riyan language 💭
the riyan language is the pride of the riyan people, with a long history of poetry and literature in a wide range of dialects.
grammar
riyan grammar has a lot in common with modern welsh, using auxiliary verbs to form even the simple present tense. it also takes some inspiration from polish and german, especially in syntax and word use.
here’s a little example that shows both the use of auxiliary for present tense as well as the extensive use of prepositions, even just to mark direct objects.
naŗ fâŗíd í-s lyr
i breathe air [lit. “i am breathing to-the air”]
quick links
- 📗dictionary spreadsheet
- 📄dictionary wiki (more nicely presented but not all words are up there yet!)
- 📘phrasebook
my personal speech
the dialect i speak with is the kuoman dialect! it’s the distinctive sound of the riyan capital city and has some pretty interesting features to its accent.
- ŗ, usually pronounced /ɣ/ elsewhere in riyana, is pronounced as [j] in most places in a word, except at the end where it’s pronounced [wˤ], giving these words a pretty distinctive quality (though non-kuomans often mock this aspect of the accent, despite being unable to replicate it easily)
- j, usually /j/ elsewhere, is pronounced as [ʒ] before a vowel (as long as it’s not right after another consonant!)
- y, usually /ɨ/ elsewhere, is pronounced [œː] in open syllables and [œʏ] in closed syllables, being another of the very distinctive sounds of the accent
and while we’re on the topic of how i speak, i thought i’d give you my riyan name!
naŗ maiŗa birne
i’m maiŗa birne
in my accent that’s [ˈmɛjɑ ˈbərnə], but you’d pretty commonly just hear the standard /ˈmɛɣa/ too