A language from an alternate
history where the Azores covered 16 islands rather than 9, and there were a
handful of more islands scattered across the North Atlantic – a cluster just
south of Iceland, and the Seewarte Seamounts just west of the Canaries. The
first colonists of these new islands were pre-Indo-Europeans in 4000-3000 BC,
perhaps fleeing from invasion by Indo-European settlers in Spain, soon followed
by scattered sailors from West Africa and Britain. Over time, as various tribes
and groups developed on the islands and occasionally fought, writing, metalwork
and civilisation developed (perhaps imported by mainland settlers too), and by
1200 BC a complex society had solidified in the eastern islands. After uniting
the archipelago, the Kacachwey rulers, from their capital on Sao Miguel,
presided over a “golden age” of their people from 900-100 BC – Greek,
Carthaginian and even Roman sailors recorded encounters with their ships, and
the Kacachwey themselves maintained a library which detailed colonisation of
Madeira, Seewarte and the Canaries, and expeditions to Iceland, North America,
Ireland and Spain.
However, by the early 1st
millennium, their civilisation was deep in decline, and by the time Spanish,
Portuguese and Berber ships reached their former empire, they found only
scattered tribes with a technological level equivalent to the Bronze Age, and
so were conquered. It was not until far later that these islands would be able
to gain self-determination from the mainland countries, and the language
described here is merely a descendant of the old language used in the Kacachwey
times. This modern tongue is spoken across the archipelago, as a remnant of the
empire, but has some dialectal variations.
1: Modern orthography
The orthography used here is a
fusion of those used by Portuguese explorers, and modern innovations on them.
The tilde indicates dialectal variations around certain regions.
A a
|
/a/
|
Gh gh
|
/ɟ/
|
N n
|
/n/
|
T t
|
/t/
|
B b
|
/b/
|
I i
|
/i/
|
Nh nh
|
/ɲ/
|
U u
|
/u/
|
C c
|
/t͡ɕ/
|
J j
|
/χ~ħ/
|
Ng ng
|
/ŋ/
|
Ũ ũ
|
/y/
|
Ch ch
|
/ɕ/
|
K k
|
/k~q/
|
O o
|
/o/
|
W w
|
/w~ʍ/
|
Ç ç
|
/t͡θ/
|
Kh kh
|
/c/
|
Õ õ
|
/ɤ~ə/
|
Y y
|
/j/
|
D d
|
/d/
|
L l
|
/l/
|
P p
|
/p/
|
Z z
|
/z/
|
E e
|
/ɛ/
|
Ll ll
|
/ɬ/
|
R r
|
/ɾ/
|
Z̧ z̧
|
/d͡ð/
|
G g
|
/g/
|
M m
|
/m/
|
S s
|
/s/
|
2.1: Verb classes & infinitive/present
gerund endings
There are three classes of verb
in Azorean:
-
Intransitive:
verbs which do not take a direct object, such as “I wake up” or “I run”. Often,
these are verbs of motion, but include others. These can be inflected for the
subject, and 4 tenses: present, past, hypothetical and questioning
-
Transitive:
verbs which take a subject and direct object, such as “I carry”. These can be
inflected for subject and direct object pronouns, and the same tenses as
intransitive verbs
-
Stative:
verbs which are concerned with permanent locations, such as “I sit” or “I rest”,
or a state of being, such as “I become”. These take subject inflections like
intransitive verbs, and an additional conditional tense
These verbs take a variety of
suffixes in the infinitive which are broken into two categories – “-nh”/”-ng”
(Type 1) and “-aw”/”-õw” (Type 2) – and distributed evenly across the verb
groups, except for stative verbs, which only occur in Type 1.
With modal verbs (e.g. “to want”,
“to need to”), the prefix “da-“ can be added to the infinitive of the verb, to
distinguish it from a gerund with a distinct meaning. Transitive verbs take
three infinitives, for each subject –e.g. “to carry me”, “to carry you” and “to
carry him/her”.
