kraiaKy [old]

The language itself amongst Threadwielders is a selection of syllables, meaning that in combination with its audio-independent nature, technically the alphabet consists of syllabic ideograms. Since that would be a pain to note down, though, we'll use the quasi-latin transcription on this page and follow the commonplace pronunciations.

The quasi-latin transcription consists of all standard latin characters, plus the extra character , which can be described as representing a “hollow 'sh'” (like taking /ʂ/ a step further away from /ʃ/) and minus x (the sound is represented by the digraph ks).

In other words:

a

b

c

d

e

f

g

h

i

j

k

l

m

n

o

p

q

r

s

t

u

v

w

y

z

Pronunciation notes:

• a is pronounced /a/ or /ä/, rather than /æ/ or /ɑ/ː as is common in English.
• e is pronounced /ɪ/, /e/ or /e̞/; not /i/.
• g is pronounced /ɢ/.
• h is pronounced /h/.
• i is pronounced /i/.
• j is pronounced /ɟ/.
• l is pronounced /l/ or /ɭ/.
• o is pronounced /ɞ/, /ɔ/ or /o/.
• q is pronounced kw.
• r is pronounced /r/ or /ɾ/.
• u is pronounced /u/.
• v is pronounced /β/ more than /v/, but both are valid.
• w is pronounced /β̞/.
• y serves a function both as a vowel and a consonant, as in English.
  • As a vowel, it is pronounced /y/, or as the sequence ji in some dialects.
  • As a consonant, it is used like the y in year.

Digraphs:

• kh, serving as the same sound as 'k', plus a modifier for the vowel that follows; 'kha' is pronounced akin to 'kah'
• sh for /ʃ/
• sz, serving as the same sound as 'z', plus a modifier for the vowel that follows; 'sza' is pronounced akin to 'zah')
• th for /θ/ as in English (@todo not sure if also /ð/… think not)

Redundancies (i.e. letters or digraphs that exist for aesthetic purposes only):

• c is synonymous with k (@todo verify!)
• the digraph kw is synonymous with q
• the digraph ph is synonymous with f
• the digraph zh is synonymous with sz
• in the digraph qu, the u is silent (the letters as a true sequence would either be written as quu or (predominantly) q'u)
• in some dialects, the digraph ee may be pronounced as i.

Assume compatibility with most common English pronunciations unless otherwise noted.

Threadwielders immersed in cultures tend to be multi-lingual, but since they cannot expect other Threadwielders to have the same background, their language tends to be maintained as a lingua franca between them, and they fall back to it whenever they visit one another for the first few times.

As such, the language is mostly used by Threadwielders only, though some words will usually sneak into most sapient languages, because of their involvement, especially in mythological contexts.

A notable exception is the kavkema, for whom - due to Evenatra's extreme presence during their cultural genesis - the language was something of a baseline and now continues to be used as a form of 'weakest encryption': While regular conversation is usually in the language of the Nayabaru, conversing in their “ancient tongue” can, in a pinch, buy them a few minutes head-start while someone struggles to translate on-the-fly. (That this “ancient tongue” is still actively expanded by them does not make them change the name. The Nayabaru call it kavkemic, though. Or, you know, “the language those terrorists use”.)

In the Threadwielder tongue, new words are created chiefly by drastic portmanteauing of composite words. In so much as it's possible, pronouncable and not too outlandish, words are occasionally outright folded into each other, as long as the composite word can still strongly insinuate its base words.

An extreme example: The name “Evenatra” stems from evenatar, as the composite of evenar and venat, forming 'grace of the sky'. Most portmanteauing is not that extreme - names are more frequently reduced to this form as an aesthetic exercise more than a fundamental attempt at brevity.

Think of it like poetry.

…