

/m n ɲ ŋ/ <m n ny ng>
/p b ⁿb t d ⁿd t͡s dz k g ⁿg k͡p g͡b ⁿg͡b ʔ/ <p b mb t d nd c dj k g 'ng kp gb ngb '>
/ɓ ɗ ɠ/ <'b 'd 'g>
/v ⁿv s̞ʷ z̞ʷ ⁿz ɣ h/ <f v mv s z nz gh h>
/r l j w ˀj ˀw/ <r l y w 'j 'w>
/a ɛ ɔ o ɪ i u / <a e o oo i ii uu>

Morphosyntactic alternants are marked with an x, where /a/ would be normally but is deleted due to liaison with the previous vowel

woloo xruu 'ba ti 'dani xnzi 'da'duu be avuu xnzi haki
all spirit human born free and equal with pride and rights
woroworo adro 'ba ti 'dani' azini trotro be afu azini haki
All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights

Topics are fronted marked with cagh < ecetasi 'for example', and a secondary marker 'dia for locations, ceny < ceni, for subjects, niri < niri for genitive heads, ooluu < oru for predicate objects, is placed after the verb. For subjects an emphatic resumptive must be placed before the verb. Comparative and prepositional phrase heads cannot be extracted outside of the phrase. Eg.

otse tsi ori ndapa 'di pati be gbe
dog bite snake under this tree with fox
The dog bites snakes under this tree with a fox

otse cagh egh tsi ceny ori ndapa 'di pati be gbe
dog TOP 3S bite SUBJ snake under this tree with fox
The dog, it bites snakes under this tree with a fox

ori cagh otse tsi ooluu ndapa 'di pati be gbe
snake TOP dog bite OBJ under this tree with fox
Snakes, the dog bites them under this tree with a fox

ndapa 'di pati cagh otse tsi 'dia ori be gbe
under this tree TOP dog bite LOC under this tree with fox
Under the tree, the dog bites snakes there with a fox

be gbe cagh otse tsi ooluu ori ndapa 'di pati
with fox TOP dog bite OBJ snake under this tree
With a fox, the dog bites snakes under this tree

*gbe cagh otse tsi ooluu ori ndapa 'di pati be
fox TOP dog bite OBJ snake under this tree with
*With a fox, the dog bites snakes under this tree

The phonetics of the language are largely identical to Lugbara right now, since I don't really have much time to work further on diachronics, but (hopefully) the grammar is probably fairly different, and purely from the fact that I do not speak Lugbara, this should probably be unrecognizable to an actual Lugbara speaker

[Omzinesý]

It seems that this challenge was not very popular.

Thank you, qwed, for participating.

[Arayaz]

It seems that this challenge was not very popular.

Thank you, qwed, for participating.

I'm excited to participate but haven't yet found time, sorry