2.2: Type 1 verb conjugations
Intransitive verb = “tanh” –
“to run”
|
Present
|
Past
|
Hypothetical
|
Questioning
|
1st sg.
|
Tarõ
|
Tarõk
|
Etar
|
Taran
|
2nd sg.
|
Ta
|
Tayk
|
Etay
|
Tanan
|
3rd sg.
|
Takh
|
Takhik
|
Etagh
|
Takhan
|
1st pl.
|
Tare
|
Tareke
|
Etare
|
Tarin
|
2nd pl.
|
Taũ
|
Taũka
|
Etau
|
Taũn
|
3rd pl.
|
Talle
|
Talleke
|
Etall
|
Tallen
|
Transitive verb: giçinh – to carry (2nd
infinitive: giçinhi, 3rd infinitive: giçinhel)
Subj.
|
Present
|
Past
|
Hypothetical
|
Questioning
|
|
1st person obj.
|
1st sg.
|
Giçirõ
|
Giçirõk
|
Egiçir
|
Giçiran
|
2nd sg.
|
Giçi
|
Giçik
|
Egiçi
|
Giçinan
|
|
3rd sg.
|
Giçikh
|
Giçikhik
|
Egiçigh
|
Giçikhan
|
|
1st pl.
|
Giçire
|
Giçireke
|
Egiçire
|
Giçirin
|
|
2nd pl.
|
Giçũ(-vowel-ũ)
|
Giçũka
|
Egiçu
|
Giçũn
|
|
3rd pl.
|
Giçille
|
Giçilleke
|
Egiçille
|
Giçillen
|
|
2nd person obj.
|
1st sg.
|
Giçiroy
|
Giçirõki
|
Egiçiri
|
Giçirani
|
2nd sg.
|
Giçiey
|
Giçiki
|
Egiçi
|
Giçinani
|
|
3rd sg.
|
Giçikhey
|
Giçikhiki
|
Egiçighi
|
Giçikhani
|
|
1st pl.
|
Giçirey
|
Giçireki
|
Egiçirey
|
Giçirini
|
|
2nd pl.
|
Giçũy
|
Giçũki
|
Egiçuy
|
Giçũni
|
|
3rd pl.
|
Giçilley
|
Giçilleki
|
Egiçilli
|
Giçilleni
|
|
3rd person obj.
|
1st sg.
|
Giçirõl
|
Giçirõkal
|
Egiçiral
|
Giçiranal
|
2nd sg.
|
Giçil
|
Giçikal
|
Egiç(i)al
|
Giçinanal
|
|
3rd sg.
|
Giçikhil
|
Giçikhikal
|
Egiçighal
|
Giçikhanal
|
|
1st pl.
|
Giçirel
|
Giçirekel
|
Egiçirel
|
Giçirinil
|
|
2nd pl.
|
Giçũl
|
Giçũkal
|
Egiçul
|
Giçũnũl
|
|
3rd pl.
|
Giçillel
|
Giçillekel
|
Egiçillel
|
Giçillenel
|
Stative verb: “edang” = “to
feel”
|
Present
|
Past
|
Hypothetical
|
Questioning
|
Conditional
|
1st sg.
|
Edaro
|
Edarok
|
Eyedar
|
Edaran
|
Edaroch
|
2nd sg.
|
Eda
|
Edayk
|
Eyeday
|
Edanan
|
Edach
|
3rd sg.
|
Edakh
|
Edakhik
|
Eyedakh
|
Edakhan
|
Edakhach
|
1st pl.
|
Edare
|
Edareke
|
Eyedare
|
Edarin
|
Edarich
|
2nd pl.
|
Edau
|
Edauka
|
Eyedau
|
Edaun
|
Edauch
|
3rd pl.
|
Edalle
|
Edalleke
|
Eydall
|
Edallen
|
Edallech
|
2.3: Type 2 verb
conjugations
Intransitive: “oraw” = “to
look” (“to see”)
|
Present
|
Past
|
Hypothetical
|
Questioning
|
1st sg.
|
Orat
|
Ortok
|
Yorat
|
Ortan
|
2nd sg.
|
Ora
|
Orayk
|
Yora
|
Ornan
|
3rd sg.
|
Orak
|
Orkok
|
Yorak
|
Orkan
|
1st pl.
|
Oraçe
|
Orçek
|
Yoraçe
|
Orçen
|
2nd pl.
|
Orũ
|
Orũk
|
Yorũ
|
Orũn
|
3rd pl.
|
Oralle
|
Orallek
|
Yoralle
|
Orallen
|
Transitive “golaw” = “to join with” (2nd
infinitive: “golawi”, 3rd infinitive: “golawk”)
Subj.
|
Present
|
Past
|
Hypothetical
|
Questioning
|
|
1st person obj.
|
1st sg.
|
Golat
|
Goltok
|
Igolat
|
Goltan
|
2nd sg.
