Sêrela Language
From Sedes Draconis
Classical Sêrela is the language of literacy of the Sêrela elven nations.
Just some pieces of info that are ready, most isn't. Everything is for the Classical language, unless noted otherwise. There will be information on colloquial dialects . . . eventually.
Contents |
Phonology
Vowels
| Vowels | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| IPA | i | y | u | e | o | ɛ | ɔ | a |
| Transliteration | i | y | u | e | o | ê | ô | a |
Consonants
- Sêrela's consonants occur in three series, which are roughly speaking the "normal", "palatal", and "labial" series.
- In the "palatal" series, some of the sounds are palatal and some palatalized. The labial series is slightly more consistently labialized.
- The fit of the stops to the character of their series is not very tight.
- The labial series lacks a sibilant.
- The nasal doesn't really fit into the consonants; it can be either a consonant or a syllabic. But is sometimes to be considered a consonant in the normal series without any match in the other series. I list it there for convenience.
| Consonants | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Series 1 | k | θ | s | ɬ | ɹ | l | n |
| k | th | s | lh | r | l | n | |
| Series 2 | t | ç | ʃ | ɬʲ | j | ʎ | |
| t | ç | sh | lj | j | ll | ||
| Series 3 | p | θʷ | ɬʷ | w | lʷ | ||
| p | thw | lhw | w | lw | |||
Tones
| Tones | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tone # | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
| Description | mid-level | high-level | high-falling | low-rising |
| Transliteration | a, ê, n | ã, ễ, ñ | à, ề, ǹ | á, ế, ń |
- Tone description are their archetypal values. They are subject to sandhi rules.
- Tone is also the most variable aspect of Sêrela dialects.
- In Transliteration, the tone is marked on the vowel (or 'n' in the case of syllabic n), but in Sêrela Script, the tone is marked on syllable as a unit (when it is marked).
See also: Sêrela Script
Basic Grammar Notes
Declension Tables
| Nominal | Genitive | Vocative | Accusative | Pronominal Suffix | |
| Feminine | |||||
| F1 | -lã / -ilãn | -lề / -ilền | -lã | -llã / -illã | -llỗ / -ĩlln |
| F2 | -ãl / -ilãn | -ãlề / -ilền | -alã | -ềl / -ẽlln | -ẽlw / -ẽlln |
| F3 | -nê / -nen | -nềsẽ / -nĩsen | -ná | -nĩé / -nĩnè | -tĩé / -tin |
| F4 | -ôll / -ýlln | -ãlề / -ãin | -ô | -ýll / -ýlln | -jốll / -ýjõn |
| Masculine | |||||
| M1 | -lẽl / -lẽlãn | -lềlẽ / -lềlền | -lêlã | -llén / -llễljen | -llẽ / -nljin |
| M2 | -álw / -álwỗn | -álwẽ / -álùn | -álw | -alh / -ljen | -sốlh / -nljin |
| M3 | -te / -ĩçe | -tềsẽ / -tềsền | -tèn | -çĩ / -ĩçen | -çi / -ìçn |
| Neuter | |||||
| N1 | -lhôs / -lhôen | -lhôsè / -ljền | -lhôs | -ljỹsh / -ljỹshin | -llềsh / -llềshn |
| N2 | -çè / -ĩçen | -çìsẽ / -thwĩsền | -ljè | -çĩ / -ĩçen | -çi / -ìçn |
| N3 | -ñ | -nè | -ñ | -nĩç | -tèn |
- Entries are "singular / plural".
- The Vocative Case never distinguishes number.
- The 3rd neuter declension does not distinguish number in any case.
- The gender-sex correlation is strict only for personal names, for other nouns gender is not necessarily tied to biological sex.
Naming
Sêrela names follow the standard rules of morphology and inflection as other nouns in the Sêrela language.
Birth Name
At birth, infants are given a matronymic or patronymic, dependeing on the sex of the infant. Females are given matronymics and males are given patronymics. The p/matronymc is the genitive form of the parent's name. This is the only name they are given at birth.
Example: Iselune (female) and Ailel (male) have a male child. The infant is called Ailêle, "Ailel's (child)".
Twins are extremely rare among dolicocephalines, so the case of having two infants in the same family, thus both having only a parental name, is very rare. When twins are born, and they are the same sex, one is given a cross-gender parental name.
Example: If, extraordinarily, Iselune and Ailel had twins (they didn't), the second son is called Iselunêse, "Iselune's".
Given Name
At around 80-100 days, when the child's pigment is complete (See Elf), a naming day ceremony is held, and the child is given a personal name as well. The naming day ceremony also involves bringing the child into the sunlight for first time, to "meet the Sun". Infants with incomplete pigmentation are kept carefully out of direct sunlight, since it can be permamently damaging to their skin and eyes.
Example: When their son is 84 days old, Iselune and Ailel hold a naming day ceremony. He is named Sakalw; his full name is now Sakalw Ailêle, "Ailel's Sakalw".
Bond Name
In adulthood, after a the young adult's pair-bond (see Dolicocephalinae) is formally recognized, the parental name is rarely used, except in highly formal situations, or when the speaker wishes to emphasize the information. Instead, a uxori- or virinymic is used in most situations, which is the genitive of the name of the individual's bond-mate.
Example: 23 years later, Sakalw pair-bonds with an elfmaid named Erosiôll Theralê ("Theral's Erosiôll"). After the marriage ceremony, the two become Sakalw Erosialê and Erosiôll Sakalwe, "Erosiôll's Sakalw and Sakalw's Erosiôll. In highly formal situations Sakalw might be called Sakalw Erosialê Ailêle, "Erosiôll's, Ailel's, Sakalw"
Their first child, a daughter, is first Erosialê, then Atelhinê Erosialê, and finally Atelhinê Isllôtêse Erosialê
Categories: Elves | Hajasith | Languages
