But I have been conlanging. It helps me catch those tiny details that have the potential to create major plot holes in the process of writing my novel. And since I'm very easy to bore, I began developing an entirely new language during the plane flights to and from New York. It's called Nunevati.
About Nunevati
Nunevati is a language spoken by the Nunevati people who inhabit the frozen north of Rijavvid, known as Nunevatia. Nunevatia is the only province of Rijavvid without a central Rijan government or even a Rijan religious majority, the result of the repeated failure of attempts to colonize and "civilize" the "savage" and "barbaric" Nunevati people. Because of this, Nunevatia is a haven for political and religious dissenters, and is used as a penal colony for those who find themselves on the wrong side of Rijan law.
Contrary to what Rijan anti-Nunevati propaganda would have you believe, Nunevati society is peaceful and very civilized, designed as the true utopia to counter Rijavvid's dystopia. Despite having a central government, much of the legislation passed in the province is done so by popular demand. There is a class system, but its design is a lateral one, based on function rather than an inherent hierarchy, and thus, is largely egalitarian.
The Nunevati people value knowledge and wisdom most highly, as it is the only way to truly better society and the world as a whole. The Nunevati language reflects this, and is designed with the purpose of enlightened discourse foremost in mind. This being said, the real reason I began Nunevati is because it is the biggest linguistic challenge I have undertaken to date, being the most complex language I ever have, and probably ever will, create.
Gender of Nouns
The vast majority of natural languages (and even most constructed languages) have a simple, sex-based gender system for nouns and adjectives, composed of the categories "masculine," "feminine," and often "neuter." (Languages such as English and Spanish, in order to further simplify things, have largely omitted the latter category.) Taking a page from the Native American languages described by John Wesley Powell in his On the Origin of Language, I decided to spice things up a bit. Therefore, Nunevati categorizes noun gender based on the sentience of the noun in question, rather than the inherent sex (or lack thereof). The gender categories are as follows, named for my own convenience rather than any desire to actually name them:
- Sentient, which actually refers to all living things. The Nunevati believe that all things which are alive are sentient. The "sentient" category is further subdivided into three groups:
- Sentient-locomotive, or "sentient-mobile," encompasses all living beings that are capable of locomotion, including humans (both men and women fit into the same gender category, which necessitates the use of different prefixes for "man" and "woman," but more on that later).
- Sentient-non-locomotive, or "sentient-sessile," living beings incapable of locomotion, such as plants and some mollusks.
- Sentient-abstract, which contains concepts which are not necessarily alive nor even tangible. The word for "God" fits into this category, along with "Love," "Death," "War," and "Hatred."
- Non-sentient, which is home to all other nouns and inanimate objects.
Gender Suffixes
Sentient
- Mobile: -aff
- Sessile: -ama
- Abstract: -az
Non-sentient: -erra
Examples
Love amataz
Human emanaff
Man lo'emanaff
Woman la'emanaff
Pig zaniaff
Broom eskerra
House kasaverra
Death Moriaz
God Jumaz
Tree mevama
In addition, adding the suffix 'ka will make a noun plural.
Pronouns
1st person-singular: Au-
1st person-plural: Vira-
2nd person-singular: Voth-
2nd person-plural: Vozhe-
3rd person-singular: Makh-
3rd person-plural: Mannah-
Pronouns are always capitalized. Pronouns also carry suffixes; if the noun to which the pronoun is referring is an idea, for example, the pronoun would be "Makhaz."
Levels of Intensity of Statements
And now we get to the fun part. This is why I call Nunevati my personal "Oh God, why?" language. This is tricky for people to grasp because the grammar of the sentence doesn't factor into the equation when determining level of intensity--the content is what matters.
There are seven different "levels of intensity" for declarative sentences (three positive, three negative, and one neutral), as well as one level apiece for imperative and interrogative sentences.
Denoting each level of intensity is a suffix that every conjugated verb in the statement must carry, regardless of whether or not it is the "main verb." Suffixes set apart from the intensity suffixes with an apostrophe, such as 'mai and 'tai, denote tense. 'Mai is conditional, while 'tai is preterite, for example.
Declarative Sentences
1st Level--for strongly negative emotions and opinions; the first level is the highest level on the intensity spectrum that a negative statement can attain.
Suffix: -yirah
Makhaz eveyirah'tai ma haarakhaz luka inzeh ma yaamzehkaz nai ma Segway.
("That was the worst idea since the advent of the Segway.")
2nd Level--a somewhat weaker level of intensity for negative sentences.
Suffix: -ahm
Em Auhaff nekt'weldeahm'mai eym gohnerra, perchaziaz'ka nekt'eveyahm konstituazka.
("Although I would never carry a gun, restrictions on firearms are not constitutional.")
3rd Level--more neutral, but still decidedly negative.
Suffix: -oira
Ma sakyerra evehoira'tai sakmaltaz, aak Makherra evehoira'mai godmanerra.
("The food was edible, but it could have been better.")
4th Level--neither positive nor negative; for truly neutral statements.
Suffix: -aula
Auhaff nekt'teneyaula ninka malahaz ein ma taalaz ninvah.
("I have no opinion on the matter whatsoever.")
5th Level--more neutral, but still decidedly positive.
Suffix: -lykta
Em Auhaff nekt'shazlykta trogoherra'ka, Auhaff imfilykta nyn mariuanama tevlykta evem legekozham.
("Although I don't do drugs, I agree that marijuana should be legalized.")
6th Level--the median level of intensity for positive sentences.
Suffix: -meitz
Au lautmeitz'tai ma filmerra.
("I enjoyed the film.")
7th Level--the strongest level of positivity that a sentence can attain.
Suffix: -kauteh
Makherra evekauteh'tai ma khoserra godteilerra inzeh pahnerra korterra.
("That was the greatest thing since sliced bread.)
