Jiao Language · World of Rolara

Natively known as:zhueǐ/ʈʂwei̯˧˥/

…and he stood holding his hat and turned his wet face to the wind…

faǔ zing ya lo pe pǐn lo faǔ o ūr î wân ya lo haǔ

Pronunciation : /fau̯˧˥ ʦi˧ŋ jɛ˧ lʊ˧ pʰə˧ pʰi˧˥n lʊ˧ fau̯˧˥ o˧ u˥ʐ i˥˩ wa˥˩n jɛ˧ lʊ˧ xau̯˧˥/

Jiao word order : and hat his holding stood he and to the wind his face wet turned

Spelling & Phonology

Consonant inventory : f j k kʰ l m n p pʰ s t tʰ w x ŋ ɥ ʂ ʂʰ ʈ ʐ ʦ ʦʰ ʨ ʨʰ

↓Manner/Place→

Bilabial

Labiodental

Alveolar

Retroflex

Alveolo-palatal

Palatal

Velar

Nasal

Stop

p pʰ

t tʰ

k kʰ

Affricate

ʦ ʦʰ

ʨ ʨʰ

Fricative

ʂ ʂʰ ʐ

Approximant

Lateral approximant

Co-articulated phonemes

↓Manner/Place→

Labial-palatal

Labial-velar

Approximant

Vowel inventory : a ai̯ au̯ ei̯ i o ou̯ u y ə ɛ ɤ ʊ

Diphthongs : ai̯ au̯ ei̯ ou̯

Tones : ˧ ˥ ˧˥ ˨˩˦ ˥˩

Front

Central

Back

High

i y

Near-high

High-mid

ɤ o

Mid

Low-mid

Low

Syllable structure : Custom defined

Stress pattern : No stress

Spelling rules :

Pronunciation

Spelling

u / C_

b / !_ʰ

g / !_ʰ

d / !_ʰ

ʨʰ

ʦʰ

ʈʂʰ

ʈʂ

ŋk

ü / C_

˥˩

˧˥

˨˩˦

Grammar

Main word order : (Prepositional phrase) Object Verb Subject. “Mary opened the door with a key” turns into With a key the door opened Mary .

Adjective order : Adjectives are positioned after the noun.

