Calverian | Langue Calvérienne

Calverian (Langue Calvérienne) is the official language of Calveris, spoken by all social classes, though with distinct dialectical differences between the nobility and commoners. The language is a direct descendant of French, but it has evolved unique features due to centuries of isolation and cultural shifts.
The language carries an air of formality, even in everyday conversation. Politeness and elaborate speech are expected, especially among the aristocracy, where it is seen as a mark of status. Commoners, on the other hand, have developed a more pragmatic and terse version of the language, often omitting unnecessary flourishes.

Writing System

Alphabet Design:

• Characters: The Calverian alphabet is a modified version of the Latin script, with additional characters introduced to represent sounds not found in French.

Added Characters:

• Ç - Represents the /sʲ/ sound, often used in palatalized contexts.
• Ȟ - Represents the /ʁ/ sound, reflecting the uvular trill that has evolved from the French 'r'.
[li]Ħ - A new character representing the glottal fricative /ħ/, often found in words with a sharp or emphatic quality.

Visual Aesthetics:

• The Calverian script is characterized by ornate, flowing serifs and elongated strokes, reflecting the baroque aesthetic of the nation. The letters are often intertwined in formal writing, symbolizing the interconnectedness of concepts and the intricate nature of Calverian society.

Writing Direction:

• Left to Right: Text is written left to right, with emphasis on symmetry and balance. In formal contexts, such as legal documents and sacred texts, the script is written with elaborate ligatures and flourishes.

Punctuation:

• Ellipses (three dots "…") are frequently used to convey a sense of trailing thoughts or unfinished business, mirroring the melancholic tone of the language.
• The Interpunct (·) is used to separate parts of complex compound words or to denote a pause in spoken language when transcribed.

Geographical Distribution

Primary Region: Calveris.
Primary Speakers: Calverians.
Auxiliary Speakers: Calverian diaspora, Academics, Merchants, Diplomats, Romantics, Engineers.

Phonology

Consonants:
Retain most French consonants (/p/, /b/, /t/, /d/, /k/, /g/, /f/, /v/, /s/, /z/, /ʃ/, /ʒ/, /m/, /n/, /l/, /ʁ/).
Introduce the following modifications:

• /ʁ/ (French 'r') is realized as a uvular trill /ʀ/.


• Introduce a voiceless palatal plosive /c/ and a voiced counterpart /ɟ/.


• Incorporate a voiced labiodental approximant /ʋ/ to replace the French /v/.


• Nasal consonants are slightly more nasalized and pronounced with greater emphasis.

Vowels:
Maintain the basic French vowel inventory (/a/, /e/, /i/, /o/, /u/, /y/, /ø/, /ɛ/, /ɔ/, /œ/).
Introduce vowel length distinction with a change in quality:

• Short vowels: /a/, /e/, /i/, /o/, /u/


• Long vowels: /ɑː/, /eː/, /iː/, /oː/, /uː/


• Nasal vowels are retained but are more pronounced and expanded: /ã/, /õ/, /œ̃/ remain, with the addition of /ĩ/ and /ũ/.

Morphology

Noun System:
Retain the concept of gender (masculine, feminine), but introduce a neuter gender for abstract or inanimate objects.
Nouns are marked by suffixes:

• Masculine: no suffix or "-s"


• Feminine: "-e"


• Neuter: "-on" or "-u"


• Pluralization: Regular pluralization with "-s" for masculine and feminine nouns.


• Neuter plural uses the suffix "-aux."

Adjectives:
Adjectives agree in gender and number with the noun:
• Masculine singular: "-e"
• Feminine singular: "-ée"
• Neuter singular: "-on"
• Plurals add "-s" for masculine and feminine, "-aux" for neuter.
Verb Conjugation:
• Simplify the tense system by reducing the number of irregular verbs.
• Conjugation endings remain similar to French but with the following changes:
• Present: -e, -es, -e, -ons, -ez, -ent Future: Prefix "va-" followed by the infinitive. Past: Suffix "-u" for regular verbs, with irregular verbs using root modification.

Syntax

Word Order:

• Maintain French SVO (Subject-Verb-Object) structure.
• Allow VSO order in questions without the need for inversion or an auxiliary verb.

Negation:

• Negation is simplified by using the prefix "ne-" before the verb and dropping "pas."

Interrogatives:

• Questions are marked by intonation or the particle "est-" at the beginning of a sentence.

