Ariven
From Delgar
Ariven is the ancestral language of the Light Elves. Once spoken primarily in the glittering cities of the Elvari Union, Ariven is now spoken almost exclusively among the Light Elven diaspora within the Araxian Empire and beyond.
Phonology
Consonants
| Labial | Alveolar | Velar | Glottal | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nasal | m | n | /ng/ (ŋ) | |
| Stop | p, b | t, d | k, g | |
| Fricative | f, v | s | h | |
| Tap/Flap | /r/ (ɾ) | |||
| Semivowel | w | |||
| Liquid | l |
Note: ng occurs only between n and g or n and k.
Vowels
| Front | Central | Back | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Close | i | u | |
| Mid | e | o | |
| Open | a |
Note: Ariven features front/back vowel harmony, with a being considered neutral.
Phonotactics
Ariven has a generally (C)V(r/l/n/s) structure.
Grammar
SOV word order
(TODO)
Example
| Mer-r-in | risil | tecitar-en | cirte | sormun-ar-un. |
| Person-PL-DEF | Wryth-GEN | writing-OBJ | first | invent-PL-PST |
| The people of Wryth | were the first to invent writing. | |||
Vocabulary
| Word | POS | Definition |
|---|---|---|
| arna | n | fire |
| cilpe | n | seed |
| delgar | n | land / earth / world / platform |
| delga | v | to hold up / support / lift |
| ilne | n | water |
| minta | n | tree |
| milna | v | to grow |
| mer | n | person |
| pelar | n | letter / symbol / rune |
| pela | v | to mark |
| ris | n | Wryth |
| sirna | n | leaf |
| sormun | v | to invent or conjure (cognate with summon) |
| sormunar | n | invention / conjuration |
| tecita | v | to write |
| tecitar | n | writing |