Difference between revisions of "Fádallan language"

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|name          = Fádallan
|name          = Fádallan
|altname      =  
|altname      =  
|nativename    = Páadtal
|nativename    = {{cs|FDL|páadtal}}<br>''Páadtal''
|pronunciation = [fɐ̀:tɐl]
|pronunciation = [fɐ̀:tɐl]
|latd  =  | latm  = | latNS  =  <!-- latitude degrees/minutes/direction -->
|latd  =  | latm  = | latNS  =  <!-- latitude degrees/minutes/direction -->

Revision as of 09:33, 1 February 2017

Fádallan
páadtal
Páadtal
Pronunciation[fɐ̀:tɐl]
Ethnicitynative Fádallan and those of Fádallan descent in other countries
Native speakers~10,000  (2013 census)
Language family
Theweric
  • Proto-Theweric
    • Proto-Dhweran
      • Ancient Dhwer
        • Fádallan
Early forms:
Old Fádallan
  • Fádallan
Writing systemFádallan script, a derivative of the Dulic script
Official status
Official language inFádalh
CWS codeFDL

Fádallan (páadtal Páadtal, [fɐ̀:tɐl]) is a Theweric language spoken by around 10,000 speakers in Fádalh, where it is the official language, and within Fádallan communities in other countries. It is a member of the Theweric language family, separating from the Dhwer branch around 800 years ago with the settlement of Fádalh as a colony of the Great Dhweran Empire.

Fádallan loans heavily from Saavdis, spoken in the neighbouring Fals Empire. Saavdis loans are used primarily in colloquial speech, with native Fádallan words being used in more formal contexts and being viewed as more sophisticated, analogous to the usage of Greek and Latin loans in the English language. As a result of greater ease of communication in the 21st century, more and more Saavdis loans are being incorporated into Fádallan, with an estimated 35% of words being of Saavdis origin.

Fádallan is a heavily fusional, ergative-absolutive language with a simple two tone tonal system, phonemic vowel length, and a a small set of phonemic consonants with no voiced stops or fricatives. The primary word order is verb-object-subject, with a small number of auxiliaries placed after the verb to indicate some moods. Fádallan has a complex system of verbal and nominal inflection, with multiple classes and inflections. Verbs conjugate for person, tense, and mood, but not number. Questions are formed using an interrogative mood. Nouns have number and several basic cases, such as the genitive and locative.

Background

Phonology

Consonants

Fádallan phonology has 11 consonant phonemes.

Consonant phonemes
Labial Alveolar Palatal Velar
Nasal m n ɲ
Stop t k
Fricative f s x
Approximant j w
Lateral l

Vowels

The Fádallan vowel inventory is fairly large, consisting of 20 vowel phonemes.

Vowel phonemes
Front Central Back
Close i ʉ
Mid e o
Open ɐ

All vowels have phonemic length (long vs. short) and tone (low vs. mid) contrasts, resulting in 4 forms for each basic vowel phoneme, e.g. /ʉ ʉ: ʉ̀ ʉ̀:/ for /ʉ/. Compare the following contrasting pairs:

ko /ko/ 'mouth, chin,' vs. kooa /ko:/ 'wet, submerged'
ódc /o/ 'arm' vs. odc /ò/ 'father'
kaca /kɐ/ 'first, primary' vs. kaadc /kɐ̀:/ 'I' (1SG.NOM)

Phonotactics

Orthography

Grammar

Morphology

Syntax