Vocabulary

Core Lexicon:
Inherited Words: The core vocabulary of Calverian is rooted in Old French, with many words retaining recognizable forms but with phonetic and semantic shifts unique to Calveris.
Examples:

• Livre (book) becomes Livron (neuter gender, denoting any written work with a sense of decay).
• Lumière (light) becomes Lumienne (feminine, often used metaphorically for hope or clarity, with an underlying sense of fading).

New Coinages:

Technological and Alchemical Terms: Many new words have been coined to describe the advanced, often dark, technological landscape of Calveris.

Examples:

• Mécanique (mechanism) becomes Mécanium (neuter, referring to the complex clockwork systems that permeate society).
• Automate (automaton) becomes Autômne (masculine, personifying the machines as entities with a life cycle).

Idiomatic Expressions:

• "La Roue Brisée" (The Broken Wheel) - Refers to something or someone in decline or beyond repair.
• "Les Ombres dansent" (The Shadows Dance) - Used when describing a situation filled with hidden dangers or manipulations.

Phonetics

Consonants:

Plosives: /p/, /b/, /t/, /d/, /k/, /g/, /c/ (voiceless palatal plosive), /ɟ/ (voiced palatal plosive) Fricatives: /f/, /v/, /s/, /z/, /ʃ/ (sh), /ʒ/ (zh), /ħ/ (glottal fricative) Nasals: /m/, /n/, /ɲ/ (ny) Liquids: /l/, /ʁ/ (uvular trill), /ʋ/ (labiodental approximant) Affricates: /ts/ (similar to 'ts' in "cats")

Vowels:

Monophthongs:
• Short Vowels: /a/, /e/, /i/, /o/, /u/
• Long Vowels: /ɑː/, /eː/, /iː/, /oː/, /uː/
• Nasal Vowels: /ã/, /õ/, /œ̃/, /ĩ/, /ũ/
• Centralized Vowel: /ə/ (schwa), often unstressed and found in reduced syllables.
Stress and Intonation:
• Stress: Typically falls on the penultimate syllable, unless marked by length or emphasis.
• Intonation: Calverian intonation patterns reflect the language's formal and melancholic tone, with rising intonation used sparingly, often reserved for questions or expressions of doubt.

Tenses

Primary Tenses:

• Present: Indicates current actions or states, typically unmarked or using subject pronouns.
• Example: "Je parle." (I speak.)
• Past: Indicates completed actions, using the suffix "-u" or irregular forms.
• Example: "J’ai parl-u." (I spoke.)
• Future: Indicates actions that will occur, formed with the prefix "va-"
attached to the infinitive.
• Example: "Je va-parler." (I will speak.)

Secondary Tenses:

• Imperfect: Describes ongoing or habitual past actions, marked with "-ais."
• Example: "Je parlais." (I was speaking/I used to speak.)
• Pluperfect: Indicates an action completed before another past action, formed with "avais-" and the past participle.
• Example: "J’avais parl-u." (I had spoken.)

Sentence Structure

Standard Sentence Structure:

• Subject-Verb-Object (SVO): The default word order in Calverian is SVO, similar to French.
  Example: "Elle parle le Francéon." (She speaks Calverian.)

Inversion for Questions:

• Verb-Subject Order: In questions, the verb precedes the subject, often marked by the particle "est-" at the beginning. Example: "Est-parle-t-elle le Francéon?" (Does she speak Calverian?)


• Negation: Simplified Negation: Negation is expressed using the prefix "ne-" before the verb, without the need for an additional negative word. Example: "Elle ne parle Calverian." (She does not speak Calverian.)

Adjective Order

Order of Adjectives:
Adjectives in Calverian generally follow the noun they modify, similar to French. However, there is flexibility depending on the emphasis:
Standard Order: Noun + Adjective
Examples:

• Livron ancien (an old book)
• Maison sombre (a dark house)

Emphatic Order: Adjective + Noun (used for emphasis or poetic expression)
Examples:

• Ancien Livron (a book with a long, storied history)
• Sombre Maison (a house that is overwhelmingly dark or ominous)

Structural Markers

Grammatical Markers:

• Gender and Number: Nouns are marked for gender (masculine, feminine, neuter) and number (singular, plural) through suffixes.
• Masculine: No suffix or "-s" for plural (e.g., Livron -> Livrons).
• Feminine: "-e" for singular, "-es" for plural (e.g., Maison -> Maisones).
• Neuter: "-on" for singular, "-aux" for plural (e.g., Mécanium -> Mécaniaux).