|
Gola
|
Golayk
|
Igola
|
Golnan
|
|
3rd sg.
|
Golak
|
Golkok
|
Igolak
|
Golkan
|
|
1st pl.
|
Golaçe
|
Golçok
|
Igolaçe
|
Golçen
|
|
2nd pl.
|
Golũ
|
Golũk
|
Igolũ
|
Golũn
|
|
3rd pl.
|
Golalle
|
Golallek
|
Igolalle
|
Golallen
|
|
2nd person obj.
|
1st sg.
|
Golati
|
Goltoki
|
Igolati
|
Goltani
|
2nd sg.
|
Golay
|
Golayki
|
Igolay
|
Golnani
|
|
3rd sg.
|
Golaki
|
Golkoki
|
Igolaki
|
Golkani
|
|
1st pl.
|
Golaçey
|
Golçoki
|
Igolaçey
|
Golçeni
|
|
2nd pl.
|
Golũy
|
Golũki
|
Igolũy
|
Golũni
|
|
3rd pl.
|
Golalley
|
Golalleki
|
Igolalley
|
Golalleni
|
|
3rd person obj.
|
1st sg.
|
Golatak
|
Goltokak
|
Igolatak
|
Goltanak
|
2nd sg.
|
Golawak
|
Golaykak
|
Igolawak
|
Golnanak
|
|
3rd sg.
|
Golakak
|
Golkokak
|
Igolakak
|
Golkanak
|
|
1st pl.
|
Golaçek
|
Golçokak
|
Igolaçek
|
Golçenak
|
|
2nd pl.
|
Golũyek
|
Golũkak
|
Igolũyek
|
Golũnak
|
|
3rd pl.
|
Golalleyek
|
Golallekak
|
Igolalleyek
|
Golallenak
|
“May” comes before the subject
noun to indicate a negative sentence.
2.4: Irregular verb : Inh – to be
Of course, some verbs take
completely irregular conjugations, such as “inh”, the verb “to be” or “to
become”, a stative verb:
Present
|
Past
|
Immediate future
|
Hypothetical/conditional
|
|
1st sg.
|
Yer
|
Yerak
|
Rey
|
Eyer
|
2nd sg.
|
I
|
Iyak
|
Iye
|
Ey
|
3rd sg.
|
Ikh
|
Ikhak
|
Khõ
|
Ekh
|
1st pl.
|
Yere
|
Yerek
|
Rayey
|
Eyere
|
2nd pl.
|
I
|
Iyak
|
Iye
|
Ey
|
3rd pl.
|
Ike
|
Ikek
|
Kõ
|
Eke
|
When intransitive, “inh” can mean
“to have” e.g. book.ERG 1st.sg.ALL be.3rd.sg.pres – liwora dal ikh – I have a
book
3.1: Sentence structure and questions
Although due to declension any
sentence order is possible, the conventional order is SOV, for all kinds of
statements. The sentence order can be modified to indicate definiteness – for
example, if the object is more relevant to the speaker, it can come before the
Questions of established facts
(e.g. “did you make that?”) are marked with “õi” at the end of the sentence,
except in formal situations, where “ono” comes at the start of the sentence
instead. Asking “what” or “where” are marked with the aforementioned
questioning verb tense – the only distinction between “what” and “who”
generally depends on which verb is used, for example, “to make what” or “to
know (a person) who”; however, verbs like “to see” that can take either specify
with the noun for “person”(“khal”) at the start of the sentence. “Why” (“for
what cause”) is shown with “oti” before the sentence.
“Which x” is shown by placing the x-noun at the start of the sentence,
declined or with a postposition if necessary – thus, “where” and “when” are
shown with “place” and “(on) occurrence”.