Adposition : prepositions

Articles

Definite

yì /ji˨˩˦/ the

Indefinite

jō /ʨo˥/ a/some

Articles

Nominative

laùng /lau̯˨˩˦ŋ/

Accusative

aì /ai̯˨˩˦/

Genitive

cho /ʈʂʰo˧/

Dative

u /u˧/

Locative

līng /li˥ŋ/

Ablative

zhē /ʈʂɤ˥/

Instrumental

o /ʊ˧/

Articles

Animate

zhu /ʈʂu˧/

Inanimate

jing /ʨi˧ŋ/

Articles

Singular

mǎng /ma˧˥ŋ/

Plural

zī /ʦi˥/

Dual

zhaǔng /ʈʂau̯˧˥ŋ/

Trial

au /au̯˧/

Determiners

Definite

ā /a˥/ the

Indefinite

o /o˧/ a/some

Determiners

Nominative

ir /i˧ʐ/

Accusative

fan /fa˧n/

Genitive

bi /pi˧/

Dative

bô /po˥˩/

Locative

waù /wau̯˨˩˦/

Ablative

zhěng /ʈʂə˧˥ŋ/

Instrumental

baūn /pau̯˥n/

Determiners

Animate

ǐ /i˧˥/

Inanimate

chuaǔn /ʈʂʰwau̯˧˥n/

Determiners

Singular

zhâ /ʈʂɛ˥˩/

Plural

tǖr /tʰy˥ʐ/

Dual

gung /ku˧ŋ/

Trial

zhā /ʈʂa˥/

Aspect particles

Perfective

à /a˨˩˦/

Habitual

chuè /ʈʂʰwɤ˨˩˦/

Continuous

dīr /ti˥ʐ/

Perfect

zêng /ʦɤ˥˩ŋ/

Definiteness particles

Definite

chuei /ʈʂʰwei̯˧/

Indefinite

zhaī /ʈʂai̯˥/

Case particles

Nominative

ǐ /i˧˥/

Accusative

bī /pi˥/

Genitive

deīng /tei̯˥ŋ/

Dative

ǒr /ʊ˧˥ʐ/

Locative

chǎng /ʈʂʰa˧˥ŋ/

Ablative

zhü̂ /ʈʂy˥˩/

Instrumental

yeīng /jei̯˥ŋ/

Gender particles

Animate

wǔ /wu˧˥/

Inanimate

zhung /ʈʂu˧ŋ/

Mood particles

Indicative

dè /tə˨˩˦/

Conditional

ě /ɤ˧˥/

Subjunctive

wē /wɤ˥/

Imperative

fē /fə˥/

Number particles

Singular

â /a˥˩/

Plural

pàn /pʰa˨˩˦n/

Dual

dung /tu˧ŋ/

Trial

cheìn /ʈʂʰei̯˨˩˦n/

Person particles

1st person

dâ /tɛ˥˩/

2nd person

chēr /ʈʂʰɤ˥ʐ/

3rd person

yǔ /y˧˥/

Tense particles

Remote past

tî /tʰi˥˩/

Past

mi /mi˧/

Present

yî /ji˥˩/

Future

bì /pi˨˩˦/

Remote future

rǔ /ʐu˧˥/

Voice particles

Active

nìn /ni˨˩˦n/

Passive

ɥaǔng /ɥau̯˧˥ŋ/

Pronouns

2nd person

nà /na˨˩˦/ you, yours, you all, yours (pl)

3rd person

lo /lʊ˧/ he, she, him, her, his, hers, it, its, they, them, theirs

Pronouns

Singular

yoū /jou̯˥/ I, me, mine, you, yours, he, she, him, her, his, hers, it, its

Plural

sha /ʂa˧/ we, us, ours, you all, yours (pl), they, them, theirs

Dual

shê /ʂɤ˥˩/

Trial

gâ /kɛ˥˩/

Pronouns

Neuter

yu /ju˧/

Animate

è /ɤ˨˩˦/

Inanimate

zhuaîn /ʈʂwai̯˥˩n/

Pronouns

Nominative

fìn /fi˨˩˦n/ I, you, he, she, it, we, you all, they

Accusative

an /ɛ˧n/ me, you, him, her, it, us, you all, them

Genitive

chuā /ʈʂʰwa˥/ mine, yours, his, hers, its, ours, theirs

Dative

sha /ʂɛ˧/ me, you, him, her, it, us, you all, them

Locative

hèng /xə˨˩˦ŋ/

Ablative

du /tu˧/ me, you, him, her, it, us, you all, them

Instrumental

ba /pa˧/

Noun gender

Animate

Prefix fɤ˥-

fēshoùng /fɤ˥ʂou̯˨˩˦ŋ/

Inanimate

Prefix o˧-

oshoùng /o˧ʂou̯˨˩˦ŋ/

Noun definiteness

Definite

No affix

shoùng /ʂou̯˨˩˦ŋ/ the dog

Indefinite

Reduplicate last part of last syllable

shoùngoùng /ʂou̯˨˩˦ŋou̯˨˩˦ŋ/ a dog

Noun number

Singular

No affix

shoùng /ʂou̯˨˩˦ŋ/ dog

Plural

Reduplicate last part of last syllable

shoùngoùng /ʂou̯˨˩˦ŋou̯˨˩˦ŋ/ dogs

Dual

If starts with vowel: Prefix ʂ-

Else: Prefix ʂɤ˨˩˦-

shèshoùng /ʂɤ˨˩˦ʂou̯˨˩˦ŋ/ two dogs

Trial

If starts with vowel: Prefix ʦ-

Else: Prefix ʦi˧-

zishoùng /ʦi˧ʂou̯˨˩˦ŋ/ three dogs

Verb mood

Indicative

No affix

jeì /ʨei̯˨˩˦/ learn

Conditional

Prefix o˧-

ojeì /o˧ʨei̯˨˩˦/ would learn

Subjunctive

If starts with vowel: Prefix x-

Else: Prefix xa˧-

hajeì /xa˧ʨei̯˨˩˦/ learn

Imperative

Prefix ʂei̯˨˩˦-

sheìjeì /ʂei̯˨˩˦ʨei̯˨˩˦/ learn! (command)

