Magai Spell Language

The Magai Spell Language (commonly abbreviated to MSL) is a constructed language designed by, and for, the Magai. It was not designed as a language for regular use, but specifically to aid in constructing and casting spells. While magic in no way requires specific spell phrases, or even the spoken word, they add structure to spells, and overall make it easier to learn.
While MSL wasn't intended as a proper language, lacking rules regarding grammar, sentence structure, and so forth, time has changed such things. Over the centuries, the Magai have developed it into something of an actual language, and one rather haphazard because of it.
Still, MSL is used primarily in spellwork, only occasionally sprinkled into regular speech.

Morphology

Derivational morphology

Adjective → adverb = If starts with vowel: Prefix st- /st-/
Else: Prefix sti- /stɪ-/
Adjective → noun (the quality of being [adj]) = If starts with vowel: Prefix atj- /ɑtj-/
Else: Prefix atjo- /ɑtjoː-/
Adjective → verb (to make something [adj]) = Prefix e- /ɛ-/
Noun → adjective (having the quality of [noun]) = If starts with vowel: Prefix l- /l-/
Else: Prefix lee- /leː-/
Noun → adjective relating to noun (e.g. economy → economic) = Prefix wei- /ʋɛi̯-/
Noun to verb = Prefix a- /aː-/
Verb → adjective (result of doing [verb]) = If starts with vowel: Prefix ek- /ɛk-/
Else: Prefix eki- /ɛkɪ-/
Tending to = Prefix wo- /ʋoː-/
Verb → noun (the act of [verb]) = If starts with vowel: Prefix p- /p-/
Else: Prefix pe- /pə-/
Verb → noun that verb produces (e.g. know → knowledge) = Prefix stu- /stu-/
One who [verb]s (e.g. paint → painter) = Prefix sle- /slə-/
Place of (e.g. wine → winery) = Prefix lo- /lɔ-/
Diminutive = Prefix vry- /vry-/
Augmentative = Prefix ee- /eː-/

Syntax

MSL was developed specifically for spell-casting, and this can be found back in the structuring of its sentences. The main word order is OVS (Object Verb Subject), with a possible prepositional phrase falling between object and verb. This way, spells start with the target (Object), followed by the desired action (Verb), with the subject tacked on later, mostly for use outside of spell-making. The Prepositional phrase acts as a specifier, and is placed before the verb to ensure a spell doesn't trigger pre-emptively and take on an incorrect or undesired form.
Like the prepositional phrase, MSL also uses prepositions to specify the desired form magic should take before it can take place. Adjectives, however, are placed after the noun.

Phonetics

Consonant inventory: b d f j k l m n p r s t v x z ŋ ɣ ɦ ʋ

↓Manner/Place→	Bilabial	Labiodental	Alveolar	Palatal	Velar	Glottal
Nasal	m		n		ŋ
Stop	b p		d t		k
Fricative		v f	z s		ɣ x	ɦ
Approximant		ʋ		j
Trill			r
Lateral approximant			l

Vowel inventory: aː eː i oː u y øː œy̯ ɑ ɑu̯ ɔ ə ɛ ɛi̯ ɪ ʏ
Diphthongs: œy̯ ɑu̯ ɛi̯

	Front	Central	Back
High	i y		u
Near-high	ɪ ʏ
High-mid	eː øː		oː
Mid		ə
Low-mid	ɛ		ɔ
Low	aː		ɑ

Stress pattern: Penultimate — stress is on the second last syllable
Spelling rules:

Pronunciation	Spelling
sx	sch
x	g / _#
x	ch
ʋ	w
p	b / _#
t	d / _#
d	t / C_#
ɣ	g
ɦ	h
ŋk	ng
ŋ	ng
yu	uw
u	oe / !_w
ɑoe̯	ou
eː	ee
aː	a
ɑ	a
oː	o
ɛi̯	ij / _#
ɛi̯	ei
ɛ	e
ɔ	o
i	ie / C_#
œy̯	ui
ɪ	i
ʏ	u
y	u
øː	eu
ə	e
̯

Tenses

MSL has three tenses to it, and the perfect aspect. For the present and past tenses, it uses prefixes, as these were the more commonly used tenses for spellwork. Future tense, which typically wasn't used for spells and was thus added later, uses a standalone particle word instead.
The perfect aspect, on the other hand, expresses an event that took place before the time spoken but which has an effect on or is in some way still relevant to the present. It was sometimes used in spellwork, and thus also has a prefix.

Present	Prefix le /lə-/ lekuipe /ləˈkœy̯pə/ learn
Past	If starts with vowel: Prefix g /ɣ-/ Else: Prefix go /ɣɔ-/ gokuipe /ɣɔˈkœy̯pə/ learned
Future	Particle before the verb: ve /və/ ve kuipe /və ˈkœy̯pə/ will learn
Perfect	Prefix vlu /vly-/ vlukuipe /vlyˈkœy̯pə/ have learned

Nouns & Articles

MSL encodes definite article ‘the’, and indefinite article ‘a’ in noun affixes.

	Singular	Plural
Definite	Prefix kro- /kroː-/ krospe /ˈkroːspə/ the dog	If starts with vowel: Prefix m- /m-/ Else: Prefix ma- /maː-/ maspe /ˈmaːspə/ the dogs
Indefinite	Prefix vi- /vɪ-/ vispe /ˈvɪspə/ a dog	If starts with vowel: Prefix s- /s-/ Else: Prefix see- /seː-/ seespe /ˈseːspə/ some dogs

Pronouns & Possessive determiners

	Pronouns	Possessive
1st singular	wo /ʋoː/ I, me, mine	deen /deːn/ my
2nd singular	dui /dœy̯/ you, yours	ij /ɛi̯/ your
3rd singular	dre /drə/ he/she, him/her, his/hers, it, its	ke /kɛ/ his/hers/its
1st plural	ke /kɛ/ we, us, ours	klef /kləf/ our
2nd plural	vla /vlaː/ you all, yours (pl)	tij /tɛi̯/ your (pl)
3rd plural	doe /du/ they, them, theirs	pler /plər/ their

Numbers

Magai Spell Language has a base-10 number system:
1 - be
2 - rou
3 - kruf
4 - nou
5 - gee
6 - roe
7 - est
8 - ke
9 - bo
10 - lou
100 - deme
1000 - jilkoeb

Dictionary

3008 Words.

Spoken by

• Magai Culture