4.1: Noun endings and cases
There are 11 noun cases:
-
Nominative:
the subject of a transitive verb
-
Ergative/Accusative:
the direct object of a transitive verb, and subject of an intransitive verb
-
Allative:
“towards”, “as far as”
-
Ablative:
“out of”, “away from” (as a form of “of” e.g. “the king of Spain”)
-
Partitive:
“forming part of” (as a form of “of”, e.g. “the head of the man”)
-
Benefactive:
“for”, “on behalf of”, “to” (in some contexts “I gave him a gift”)
-
Instrumental:
“with”, “by using”
-
Inessive:
“within”, “among”
-
Subessive:
“underneath”
-
Superessive:
“on”, “over”
Any noun ending in the nominative
is theoretically possible, and all nouns, save for the names of islands and
geographical regions, take the same declension pattern. For consonants, when
pronounciations clash, the vowel “-o-“ is inserted between the fixed consonant
ending and the declined ending. Other changes are noted below (those in bold
are always the same):
Example: Liworo – book
Sing
|
Plu
|
|
Nom
|
Liworo
|
Liworom
|
Erg
|
Liwora1
|
Liworol
|
All
|
Liworok
|
Liworkom
|
Abl
|
Liworoy2
|
Liworyom2
|
Par
|
Liworter
|
Liwortrom
|
Ben
|
Liworach3
|
Liworchom
|
Ins
|
Liworonit
|
Liworntom
|
Ine
|
Liworoç
|
Liworçom
|
Sub
|
Liworoniz̧
|
Liwornz̧om
|
Sup
|
Liworod
|
Liwordom
|
1Nouns ending in “-a” in the nominative
instead end in “-e” here.
2Nouns ending in “-i” in the nominative end in
“-ya” in the singular, and “-yom” in the plural.
3Always “-a”, regardless of nominative
endings.
The article “da” comes after a
noun to mean “because of”.
4.2: Geographical nouns
Nouns referencing geographical
areas are generally suffixed in “-at” (“-ant” in plural), such as “õchkorat”,
referring to the Iberian peninsula and colloquially Europe, or “kaçarant”,
referring to the Azorean islands. To describe a person from this region, the
“-t” is removed and replaced with “-ghal” e.g. “kaçaranghal” – Azorean person.
Some named locations, such as city names, or the noun for “city” itself
(“ene”), do not obey these rules, but some geographical features, such as
“derat” (“river”) do.
Geographical nouns are modified
for case with the article “war”, which often translates to “here”, “nearby”, or
on the subject. It is declined thus:
-
Nom: war
-
Erg: ra
-
Abl: wari
-
All: rak
-
Par: water
-
Ben: warch
-
Ins: warnit
-
Ine: warç
-
Sub: warniz̧
-
Sup: wad
“Llar” (erg “llera”) can be used
to refer to a more distant or vast area.
5.1: Adjectives & adverbs
Adjectives are generally
uninflected, and always come before the relevant noun – however, a few
adjectives, such as colours, are inflected for the last three cases identically
in the singular and plural, in the same manner as a singular noun. Present
participles, among the latter class of adjectives, are formed by removing the
verb ending and adding “-lan”, while passive participles are formed with the
prefix “sa-“.
Adverbs are formed with the
suffix “-tek”, and “da” is placed before them to show a superlative.
5.2: Possessive and general pronouns
Nominative pronouns are no longer
in use – their counterparts have instead become possessive adjectives. However,
pronouns in all cases except ablative and partitive exist:
Pos
|
Erg
|
All
|
Ben
|
Ins
|
Ine
|
Sub
|
Sup
|
|
1st sg
|
De
|
Dau
|
Di
|
Dech
|
Denit
|
Deç
|
Deniz̧
|
Ded
|
2nd sg
|
Se
|
Sau
|
Si
|
Sich
|
Sinit
|
Siç
|
Siniz̧
|
Sid
|
3rd sg (an/inan)
|
A/wa
|
Au/Ũ
|
Ay/uy
|
Ach/uch
|
Anit/unit
|
Aç/Uç
|
Aniz̧/uniz̧
|
Ad/ud
|
1st pl
|
Ha
|
Hu
|
Hem
|
Hich
|
Hinit
|
Hiç
|
Hiniz̧
|
Hid
|
2nd pl
|
Sal
|
Selu
|
Selem
|
Selich
|
Senit
|
Seliç
|
Seniz̧
|
Selid
|
3rd pl
|
Nak
|
Neku
|
Nem
|
Nech
|
Nenit
|
Neç
|
Neniz̧
|
Ned
|
5.3: Numbers
1-
Ça
2-
Wi
3-
Llor
4-
Llonũ
5-
Das
6-
Koy
7-
Anc
8-
Archa
9-
Eyu
10-
Llart
11-
Llarça
12-
Llartwi
13-
Llartallor
(from here until 20, “-a-“ comes between “llart” and the number)
20- Bicht
21- Ça bicht
30- Llorillt
40- Llonũnillt
50- Dasillt
60- Koyillt
70- Ancillt
80-
Archanillt
90- Eyunillt
100- Çarang
