ILLUNSE : a constructed language

Trees, in my words (revised)

noreply@blogger.com (illunse) — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 02:40:00 +0000

teboran : trees

The Illunse word for trees (nominative plural) is teboran.

Trees in Latin is arboris. Trees in Old English is tréowu.

My previous Illunse word for trees was teboru. A small change.

Tebor is the word for tree. It remains the same, unchanged.

Here's a link to Tree, in J.R.R. Tolkien's words + Trees.

Flower, in my words (revised)

noreply@blogger.com (illunse) — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 00:03:00 +0000

flost : flower

The Illunse word for flower is flost. Flost is a rare last name.

This word is a mixture of the Latin word for flower which is flos (flower, blossom), and the Old English word for flower which is blóstma (blossom, bloom, flower).

My previous word for flower was flosta. This is a small change.

Flostan is the word for flowers (nominative plural). It remains the same, unchanged.

Here's a link to Flower, in J.R.R. Tolkien's words.

Since I'm subjecting you to revisions, I thought I'd add some pictures. Something new to look at.

Moving forward, but stepping backwards first

noreply@blogger.com (illunse) — Sun, 22 Jan 2012 06:16:00 +0000

Deep down I must love complexity. I knew my Illunse plurals were way too complicated.

The good news is that I've figured out what to do about it, how to make my nominative case plurals for nouns simpler. Not simple, but simpler. I've come up with some rules to follow, and irregular nouns won't be allowed. My rules pretty much amount to accepting grammatical gender.

What this means for this blog, though, is revisions. Lots of them. I'll be making numerous small changes. This will affect somewhere between a third and half of my existing nouns, singular forms as well as plurals. Even words I did recently.

Old English and Latin are inflected languages. They are not like Modern English. I want my Illunse grammar to be similar to that of Old English and Latin, but hopefully much more straightforward.

Ox, in my words + oxen

noreply@blogger.com (illunse) — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 19:42:00 +0000

ocs : ox

The Illunse word for ox (adult castrated bull) is ocs. Ocs is a rare last name. In the military, OCS is an acronym for Officer Candidates School or Officer Cadet School. Similar Ocs (or Öcs) is the name of a place in Hungary.

This word is a mixture of the Latin word for ox (or bovine) which is bos, and the Old English word for ox which is oxa (which I transliterate to ocsa).

ocsan : oxen

The Illunse word for oxen (nominative plural) is ocsan. Ocsan is a unusual last name.

Oxen (or bovines or cattle) in Latin is bovis. Oxen in Old English is oxan.

My Illunse words are very close to Modern English when you consider my transliteration of X to CS. Note that the English plural, oxen, ends in N instead of S, which is a remanant from Old English.

That's enough of the bovine related words. There actually other words I'm not going to do, such as steer (a young ox especially one castrated before sexual maturity and raised for beef) and heifer (a young cow especially one that has not yet given birth to a calf). I might do calf, but not now.

Cattle were a big thing in Anglo-Saxon times. Cattle were personal property. Way back then, counting your cattle was like counting your money.

Bovine, in my words + bovines or cattle

noreply@blogger.com (illunse) — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 03:30:00 +0000

boher : bovine

The Illunse word for bovine is boher. Boher is a last name. Boher is the name of a places in Ireland and Nigeria.

This word is a mixture of the Latin word for bovine which is bos, and the Old English word for bovine which is hriðer (which I transliterate to hrither). Another Old English word for bovine is néat.

boheras : bovines or cattle

The Illunse word for bovines or cattle (nominative plural) is boheras. Boheras is a rare last name.

Bovines or cattle in Latin is bovis. Bovines or cattle in Old English is hriðer (same as the singular).

Bull, in my word (revised) + bulls

noreply@blogger.com (illunse) — Sun, 15 Jan 2012 06:48:00 +0000

taer : bull

The Illunse word for bull is taer. Taer is an unusual last name. In the Dungeons and Dragons fantasy role-playing game, the taer is a monstrous, primate-like creature.

This word is a mixture of the Latin word for bull which is taurus (like the astrological sign), and the Old English word for bull which is fearr. Another Old English word for bull is bula.

My previous Illunse word for bull was taeru. I liked the word, but I'm changing it because nouns ending in -u are often feminine in Old English. I don't want to deal with grammatical gender in Illunse, but my root languages of Old English and Latin both have masculine, feminine and neuter.

Here's a link to Bull, in J.R.R. Tolkien's words

taeras : bulls

The Illunse word for bulls (nominative plural) is taeras. Taeras is a rare last name that can be Indonesian.

Bulls in Latin is tauri. Bulls in Old English is fearras.

