View source for Ariven

'''Ariven''' is the ancestral language of the [[Elves#Light Elves|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.

== Names ==
Ariven names interact with the language's phonotactics as well as the unique nature of [[Elves#Light Elf Gender|Light Elf gender]]. Some example names are given below to provide an overall feel for what these names are like.
{| class="wikitable"
! colspan="2" |Dawn Names
! colspan="2" |Daylight Names
! colspan="2" |Dusk Names
! colspan="2" |Midnight Names
|-
!Name
!Meaning
!Name
!Meaning
!Name
!Meaning
!Name
!Meaning
|-
|Elinel
|dewdrop
|Arnas
|fire
|Fanalor
|autumn
|Aradun
|hero
|-
|Sirelin
|birdsong
|Darinar
|blaze
|Uranon
|harvest
|Marus
|dream
|-
|Terine
|morning
|Carana
|grassland
|Nolunor
|wisdom
|Unarun
|wish
|-
|Cirile
|spark
|Aria
|light
|Vanuros
|silence
|Umun
|memory
|-
|Cilpe
|seed
|Cintalna
|summer
|Sulano
|evening
|Orunur
|patience
|}

== Phonology ==

=== Consonants ===
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;"
!
!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 ===
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;"
!
!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 ==
{| class="wikitable"
|Mer-r-in
|risil
|tecitar-en
|cirte
|sormun-ar-un.
|-
|Person-PL-DEF
|Wryth-GEN
|writing-OBJ
|first
|invent-PL-PST
|-
| colspan="2" |The people of Wryth
| colspan="3" |were the first to invent writing.
|}

== Vocabulary ==
{| class="wikitable sortable"
!Word
!POS
!Definition
|-
|arna
|n
|fire
|-
|cilpe
|n
|seed
|-
|cirile
|n
|spark
|-
|delgar
|n
|land / earth / world / platform
|-
|delga
|v
|to hold up / support / lift
|-
|ilne
|n
|water
|-
|lin
|n
|song
|-
|minta
|n
|tree
|-
|milna
|v
|to grow
|-
|mer
|n
|person
|-
|pelar
|n
|letter / symbol / rune
|-
|pela
|v
|to mark
|-
|ris
|n
|Wryth
|-
|sire
|n
|bird
|-
|sirelin
|n
|birdsong
|-
|sirna
|n
|leaf
|-
|sormun
|v
|to invent or conjure (cognate with ''summon'')
|-
|sormunar
|n
|invention / conjuration
|-
|tecita
|v
|to write
|-
|tecitar
|n
|writing
|}