#Zemzan

[parakaryote]

I did some conlanging for Zemzan, the language spoken in my sci-fi xenofiction WIP The Gift of Gloves.

Though I am interested in learning about different languages, I am not a linguist by any stretch, so this post is not going to go very in-depth.

General sounds

Regarding txentx language as a whole: their vocal organs have a complex arrangement of folds inside the “larynx” in front of the vocal cords, which effectively play the role that the tongue / teeth / lips do in human speech. Because of this, txentx languages are (mostly) pronounceable by humans and vice versa. Their voices are naturally high-pitched because the cords are quite short.

Zemzan heavily utilizes the “t”, “z”, “k”, “x”, and short “e” sounds. The “x” sound is more sibilant than the English X because of the way it is produced in the “larynx”.

Grammar / Syntax

Subject-verb-object order

Highly fusional. Many words and most personal names (more on that below) are created through a prefix-suffix system. For example, as touched on here, the names of many furred animals consist of the word for “beast” used as a suffix, with a word describing a quality of the animal as the prefix.

Two syllables is the most common word length. One is mainly reserved for grammatical articles, three or higher is uncommon.

Completely gender-neutral aside from feminine and masculine first-person pronouns (“ep” and “et”, respectively). Most Lyntegian txentx cultures don’t have very strong concepts of gender.

Past, present, and future tenses.

Minimal inflection, kind of monotonous.

Names

There are two very common name suffixes: -ex and -ten (-tan if following the “x” sound). The -ex suffix roughly translates to “one who is (quality)”, and -ten/-tan translates to “descendant of (first syllable of the ancestor’s name)”.

Meanings of major character names:

Taigex: “Curious one” (taige (curious) + -ex)

Sezten: “Descendant of Sezpex” (“Sezpex” itself is derived from “sezpo”, meaning “bright-eyed”)

Kurex: “Brave one” (parents were hopeful) (“kuri” means “brave”)

Yaxtan: “Descendant of Yaxko”

Most names with other endings are direct word-names (equivalent to being named Rose) and / or originate from other languages.

Written language

The written form of Zemzan is an alphabetical script that is written left-to-right. The letters are simple arrangements of lines for ease of scratching into dirt or wood (there is no paper or similar material in the story’s time period).

[parakaryote]

A txentx looking for under-snow moss has an unexpected encounter with a common northern temblathan. He stays still as a precaution, though the creature seems to be ignoring him, and takes note of the vegetation in its mouth, wondering whether he might be able to find some for himself.

Txentx have a number of similar-looking non-sapient relatives. These creatures, often collectively called “reflection-beasts” (“temblathan” in Zemzan), have spawned many a myth. Some claim they are the descendants of people punished for a wrongdoing. Others claim they are demons and should be avoided at all costs.

The truth is, temblathans are shy creatures who prefer to avoid txentx themselves. However, some species will turn EXTREMELY violent if they feel threatened, so txentx have an instinct to be cautious around them. Another reason to avoid temblathans is that they have generally similar diets to txentx; if they live too close together, they risk coming into conflict over food.