Cow, in my words (revised) + cows

noreply@blogger.com (illunse) — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 18:44:00 +0000

cwa : cow

The Illunse word for cow is cwa. CWA is an acronym for Clean Water Act, Communications Workers of America and many others. Cwa is the name of a place in Namibia.

This word is a mixture of the Old English word for cow which is cú, and the Latin word for cow which is vacca. As Old English doesn't use V, and in the reconstructed ancient pronunciation of Latin V is pronounced like W, I decided to transliterate the V in the Latin word vacca to a W. In Old English CW is a valid consonant combination.

My previous Illunse word for cow was cuwa. I shortened it by one letter.

Here's a link to Cow, in J.R.R. Tolkien's words.

cwae : cows

The Illunse word for cows (nominative plural) is cwae. CWAE (IATA: WAE) is an airport code code for Whistler, BC, Canada.

Cows in Latin is vaccae. Cows in Old English is cý.

Still more animals in the barn...

Stag, in my words (revised) + stags

noreply@blogger.com (illunse) — Sun, 08 Jan 2012 19:38:00 +0000

herst : stag

The Illunse word for stag (or hart) (male deer) is herst. Herst is a last name. Herst should not be confused with Hearst, such as in William Randolph Hearst and Patty Hearst.

This word is a mixture of the Old English word for stag (or hart) which is heorot (hart, stag), and the Latin word for stag which is cervus (stag/deer).

For most deer, in modern English usage, the male is called a buck. For many larger deer the male can also be called a stag. Hart is a term for a male deer, especially the male of the red deer after its fifth year.

Stag is not defined in Tolkien's languages of Quenya or Sindarin.

My previous Illunse word for stag was herost.

herstas : stags

The Illunse word for stags (nominative plural) is herstas. Herstas is a rare last name.

Stags (and deer) in Latin is cervi. Stags (or Harts) in Old English is heoretas.

I think that's enough with the deer words. In my fantasy the land of Illun, they'll definitely have deer.

Buck, in my words + bucks

noreply@blogger.com (illunse) — Sat, 07 Jan 2012 19:01:00 +0000

burc : buck

The Illunse word for buck (male deer, not a dollar bill) is burc. Burc is a unusual masculine first name that can be Turkish. Burc is an unusual last name. Burc means "town, city" in Anglo-Norman. Similar word burç means "zodiac, horoscope; tower" in Turkish, and Burç is the name of places in Turkey. (note: ç in Turkish is pronounced like ch).

This word is a mixture of the Old English word for buck which is bucca (male deer, he-goat), and the Latin word for buck or stag which is cervus (stag, deer).

Buck is a term for a male deer. Buck, like doe, is the term for the males of other animals, such as goats and rabbits etc.

Buck is not defined in Tolkien's languages of Quenya or Sindarin.

burcas : bucks

The Illunse word for bucks (more than one buck, not money, nominative plural) is burcas. Burcas is an unusual last name. Burcas is a variation of burqas (or burkas) which is is an enveloping outer garment worn by some Islamic women.

Bucks (and deer) in Latin is cervi. Bucks in Old English is buccan.

Doe, in my words (revised) + does

noreply@blogger.com (illunse) — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 23:00:00 +0000

dera : doe

The Illunse word for doe (female deer) is dera. Dera is a last name. Dera is a uncommon first name that can be masculine or feminine. Dera is a woredas, comparable to a district, in Ethiopia. In India a Dera (or Dehra) is a camp or a settlement, especially a religious establishment. Dera is the name, or part of the name, of places in Pakistan.

This word is a mixture of the Old English word for doe which is dá (doe, female deer), and the Latin word for doe which is cerva (doe, hind; deer).

Doe is a female deer. Doe is also the term for the females of other animals, such as gerbils, hamsters, mice, rabbits and squirrels.

Doe is not defined in Tolkien's languages of Quenya or Sindarin.

My previous Illunse word for doe was deca. I decided to change this word to be similar to my word for deer, derv.

derae : does

The Illunse word for does (more than one doe, nominative plural) is derae. Derae (or DeRae) is a rare first name that can be masculine or feminine. Derae (or DeRae) is a rare last name. (Note, in Illunse ae is pronounced like a in cat).

Does in Latin is cervae. Does in Old English is dán.

Deer in my words (revised) + deer (plural)

noreply@blogger.com (illunse) — Sat, 31 Dec 2011 19:51:00 +0000

derv : deer

The Illunse word for deer is derv. Derv is a rare last name. Derv is a rare first name. DERV is a UK term for diesel fuel for cars and lorries (from Diesel Engine Road Vehicle). In Breton derv means oak.