Numbers

Jiao has a base-20 number system:

1 - dü

2 - wě

3 - shi

4 - zha

5 - ɥē

6 - sā

7 - jù

8 - ɥō

9 - mǖr

10 - wa

11 - mēn

12 - chuì

13 - shoûr

14 - hōn

15 - yōn

16 - mān

17 - jeī

18 - cheīqǚ

19 - nîn

20 - boūngjeî

(Four) hundred - lō

(Eight) thousand - cō

Derivational morphology

Adjective → adverb = Suffix -a˥˩

Adjective → noun (the quality of being [adj]) = If starts with vowel: Prefix x-

Else: Prefix xi˧˥-

Adjective → verb (to make something [adj]) = Prefix ɤ˧-

Noun → adjective (having the quality of [noun]) = If starts with vowel: Prefix k-

Else: Prefix ky˧-

Noun → adjective relating to noun (e.g. economy → economic) = If ends with vowel: Suffix -nxou̯˧˥

Else: Suffix -ɛ˧˥nxou̯˧˥

Noun to verb = If starts with vowel: Prefix n-

Else: Prefix no˧-

Verb → adjective (result of doing [verb]) = Suffix -ei̯˥˩

Tending to = Prefix i˧-

Verb → noun (the act of [verb]) = If ends with vowel: Suffix -ŋkwi˧˥

Else: Suffix -ai̯˥ŋkwi˧˥

Verb → noun that verb produces (e.g. know → knowledge) = Suffix -i˥n

One who [verb]s (e.g. paint → painter) = If ends with vowel: Suffix -ŋ

Else: Suffix -ai̯˥ŋ

Place of (e.g. wine → winery) = If starts with vowel: Prefix ʈʂ-

Else: Prefix ʈʂy˨˩˦-

Diminutive = If ends with vowel: Suffix -ŋly˨˩˦

Else: Suffix -ɛ˥ŋly˨˩˦

Augmentative = If ends with vowel: Suffix -ʐ

Else: Suffix -i˧ʐ

Geographical Distribution

This language and its many varied dialects are used across Ofica and Iamea

The Difficulties of Translation

Dictionary

3096 Words.

Jiao, or more accurately, Zheui is difficult to translate to the common tongues. There is little recognition of gender; instead, sentence structure refers to whether or not the nouns are animate or inanimate, and some of the rules don’t apply universally. Further, there are many vastly different words that are expressed with the same syllable, but only tonally different. The language requires context even in reading, and there are tales of Laws being misinterpreted to interesting effect.

Additional Details

[h1]The Difficulties of Translation[/h1]

Natively known as:zhueǐ/ʈʂwei̯˧˥/ #

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Derivational morphology #

Geographical Distribution #

Table of Contents #

The Difficulties of Translation #

Dictionary #

Additional Details #

Natively known as:zhueǐ/ʈʂwei̯˧˥/

Spelling & Phonology

Grammar

Articles

Articles

Articles

Articles

Determiners

Determiners

Determiners

Determiners

Aspect particles

Definiteness particles

Case particles

Gender particles

Mood particles

Number particles

Person particles

Tense particles

Voice particles

Pronouns

Pronouns

Pronouns

Pronouns

Noun gender

Noun definiteness

Noun number

Verb mood

Numbers

Derivational morphology

Geographical Distribution

Table of Contents

The Difficulties of Translation

Dictionary

Additional Details