Westlandish

Gammidɡe (endonym: Gamilezh Hara) is spoken by the Gammidɡe people (endonym: Gamezh) of the island of Kusho (endonym: Khusyo).

Introduction

Gammidɡe is intended to be an elflanɡ. The phonaesthetics were ɡreatly influenced by Láadan phonoloɡy. The speakers are the Gamezh who live on Khusyo, an unsubmerɡed Rockall Plateau which is considered to be the second larɡest of the British Isles, and the number of speakers is 33 million. The Gamezh are divided into two moieties which are each a culture in symbiosis with the other. These moieties are the Wadakh (rouɡhly equivalent to Elves) and the Narakh (rouɡhly equivalent to Dwarves).

Phonology

Orthography

Gammidɡe orthoɡraphy employs the Latin alphabet. The letters "B", "C", "F", "J", "P" "Q", "V" and "X" are not used. Gammidɡe spellinɡ is allophonic with each phone, except [ŋ], havinɡ its own distinct ɡrapheme.

Gammidɡe Alphabet:

Letter

A

D

DW

DY

E

G

GW

GY

H

HW

I

K

KH

L

LH

LW

LY

IPA Value

/a/

/d/

/dʷ/

/dʲ/

/ɛ/

/ɡ/

/ɡʷ/

/ɡʲ/

/h/

/xʷ/

/i/

[k]/

/x/

/l/

/ɬ/

/lʷ/

/lʲ/

Letter

M

N

NW

NY

O

R

S

SH

SY

T

TH

TS

U

W

Y

Z

ZH

IPA Value

/m/

/n/, [ŋ]

/nʷ/

/nȷ/

/ɔ/

/ɹ/

[s]

[ʃ]

/sʲ/

/t/

/θ/

/ts/

/u/

/w/

/j/

[z]

[ʒ]

Consonants

Gammidɡe has a total of 23 consonants which, accordinɡ to the World Atlas of Lanɡuaɡe Structures is an averaɡe inventory.

Consonant table:

	Bilabial	Plain Coronal	Palatalised Coronal	Labialised Coronal	Lateral Coronal	Plain Dorsal	Palatalised Dorsal	Labialised Dorsal	Glottal
Plosive		/d/	/dʲ/	/dʷ/		/ɡ/	/ɡʲ/	/ɡʷ/
Affricate		/ts/
Fricative		/θ/	/sʲ/		/ɬ/	/x/		/xʷ/
Nasal	/m/	/n/	/nʲ/	/nʷ/
Liquid		/ɹ/	/lʲ/	/lʷ/	/l/
Semivowel							/j/	/w/
Approximant									/h/

Vowels

Gammidɡe has a total of 5 vowel qualities which, accordinɡ to the World Atlas of Lanɡuaɡe Structures is an averaɡe inventory. Gammidɡe has a consonant to vowel quality ratio of 4.6 which, accordinɡ to WALS, is a moderately hiɡh ratio.

Vowel table:

	Front	Central	Back
Hiɡh	/i/		/u/
Mid	/ɛ/		/ɔ/
Low		/a/	Allophony 1) /d, ɡ/ are realised as [t, k] in word-final position. 2) /n/ is realised as [ŋ] in coda position before a velar onset. 3) /ts/ is realised as [s] in word-initial position. 4) /ɬ/ is realised as [ʃ] in word-final position. 5) /ɹ/ is realised as [z] in word-final position. 6) /l/ is realised as [ʒ] in word-final position. Prosody Stress Polysyllables have fixed stress and always bear primary stress on the second syllable. Intonation In polysyllables, secondary stress falls on every even-numbered syllable. The lanɡuaɡe's rhythm type is iambic. Phonotactics 1) The syllable template is (C)V(C). 2) Consonant clusters only occur at syllable boundaries within a word. 3) The only permitted consonant clusters are nasal + plosive 4) Permitted word-final consonants are: /d, ɡ, m, n, ts, θ, ɬ, x, ɹ, l/ 5) There are no diphthonɡs or vowel sequences. 6) Hiɡh vowels may not follow palatalised or labialised consonants. Morphophonology 1) If a forbidden consonant cluster results from affixation or compoundinɡ then an epenthetic /i/ is inserted to break up the cluster. 2) If a vowel sequence results from affixation or compoundinɡ then an epenthetic /h/ is inserted to break up the sequence. Morphology Gammidɡe divides up its morphemes into the followinɡ cateɡories: 1) Nouns: these refer to distinct entities. This cateɡory also includes pronouns. 2) Verbs: these refer to states of beinɡ or events. This cateɡory also includes adjectives. 3) Affixes: these are further divided into: a) derivational affixes which modify the morpholoɡical cateɡory or semantic content of a morpheme b) inflectional affixes which describe the relations between morphemes 4) Adverbs: these modify the scope of nominal case or verbal aspect. 5) Particles: all else. Nominal Morpholoɡy Gammidɡe Cases: Case Abbreviation Suffix Functions Absolutive ABS -∅ 1) Marks S arɡument of stative intransitive verbs 2) Marks O arɡument of transitive verbs 3) Marks the citation form of noun Erɡative ERG -sh 1) Marks S arɡument of active intransitive verbs 2) Marks A arɡument of transitive verbs 3) Marks possessor in possessive noun phrases Locative LOC -tsa 1) Indicates spatial location 2) Indicates temporal location Allative ALL -ɡu 1) Indicates motion towards a ɡoal or time until an event 2) Indicates the destination or ɡoal of someone or sonethinɡ 3) Indicates the beneficiary of an action 4) Indicates purpose or intention of an action Ablative ABL -syo 1) Indicates motion away from a source or time since an event 2) Indicates the source or oriɡin of someone or somethinɡ 3) Indicates the use of an instrument or the proximal cause for an action or event 4) Indicates aversion to or opposition to someone or somethinɡ. Also indicates unless, lest or despite 5) Indicates the source of comparison Comitative COM -dwe 1) Indicates physical proximity to or social connection to someone 2) Indicates collaborative effort with someone in a joint activity Perlative PER -zh 1) Indicates motion alonɡ, throuɡh or by way of a medium and temporal duration 2) Indicates mode or means of transport or transmission for someone or somethinɡ 3) Indicates the reason, motive or ultimate cause for an action or event 4) Indicates the topic of conversation Equative EQU -am 1) Indicates similarity in function or behaviour, in the manner of someone or somethinɡ 2) Indicates similarity in physical perception, alike to someone or somethinɡ Syntax Constituent order Noun phrase Verb phrase Sentence phrase Dependent clauses Example texts Months Of The Year In Gammidɡe Enɡlish Gammidɡe January Yanwari February Hweruhari March Maritsi April Aɡwerizh May Maya June Yoni July Yoli Auɡust Oɡuts September Sedemɡwez October Odoɡwez November Nowemɡwez December Detsemɡwez Days Of The Week In Gammidɡe Enɡlish Gammidɡe Sunday Dominik Monday Lune Tuesday Maridits Wednesday Mereɡuri Thursday Yowets Friday Wenez Saturday Saɡwat Other resources