This word is a mixture of the Latin word for deer which is cervus, and the Old English word for deer which is déor (wild beast (mostly in contrast to domestic animals); deer, reindeer).

My previous Illunse word for deer was derce.

dervas : deer (plural)

The Illunse word for deer (nominative plural) is dervas. Dervas is an ususual last name.

Deer (plural) in Latin is cervi. Deer (plural) in Old English is déor (plural is the same as the singular, something I've chosen not to do in Illunse).

Here's a link to Deer, in J.R.R. Tolkien's words.

By the way, I couldn't find a Quenya or a Sindarin word for tiger.

Tiger, in my words + tigers

noreply@blogger.com (illunse) — Fri, 30 Dec 2011 19:28:00 +0000

tigir : tiger

The Illunse word for tiger is tigir. Tigir is a rare last name. In Old High German tigir means tiger. In Old Norse tigir means tens, as in 100 is tíu tigir or ten tens. Tigir is the name of a place in Pakistan.

This word is a mixture of the Latin word for tiger which is tigris, and the Old English word for tiger which is tiger (same as modern English).

tigiras : tigers

The Illunse word for tigers (nominative plural) is tigiras. Tigiras is a computer user name.

Tigers in Latin is tigris or tigridis. Tigers in Old English is tigras.

So "lions and tigers and bears!" (oh my!), a memorable line from The Wizard of Oz, in Illunse is "leonas ed tigiras ed bursan".

Lion, in J.R.R. Tolkien's words + lions

noreply@blogger.com (illunse) — Sat, 17 Dec 2011 04:15:00 +0000

The Quenya word for lion is rá. The word ravennë is she-lion. Lions, the plural, is rávi.

The Sindarin word for lion is raw. Lions, the plural, is roe. Note, this may be archaic Sindarin.

Lion, in my words + lions

noreply@blogger.com (illunse) — Fri, 16 Dec 2011 04:16:00 +0000

leon : lion

The Illunse word for lion is leon. Leon is a masculine first name. Leon is a last name. León is a city and province of northwestern Spain. Kings of Leon is an American rock band. In Spanish león means lion. In Interlingua and Irish leon means lion. Leon is the name of cities in Mexico, the Philippines, and Nicaragua.

This word is a mixture of the Latin word for lion which is leo, and the Old English word for lion which is léo or léona.

leonas : lions

The Illunse word for lions (nominative plural) is leonas. Leonas is an uncommon last name. Leona's restaurants in Chicago area. In Spanish Las Leonas, the nickname of the Argentina women's field hockey team, means The Lionesses.

Lions in Latin is leonis. Lions in Old English is léon or léonan.

Bear, in my words (revised) + bears

noreply@blogger.com (illunse) — Sat, 10 Dec 2011 22:35:00 +0000

bursa : bear

The Illunse word for bear is bursa. Bursa is a last name. In medieval Latin bursa means purse, funds. Bursa is a city in northwestern Turkey.

This word is a mixture of the Latin word for bear which is ursus, and the Old English word for bear which is bera.

My previous Illunse word for bear was bersu.

bursan : bears

The Illunse word for bears (nominative plural) is bursan. Bursan is an uncommon last name. Bursan is the name of a place in Ireland.

Bears in Latin is ursi. Bears in Old English is beran.

Here's a link to Bears, in Tolkien's words.

Rats, in my words

noreply@blogger.com (illunse) — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 21:40:00 +0000

rata : rats

The Illunse word for rats (nominative plural) is rata. Rata is a last name. Rata means rat (singular) in Catalan, Galician and Spanish. In Finnish rata means track, line. Rata means installment in Italian, Polish and Serbo-Croatian. In Maori rata means tame, quiet. Rata is the name of places in Indonesia, Pakistan, Romania, Soloman Islands, Vanuatu, New Zealand and Peru.

Rats in Latin is rati. Rats in Old English is rætas.

Rat in Illunse is ratu, which is a mix of the Latin word (ratus) and the Old English word (ræt).

If you haven't already noticed, my Illunse nominative case plurals are a bit complicated. I use guidelines that take into account the grammatical gender of the Latin and Old English words.

Here's a link to Rat, in J.R.R. Tolkien's words.

Spiders, in my words

noreply@blogger.com (illunse) — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 19:44:00 +0000

acreopan : spiders

The Illunse word for spiders (nominative plural) is acreopan. Acreopan is similar to two words in some real estate ads, acre + open.

Spiders in Latin is aranei or araneae. Spiders in Old English is átorcoppan.

Spider in Illunse is acreopa, which is a mix of the Latin word (araneus or aranea) and the Old English word (átorcoppe).

Here's a link to Spider, in J.R.R. Tolkien's words.

