Sůṙjafia language: Anhemitonic pentatonic scale, tempered based on 12EDO Two octaves of range = 11 total notes Scale degrees are 2, 2, 3, 2, 3 12EDO semitones 11 notes = 2^11 possible chords (2048) Possible character sets: A B C D E F G H I J K (my original notes) C D E G A c d e g a c' (ABC notation, key of C) A, B, C E F A B c e f a (ABC notation, key of A) If the scale were taken to be a C major pentatonic scale, the notes could instead be written: C1 D1 E1 G1 A1 C2 D2 E2 G2 A2 C3 The orthographic rules for the original notation are: Tones are listed from low to high within a word. Length is represented by doubling single-note chords or for any type of chord with +. Multiple +es may be used. When the chord quality changes, but there is no break in the sound, a dash is used. When there is a break in the sound, a space is used. Thus, B-J EH (:INT GNO) is a B followed with no break or overlap by J, then a pause, then the chord EH. B-D-A EH (:DIR-VIS PAST) is a B then D then A with no breaks, then a pause, then an E. There are 11 notes, 55 2-chords, 165 3-chords, 330 4-chords, etc Cumulatively, (not counting the empty chord): 11, 66, 231, 561, 1023, 1485, 1815, 1980, 2035, 2046, 2047 Limiting it to 4 notes per chord, 561 chords are potentially simple enough to be used. Function words use single chords generally, of 1 or two notes. More meaningful words use at least two chords, of which at least the first chord is 3 notes. However, no chord can include an octave/hexad. The only hexads are: AF, BG, CH, DI, EJ, FK Thus, a more accurate estimation of the number of chords allowed is: 5 qualities AFK covers 3 hexads BG, CH, DI, EJ each cover 4 Thus there are: 3 + 2 * 4 1-note chords (11) 3 * 8 + 6 * 4 (48) 3 * 24 + 4 * 8 (104) 3 * 32 + 16 (112) 3 * 16 + 0 (48) Cumulatively (not counting the empty chord): 11, 59, 163, 275, 323 Lengths are discrete. Syntax is strict, like a programming language, but where programming languages describe actions to take, this language serves the same purpose as natural languages. Main clause structure for declarative statements is: EVIDENTIAL verb arguments... STOP The structure of a yes-no question is: QUESTION FACTUALITY verb arguments... STOP The structure of a wh-question is: QUESTION VALUE pronoun verb arguments... STOP where pronoun must be one of the arguments The structure of a command is: IMPERATIVE INTENSITY verb arguments... STOP The structure of a comparison is: EVIDENTIAL noun predicate STOP Relative clauses are introduced by a relativizing particle and consist of a regular statement. These terms may be given a more compact syntax, such as: STOP: . (z2) QUESTION: ? (K) FACTUALITY: ? (J) VALUE: = (D) IMPERATIVE: ! (GG) REL: @ (F) By default, a verb is present tense perfective aspect. Other tense-aspect-mood combinations are expressed as particles immediately preceding the verb. Verbal arguments are expressed in order of agentivity, with non-agentive arguments bearing case markers. Specifically, noun orders may be: Subject (intransitive) Agent, Patient (transitive) Donor, Recipient, Theme (ditransitive) The following cases may be marked: Vocative (EE) Semblative Likeness Dissemblative Unlikeness Instrumental Comitative Benefactive Aversive (C-A) Causal (E) Essive (H) Attributes Locative (G) At Adessive Near Inessive Inside Intrative Between Ablative Away from Allative Toward Elative Out of Illative Into Perlative Through Temporal (EK) Time The following tenses and aspects may be marked: Gnomic (EH) Future (H) Past (E) Progressive (F) Continuous (AA) (progressive is for actions while continuous is for states) Habitual (B) Retrospective (FJ) The following evidential terms may be used: Internal (J) Knowledge obtained by introspection; incontrovertible Direct (D) Knowledge gained by being a participant Assertive (C-D) Knowledge which is being asserted with no evidence Neutral/no evidentiality Visual/Long-range Sensory (A) Knowledge obtained from sight or sound Tactile/Short-range Sensory (AC) Knowledge obtained from touch, taste, smell, etc Deduced (HK) A logical consequence of trustworthy direct or sensory knowledge Assumed (CK) A probable statement given limited knowledge Consequential [CNSQ] (KK) The statement is a consequence of the previous one. Common (AE) Knowledge learned via general experiences, common sense Reportive (Trusted) (GI) Knowledge which came from a trusted source Quotative (Neutral) (FI) Repeating something which has been reported with no assertion as to its trustworthiness Hearsay (Doubtful) (EI) Rumors which may be unsubstantiated; knowledge very far removed from its source Consensus (GJ) Knowledge which comes from an agreement by multiple parties Lore (BD) Traditional knowledge Thus, "The sky makes me happy" would be: INT GNO gladden sky me. And "Does the sky make you happy?" would be: ??GNO gladden sky you. And "What do you like about the sky?" would be: ?=what GNO like you sky what-ESS. "That is the man I saw yesterday.": DIR-VIS GNO is that man @DIR-VIS PAST see me him yesterday-TEMPORAL. Core lexicon: A: Visual/Long-range Sensory evidential AC: Tactile/Short-range Sensory evidential AE: Common knowledge evidential AF: ---- AH: I/me (First-person pronoun) AA: Continuous aspect B: Temporal case Habitual aspect BD: Lore evidential BE+: Can modal BE-B: Must/shall modal BF: More BG: ---- BH: You (Second-person pronoun) BJ: Less BB: Be/is (copular verb) C: Negative/No CG: It/he/she/they (Third-person pronoun) CH: ---- CI+: Have (inalienable possession) CK: Assumed evidential C-A: Aversive case C-D: Assertive evidential CC: bad D: Direct knowledge evidential Value (Wh-question tag) DF: And DF-F: How DH: But DI: ---- DD: ---- E: Past tense Causal case EF: dis-, un- EH: Gnomic aspect EH-EF: Agent suffix EH+: Gerund marker EI: Hearsay evidential EJ: ---- EK: Temporal case EE: Vocative case F: Relative clause marker FH: Or FH-B: When FH-D: What/who FH-G: Where FI: Quotative evidential FJ: Retrospective aspect FK: ---- FF: ---- G: Locative case GI: Reportive evidential GI-D: Which GI-F: Why GJ: Consensus evidential GG: Imperative clause marker H: Future tense Essive case HK: Deduced evidential HH: it/him/her/them I: Affirmative/Yes II: good J: Internal knowledge evidential Factuality (Yes-no question tag) JJ: Plural K: Question clause marker KK: Consequential evidential General lexicon: A: ACE: north ACI: south ADE: east ADJ: west AGJ: come B: BCE: up BCI: down BDF: stone, rock. Earthen material solid enough to tunnel through. BEF: degree BEH: front BEI: back BHJ: left BHK: right C: CDG: shine, glow CDJ: next CFG: cold CGI: wear CGK: warm D: DEG: wind DFG: tight DFH: sun DGJ: leave/go DHK: argue E: EFI: admit EGI: travel/go/wend EGI-EH-EF: traveler F: FHI: wrap FIJ: clothing FIJ-BD: cloak G: GHI-AG: strength GIJ-DE: cease, give up H: HJK: blow I: EFG-AB: body J: K: earth cloud sky own (alienable possession) equip unequip/remove talk