The Myote Language

I spent so much time developing the race and culture of the Myotes and I wanted to take it a step further. I wanted them to have their own language. After all, if J.R.R. Tolkien was able to give his elves Quenya and whoever made up Klingons gave them a functional, learnable language, than why couldn't Myotes have a language? After all, I studied foreign languages and linguistics in college.

So I've been working on a Myote dictionary/language. This is obviously not a complete work as of yet. Eventually I will make audio recordings of the pronunciations.

It uses Japanese sentence structure. Ie. Noun (particle) object (particle) verb.

Sounds and actual words are completely different and generally unrelated... a good linguist would be able to figure out how I came up with them, but for now I'll keep it a secret.


Here's what I have so far. English is first. Pronunciation is in {brackets}, Myote spelling is last, and pronunciation notes are in these [Brackets].



Pronunciation notes:
All usual vowels, AEIOU, are always pronounced "ah", "eh", "ee","oh", "oo". "Y" is ALWAYS a vowel in Myote.

Q's in the Myote language make the "K" sound and do not need a "U" following them. Myote words often end in Q. (ie. the word for land, "Ynaq" - (Ee-nah-ck)
X's make a "cks" sound (like in the word "kicks") at the end of a word, but make a "Z" sound used at the beginning or in the middle of words with a few select exceptions where they are occasionally pronounced as a "sh" sound.
The apostrophe indicates a stop, and if a hard consonant sound like a K follows said apostrophe, it will be made in the glottis (back of the throat).


Nouns (Relations):


Boy - {Nah-ee} Nai

Girl - {See-fix} Syfx [note here, the "i" isn't actually vocalized, it is a non-vocalized "i" that occurs naturally when transitioning from an "F" sound to a "cks" sound.]

Man - {Zoh-b} Zob

Woman - {Kah-zoh-b} Kazob

Husband - {Teh-noh-b-k} Tenob'k [note: pause briefly on B and then make the K in the back of your throat... I promise some day I will record all these. >_<]

Wife - {Kee-roo} Kyru

Mother - {Zah-toof} Zahtuf [silent H]

Father - {Roh-toof} Rohtuf [silent H]

Sister - {Geeg-hoof} Gyghuf

Brother - {Nee-fah-toof} Nyfahtuf [silent H]

Son - {Gah-b} Gab

Daughter - {Koh-est-hoof} Qoesthuf

Uncle - {Eh-beep-zoo} Ebyp'xu [pause briefly at ']

Aunt - {Oh-eh-be-eh} Oebyh [the H on the end of the word following the Y here softens the y sound and should sound almost like... letting out breath while making the sound. Should be airy.]

Cousin - {Pah-eh-geeb} Paegyb

Niece - {Bee-oo-poo} Byupu

Nephiew - {Boo-k-tee-ook} Buctyuk

Baby - {Noh-nee} Noni

Family - {Roh-zix-ee} Rozyxi [this is one of the few exceptions to the usual X rules... mainly because usual "consonantYconsonat" combos count as one whole syllable.]

Friend - {Reef-yoob-k} Ryfyub'q [pause briefly on B and then make the K in the back of your throat... takes practice.]

Love - {Zah-joo} Xaju

Lover - {Zah-joof} Xajuf



Greetings/Sayings:



Hello - {Tooks-zah} Tuxxa

Good Morning - {Sah-k ~ Zah-f-bee-beese} Saaq Zaf'bybys [Almost like "sock zaf-beebeese" ]

Good Afternoon - {Sah-k ~ Oh-ruff-bah-b} Saaq Orhufbaab [Sounds kinda like "sock Oh-ruff-bab" ]

Good Evening - {Sah-k ~ Oo-joo-bee-beese} Saaq Ujubybys

Good Night - {Sah-k ~ Bees-th} Saaq Bysth [Bysth will make you sound like you have a lisp. ^_^]

Bye - {Nee-oo} Niu

See you later - {Goo ~ ee-ah-eh ~ Zoh-hoof} Guu iae xohuf [I realize that pronouncing a group of vowels like that is difficult for most people who have never studied a language that has words that are made up entirely out of vowels... it gets easier with time, trust me. ]

The weather is nice, isn't it? - {Ah ~ koo-oh-toof ~ toh ~ bee-poo ~ koo-geh ~ boo} A kuohtuf to bypu quge bu?

Yes, it is. - {Ee-oog ~ koo-geh ~ boo} Iug quge bu.

My name is... - {Zee ~ bah ~ boh-zoo ~ koh ~ ...... ~ koo-geh} Zi ba bozu ko ............. quge. [fill your name in the ...............]




BUT WAIT!

I didn't just stop with the sounds and sentence structure! :D I created a character set.



Myote written in Myote... twice. The second writing is in more of a "brush script".


J'baqre Ynaq written in Myote:


"Hello. How are you?"
"I am good."


And some Myote poetry...

Translation:
Spring flowers fall
Like snow
White petals cover the Land
Hyfob on the horizon
Like a mist-green pearl
Looms in the sky

(Note: Hyfob is one of the seven moons of J'baqre Ynaq)


More to come later!

Or should I say...

Xohuf, zafu kyxx pazu!
(zoh-hoof, zah-foo kicks pah-zoo)