Snakes, in my words

noreply@blogger.com (illunse) — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 19:52:00 +0000

snedra : snakes

The Illunse word for snakes (nominative plural) is snedra. Snedra is a rare term, various computer user names.

Snakes in Latin is serpentis. Snakes in Old English is nǽdran.

Snake in Illunse is snedre, which is a mix of the Latin word (serpens) and Old English word (nǽdre). There are other words for snake in both Latin and Old English.

Here's a link to Snake, in J.R.R. Tolkien's words.

Sheep (plural), in my words

noreply@blogger.com (illunse) — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 03:10:00 +0000

scovan : sheep (plural)

The Illunse word for sheep (nominative plural) is scovan. Scovan is a rare last name.

Sheep (plural and also singular) in Latin is ovis. Sheep (plural and also singular) in Old English is scéap. Maybe this is why in Modern English you have one sheep and two or more sheep, instead of the plural being sheeps. In Illunse I'd like the singular and plural to be different.

Here's a link to Sheep, in J.R.R. Tolkien's words.

Goats, in my words

noreply@blogger.com (illunse) — Sun, 27 Nov 2011 04:33:00 +0000

gapran : goats

The Illunse word for goats (nominative plural) is gapran. Gapran is an unusual last name.

She-goats (or nanny-goats) in Latin is caprae. He-goats (or billy-goats) in Latin is capri. She-goats in Old English is gæt. He-goats in Old English is gátbuccan.

My Illunse word for goats is a all-purpose term for more than one goat. If I find the need for separate words for he-goat and she-goat, I'll figure it out.

Goat in Illunse is gapre, which is a mix of the Latin words (capra/caper) and Old English words (gát/gátbucca).

Here's a link to She-goat, in J.R.R. Tolkien's words.

Foxes, in my words

noreply@blogger.com (illunse) — Sat, 26 Nov 2011 00:11:00 +0000

fospa : foxes

The Illunse word for foxes (nominative plural) is fospa. FOSPA is an acronym for a several associations.

Foxes in Latin is vulpis. Foxes in Old English is foxas. Although both plurals end in -s, I decided to do something different for Illunse. My rationale is geeky, so I'll just say I'm doing this for esthetic reasons.

Fox in Illunse is fospe, which is a mix of the Latin word (vulpes) and Old English word (fox).

Here's a link to Fox, in J.R.R. Tolkien's words.

Pigs, in my words

noreply@blogger.com (illunse) — Tue, 22 Nov 2011 03:36:00 +0000

sircu : pigs

The Illunse word for pigs (nominative plural) is sircu. Sircu is a rare last name. In the Star Wars universe, Sai Sircu was a member of the Nightsisters of Dathomir during the time of the Clone Wars.

Pigs in Latin is porci. Pigs in Old English is swín (same as the singular). Neither of these words contain a u, but I need more flexibility when making plurals. You could say that I'm borrowing a u from the Latin word for pig, porcus. Many of the plurals I've posted lately have ended in -as, but there are other types.

Pig in Illunse is sirc, which is a mix of the Latin word (porcus) and Old English word (swín).

Here's a link to Pig, in J.R.R. Tolkien's words.

Horse, in my words (revised) + horses

noreply@blogger.com (illunse) — Mon, 21 Nov 2011 03:11:00 +0000

hrus : horse

The Illunse word for horse is hrus. Hrus is an unusual last name. In Mount&Blade PC game there's a Hrus castle.

This word is a mixture of the Old English word for horse which is hors and the Latin word for horse which is equus (which I transliterate to ecwuus).

My previous Illunse word for horse was orwes. I liked that word, but I decided to change it because I didn't like my options for the nominative plural.

hrusas : horses

The Illunse word for horses (nominative plural) is hrusas. Hrusas is a rare last name.

Horses in Latin is equi. Horses in Old English is hors (same as the singular).

Here's a link to Horse, in Tolkien's words.

Mice, in my words

noreply@blogger.com (illunse) — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 06:27:00 +0000

musas : mice

The Illunse word for mice (nominative plural) is musas. Musas is a rare last name. In Spanish and Portuguese Musas means Muses, the goddesses who inspire the creation of literature and the arts.

Mice in Latin is muris. Mice in Old English is mýs.

Mouse in Illunse is mus, which is a mix of the Latin word (mus) and Old English word (mús). The Latin and Old English words are basically the same.

By the way, I couldn't find a Quenya or a Sindarin word for mouse.

Arrow, in J.R.R. Tolkien's words

noreply@blogger.com (illunse) — Sat, 12 Nov 2011 06:48:00 +0000

The Quenya word for arrow is pilin.

I didn't find a Sindarin word for arrow.