Verb Markers:

Tense Markers: Prefixes and suffixes denote tense:
• Future: Prefix "va-" (e.g., va-parler for "will speak").
• Past: Suffix "-u" for regular verbs (e.g., parlu for "spoke").
• Present: Unmarked or with subject pronouns (e.g., je parle for "I speak").

Aspect and Mood:

• Progressive Aspect: "en-" prefix is used to indicate ongoing actions (e.g., en-parlant for "speaking").
• Subjunctive Mood: Suffix "-asse" for subjunctive forms (e.g., que je parlasse for "that I speak").

Dictionary

26 Words.

Root Languages

• French

Spoken by

• Calverians

Common Phrases

Greetings and Social Phrases:

• "Bon jouir." – “Good day.” A common greeting that reflects the formal tone of Calverian society.
• "Que la Roue tourne." – “May the Wheel turn.” A phrase often used to wish someone luck or to hope for positive change.
• "L’heure est sombre." – “The hour is dark.” Used to express concern or when acknowledging a difficult situation.

Expressions of Emotion:

• "Mon cœur mécanique." – “My mechanical heart.” A phrase expressing deep, often unspoken, emotion, with a hint of the artificial or constrained.
• "Je danse avec les ombres." – “I dance with shadows.” Used to describe someone engaging in secretive or risky behavior.
• "Le vent murmure." – “The wind whispers.” A poetic way to indicate that rumors are spreading or that there is a feeling of unease in the air.

Polite Requests and Offers:

• "S'il vous plaît, pardonnez mon oubli." – “Please, forgive my forgetfulness.” A formal way of apologizing.
• "Puis-je vous être de service?" – “May I be of service to you?” A phrase used when offering help or assistance.
• "Avec votre permission." – “With your permission.” Used before taking an action that may require someone else's consent.

Common Female Names

Traditional Names:

• Éliane: A name meaning "sun" or "shining light," symbolizing hope and clarity.
• Margaux: A traditional name, often associated with nobility, meaning "pearl."
• Séraphine: Meaning "fiery" or "burning one," this name is often given to girls born with strong, passionate personalities.
• Léontine: Derived from "lion," indicating strength and courage, a popular name among the nobility.

Modern Variants:

• Aurelle: A more modern take on the traditional "Aurélie," meaning "golden," reflecting the nation’s past glory.
• Valéria: A name meaning "strong" or "healthy," popular in recent generations for its connotations of resilience.

Common Male Names

Traditional Names:

• Théodore: Meaning "gift of God," a name with strong religious and cultural significance.
• Gaspard: A name of Persian origin, meaning "treasurer," historically given to those of wealth and importance.
• Benoît: Meaning "blessed," a name that carries a sense of divine favor.
• Léon: Derived from "lion," symbolizing strength and bravery, a popular name among the warrior class.

Modern Variants:

• Armand: A modern adaptation of the traditional name "Hermann," meaning "army man," associated with valor and duty.
• Vaurien: A name meaning "good for nothing" or "rascal," sometimes used humorously or ironically for those with a rebellious streak.

Common Unisex Names

Gender-Neutral Names:

• Célestin: A name meaning "heavenly" or "of the sky," often given to children with a calm or ethereal nature.
• Aubin: Meaning "white" or "bright," a name that can be used for either gender, reflecting purity or a new beginning.
• Noé: A short, popular name meaning "rest" or "comfort," suitable for any gender.
• Esmé: Meaning "beloved" or "esteemed," a name with tender connotations, used for both boys and girls.

Common Family Names

Noble Surnames:

• De la Roue: Meaning "of the Wheel," this surname is associated with one of the oldest noble families, symbolizing their connection to the nation’s clockwork heritage, having founded the nation's first clockworks in 1602.
• De l’Ombre: Translates to "of the Shadow," a name tied to a family known for its involvement in secretive, possibly dark, practices. Though, the Romantic movement placed a particular importance on shadow iconography in Calverian culture.
• Du Fer: Meaning "of Iron," this name is linked to a lineage renowned for their work with metals and, more recently, machinery.
• Des Mécaniques: A young & prestigious family known for their mastery of mechanics and prominence in the burgeoning field of automata, their name signifies their deep connection to the craft, as it was responsible for their recent elevation to the noble class.

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Commoner Surnames:

• Martel: From the Old French for "hammer," a common name among blacksmiths and craftsmen.
• Lavalle: Meaning "the valley," often linked to families from rural areas.
• Tisserand: A name meaning "weaver," associated with those who worked in textiles.
• Faucon: Translates to "falcon," a name that might have originated from a family involved in falconry or simply one with a strong and proud heritage.