Azkali language: Difference between revisions

{{Infobox:Language|Speakers=31.8 million|LanguageFamily=Language isolate|AlternativeName=|LanguageName=Azkali|NativeLanguage=Azkali Patua|LanguageNPrnnctn=[æs̻.'kali pa.tu.'a]|RegulatedBy=None|OfficialLanguage=[[Azkali]], [[Baphia]], Sunterian province of [[Kalilonde]]|3LetterCode=AZK|SignedForms=[[Azkali Sign Language]]|WritingSystem=[[Azkali alphabet]] [[Ukilen logographs]]}}'''Azkali''' (''Azkali, Azkali Patua'' /as.kali/, [æs̻.'kali pa.tu.'a]) is a language spoken throughout much of the continents of [[Ukilen]] and [[Brausia]], and across much of the rest of the world. It is the official language of [[Azkali]], also being an official language in [[Baphia]] and the Sunterian province of Kalilonde. In addition it is also a minority language throughout much of [[Sunteria]], [[Jkawi]], [[Loremesia]], and [[Alloti]]. A majority of the speakers of the Azkali language reside outside of [[Azkali]], primarily due to immigration following the [[1980 Azkali Plague|1980 plague]] outbreak.  

The origins of the Azkali language are disputed. The leading theory is that Azkali originated in southeast Baphia, and that speakers of Proto-Azkali migrated south into the [[Azkali peninsula]]. The date of this hypothesized migration is unclear - however, most estimates place it as being approximately nine thousand years ago. There are other theories that have been proposed for Proto-Azkali's origins, most notably the Zuvia conondrum, positing an origin in Zuvia, which would supposedly explain the similiarity of some words between Proto-Azkali and Proto-Mallo-Brausian, and the Brausian hypothesis, positing an origin in northern Brausia. All of these theories have substantial proof supporting them, but the hypothesis with the most is the Baphian hypothesis  

The oldest example of the Azkali language being written is from around 5000 BCE, in an ancient form of what is believed to be the [[Azkali alphabet]]. If the date is correct, this would make the Azkali alphabet one of the oldest extant writing systems in the world.

=== Proto-Azkali (8000-6000 BCE) ===

See main article: ''[[Proto-Azkali language]]''

According to most analyses, Azkali has a modest vowel system of five vowels, notably including the lack of a rounded back mid vowel, instead being unrounded. The estimated number of allophones of these vowels is between ten and twelve, though some dialects have as many as fifteen. Some analyses posit these allophones as phonemic, possibly making Azkali the language with one of the largest vowel systems in the world. The chart shown below describes the Southern Azkali, Eastern Azkali, and Chekearoa dialect vowels, as well as the vowels of Standard Azkali.

|+Standard Azkali vowels

!Close

!Front

The pronunciation of these vowels changes depending on the phonological environment that surrounds it. The following is a list of most allophonic variation in regards to vowels:

* Word initially, /i/ is pronounced as /ɪ/. The sole exception to this rule that can be found is ironically the word ''azkali''.

* Word initially, /a/ is pronounced as /æ/.

* Word finally, /a/ is pronounced as either a schwa, or occasionally it is not said at all.

* /e/, when followed by /t̪s̻/, /t̺s̺/, /s̻/, /s̺/, /θ/, and /ð/, is pronounced as /ɛ/.

* Word initially, or before /k/, /u/ is pronounced as /ʊ̜/, i.e a less rounded (or sometimes completely unrounded) pronunciation of /ʊ/.

* '''continue later I'm lazy'''

! rowspan="2" |'''Bilabial'''

! colspan="2" |'''Alveolar'''

! rowspan="2" |'''Dental'''

! rowspan="2" |'''Palatal'''

! rowspan="2" |'''Velar'''

! rowspan="2" |'''Glottal'''

! colspan="2" |'''Nasal'''

! colspan="2" |'''Plosive'''

! colspan="2" |'''Affricate'''

! rowspan="2" |'''Fricative'''

|'''dh'''

! colspan="2" |'''Approximant'''

! colspan="2" |'''Tap'''

The Azkali consonant system is characterized by (1) four nasal phonemes, two of which, the voiced palatal and velar nasals (marked in parentheses in the above table), are fairly uncommon; (2) in most dialects, the lack of voiced stop altogether; (3) in about half of all dialects, the presence of the voiced velar lateral affricate /ɡʟ̝/, an extremely rare phoneme, in the place of a voiced velar stop; (4) the existence of a distinction between lamino-dental and apico-alveolar voiceless sibilant fricatives; (5) the existence of voiceless and voiced dental fricatives; and (6), the distinction between the voiced labialized post-alveolar approximant and the voiced alveolar tap.

Azkali is usually considered an agglunative language, though its verbs are fusionally constructed. Azkali nouns are constructed much more agglutinatively than verbs; for example, the noun ''[[Anakimateyagezereketara (song)|anakimateyagezereketara]]'' means "accomplished with the great relatives", or "with the help of the great relatives"; this can be broken down as ''a-(n)-akimateya-gez-(e)-rek-(e)-tar-a'', where:

 

Azkali is a ''strictly'' subject-verb-object language, contrasting with its neighboring Mallo-Brausian and Paleo-Azkali languages. Pronouns are never deleted, even when they are clear by context; as such, Azkali is classified as an anti [[w:Pro-drop_language|pro-drop language]]. The lack of deleting pronouns when they are clear by context is a relatively new phenomena, caused by the drastic simplification of Azkali conjugation between the 1900s and 2000s. Azkali frequently employs [[w:Serial_verb_construction|serial verb constructions]], especially in cases in which the verbs occur as a part of the same larger action, or if they occur simultaneously.

 

Azkali is primarily a head-initial language. Azkali nouns go before adjectives, auxiliary verbs go before main verbs, and possesses go before possessors. Notably, Azkali uses a combination of postpositions and prepositions, with prepositions predominating. Further still, a number of prepositions fuse with the noun they modify.  

== Dialects ==