Analysis swap: Abaniscen

[Arayaz]

Is the river clear or murky?

[Flavia]

It's very murky, dark brown.

[Arayaz]

Even if Trailsend is inactive, I'm assuming they're still with us. I point to its bow and say, "As navieras i Tileysenes?"

Spoiler:

My theory is that catures is catus-es and the /s/ → [r] is some morphophonology. Perhaps dissimilation, or intervocalic flapping.

[Flavia]

As navieras i Tileyseren.

[Arayaz]

As navieras i Tileyseren.

Spoiler:

Ah, so it's an infix. The question is, is it before the last consonant, or after the last vowel?

I gesture towards Akkarahi's device. "As machina i Akkarahire?" I pause. "Akkararehi?"

[UnbiasedBrigade]

I draw a picture of a river on the ground. I gesture to it and say "niensen". I then draw a set of two rivers in a different area, and gesture at each one, saying "niensen". Then I gesture at the drawing of two rivers, and ask "as le?", hoping they understand my intentions.

-

Spoiler:

Yes, I am doing a wug test with rivers.

[Flavia]

As navieras i Tileyseren.

Spoiler:

Ah, so it's an infix. The question is, is it before the last consonant, or after the last vowel?

I gesture towards Akkarahi's device. "As machina i Akkarahire?" I pause. "Akkararehi?"

As, is machina i Acarahile. Bi canar i lesian i manti nana tutu...

[Arayaz]

As navieras i Tileyseren.

Spoiler:

Ah, so it's an infix. The question is, is it before the last consonant, or after the last vowel?

I gesture towards Akkarahi's device. "As machina i Akkarahire?" I pause. "Akkararehi?"

As, is machina i Acarahile. Bi canar i lesian i manti nana tutu...

"Canar le?" I say ─ hoping it's something easy for our faerie hosts to demonstrate!

Spoiler:

Variation between l~r?

Also, for some reason, I read bi canar i lesian as "Your canary is lesbian" lol

[Flavia]

Spoiler:

Variation between l~r?

Also, for some reason, I read bi canar i lesian as "Your canary is lesbian" lol

As navieras i Tileyseren.

Spoiler:

Ah, so it's an infix. The question is, is it before the last consonant, or after the last vowel?

I gesture towards Akkarahi's device. "As machina i Akkarahire?" I pause. "Akkararehi?"

As, is machina i Acarahile. Bi canar i lesian i manti nana tutu...

"Canar le?" I say ─ hoping it's something easy for our faerie hosts to demonstrate!

Um... ─ they point to their mouth ─ Barbarbarbarbar. Ni "barbarbarbarbar" canar. Bi "canar le" cananar.

my numpad broke ughhh I have to copypaste emdashes :(

[UnbiasedBrigade]

*I tentatively step over and, slightly nervously, since my attempts haven't been going very well, say*
"Bi 'manti' cananar. 'Manti' le ...?"

[Arayaz]

Um... ─ they point to their mouth ─ Barbarbarbarbar. Ni "barbarbarbarbar" canar. Bi "canar le" cananar.

Spoiler:

Plenty of infixes here, hm! That <na> seems to mark past tense, but it wasn't there with ni "barbarbarbarbar" canar. I do also wonder if it's reduplication, or actually <na>.

SOV word order, it looks like. Good to know.

I want to see if <na> works elsewhere, but ... do we not have any other verbs??

I pick up the cat again, holding it in my arms. "Ni catus ... le?"

[UnbiasedBrigade]

Um... ─ they point to their mouth ─ Barbarbarbarbar. Ni "barbarbarbarbar" canar. Bi "canar le" cananar.

Spoiler:

Plenty of infixes here, hm! That <na> seems to mark past tense, but it wasn't there with ni "barbarbarbarbar" canar. I do also wonder if it's reduplication, or actually <na>.

Spoiler:

My guess is that the first bit is saying something like "we speak, like 'barbarbarbar'.", thus not being in the past tense

[Flavia]

Um... ─ they point to their mouth ─ Barbarbarbarbar. Ni "barbarbarbarbar" canar. Bi "canar le" cananar.

Spoiler:

Plenty of infixes here, hm! That <na> seems to mark past tense, but it wasn't there with ni "barbarbarbarbar" canar. I do also wonder if it's reduplication, or actually <na>.

SOV word order, it looks like. Good to know.

I want to see if <na> works elsewhere, but ... do we not have any other verbs??

I pick up the cat again, holding it in my arms. "Ni catus ... le?"

Le? Iescarnehay. Is nihay.

[Flavia]

I draw a picture of a river on the ground. I gesture to it and say "niensen". I then draw a set of two rivers in a different area, and gesture at each one, saying "niensen". Then I gesture at the drawing of two rivers, and ask "as le?", hoping they understand my intentions.

-

Spoiler:

Yes, I am doing a wug test with rivers.

I'm so sorry I somehow haven't noticed this

As, is nianhan.

[Flavia]

*I tentatively step over and, slightly nervously, since my attempts haven't been going very well, say*
"Bi 'manti' cananar. 'Manti' le ...?"

(It's evening – about 6 pm or so.)

They point to the setting sun. – Cinti. – The opposite side of the sky: – Manti.

[Arayaz]

Spoiler:

Maybe manti, referring to east, the direction of the rising sun and beginning of the day, can also metaphorically mean "beginning" or perhaps "before"? In that case, ni canar i lesian i manti nana tutu was instructions about how to form what I'm assuming is some sort of genitive case.

[UnbiasedBrigade]

I draw a pair of cats on the ground, saying "As, is catum", while pointing to each, and then point at the whole picture, and ask "As le?"

They point to the setting sun. – Cinti. – The opposite side of the sky: – Manti.

Spoiler:

ooh, we have words for 'morning/evening' (or maybe 'east/west') and maybe other related terms!

[Flavia]

I draw a pair of cats on the ground, saying "As, is catum", while pointing to each, and then point at the whole picture, and ask "As le?"

"Catum" canasirnehay; as, is catus i may.

[Arayaz]

"Bi 'lesian' cananar," I say. "Lesian le?"

[Flavia]

They gesture to themself and the other faerie folk, saying— Nele lesiannemor. Pointing to you and the other interlocutors— beley cielnasnemor.