Inyauk

[ 'i&a( uk ]

Created by Bianca Mangum

2009-2011
Version 1.7l

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Inyauk [ @i1aAuk ] quite simply means 'people.' It is derived from the singular nyak meaning 'person.'
The term Inyauk refers to the people as a whole but a single person is called an Inyak.
The Inyauk have created their own social and linguistic isolation. Historically, they have been a
conquering people. Currently, they only have passing contact with two neighboring peoples, as the
rest have been eradicated by the Inyauk. As such, it is very rare for an Inyak to meet a foreigner.
To their northern neighbors, the Amjati, they are known as the Inak / in.@ak /, which is also used as a
verb meaning 'to murder.' This demonstrates the violent impression that the Inyauk have left.

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The Inyauk religion focuses on their four gods Txrsu, the sun god, Ltxal, the moon goddess, tsim,
the ocean god and msal, the earth goddess. These four gods form a variety of interesting pairs. Txrsu
and msal are both gods of creation and tsim an Ltxal are both gods of destruction.
However, both gods of creation can never exist with each other. Such an occurrence would cause an
over)ow of existence that would drown all life. Similarly if the two gods of destruction were to meet,
the universe would cease to exist. In order to avoid such disastrous events the gods are paired o+ with
their opposites. msal is married to tsim and Txrsu is married to Ltxal.
It is believed by some that these marriages of opposing forces are representative the past practice of
political marriages between warring Inyauk clans.

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The Inyauk occupy an area roughly equivalent to the size of Spain. It is a subtropical region with their
territory centered around the Usaan River, ilmarusaani. To the east is the mountains, isanuug, and to
the west is the ocean, islak. Their northern border reaches to the plains that are sparsely populated
with Amjati settlers. Finally, to the south is the Dark Forest, iflumtsulasi, which is a dense tropical
forest that the Inyauk have only begun to explore.

Also, there are (ve regions in Inyauk territory txakar, Pnyar, Tsnsir, rukar and ntsar. The
regions fall roughly on the old clan territories. The biggest city and the de facto capital is the Imperial
City, which is known as inrkulitsuuni or 'The City of the Gods.'

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Contrary to the beliefs of most outsiders most Inyauk make their living as farmers. They are an
extremely egalitarian society and view displays of excess as wasteful and disrespectful. These beliefs
are rooted in their religion.
All Inyauk do undergo a mandatory military training and service period of (ve years. This is viewed as
a right of passage and an Inyak cannot be considered an adult until they have completed it.

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The Inyauk language is an isolate. There are no known relatives but there have been a sizable number
of borrowings into the language of the Mountain people.

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Inyauk is the only language spoken in the Inyauk territory. As mentioned previously, most speakers
are monolingual due to their limited contact with outsiders. Those who do have contact foreigners are
usually merchants and are the rare few who learn a second language.
Both the Amjati and Mountain people, known as Imyati and Isanuug respectively, trade with the
Inyauk. However, due to their proximity there is more interaction with the Mountain people.
Many Inyauk feel that their language is sacred and given to them by their gods. As such they view
other languages as inferior. The Amjati language is especially viewed this way. The Inyauk see it as
convoluted with its unnecessary intricacies. With its gender and formality distinctions they (nd it
o+ensive to their egalitarian views. An Inyak will always use their native language if possible.
All Inyauk children speak Inyauk. Additionally, they are all taught to read and write the Inyauk script.
Illiteracy is considered a foreign de(ciency that is, in part, due to their inferior language.

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The Inyauk have a relatively small number of loan words in their language. These words are often
direct borrowings used for concepts not present in Inyauk society. Some examples from Amjati would
include: raatxaat from eratj meaning 'king' and yrik from jar meaning 'whore/prostitute.'

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Dialectical variation tends to be limited to phonological and lexical di+erences with the grammar
being mostly consistent throughout the regions. Since Inyauk only has three vowels there is a large
amount of room for variation.
This grammar will detail the dialect found in the Imperial City, Nrkulitsuuni, which is located in the
Tsnsir region along the saan river.
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There are only three vowels and they contrast in length creating six distinct vowels / a a? i i? u u? /,
along with two diphthongs / aAu aAi /.
In addition, diphthongs are allowed but can only be realized with short vowels. If a long vowel is
adjacent to any other vowel a glottal stop is inserted between them. Additionally, if a vowel is stressed
it cannot form a diphthong and a glottal stop will be inserted.
So, the following sequences would be realized as such:
/ V?V / B [ V?=V ]
/ VV? / B [ V=V? ]

/ @VV / B [ @V=V ]
/ V@V / B [ V@=V ]

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Stressed vowels, long vowels and diphthongs are always realized with the cardinal / a i u /. When
preceding a velar consonant or glottal stop, / a i u / become [ ! e o ] respectively. At the end of a
word, / a i u / is realized as [ & i u ]. In all other positions / a i u / are pronounced as [ & / 8 ].
Additionally, all diphthongs are preserved. / au ai / are pronounced [ au ai ] with the same length as a
geminated vowel. Non-diphthongs maintain the low /a/ but the initial vowel will become a glide.
So, / ia iu ua ui / become [ ja ju wa wi ].

Vowel Allophones Imperial City

Stressed

Long

Unstressed

Before
Rhotic

Word Finally

Before
Velar/Glottal

a?

&

&

i?

u?

MM

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Consonants in Inyauk are more numerous than vowels. There is a total of twenty contrastive
consonants that span across (ve places and six manners of articulation. With the exception of the
glottal stop and the palatal nasal, all consonants can appear in any position in a word.
There is less variation among the consonants as compared to the vowels. This is true in both
allophonically and between the regional dialects.

Inyauk Consonant Inventory

Labial

Coronal

Stops

pb

td

Nasals

Fricatives

Palatal

Glottal

k,

A+ricates

Taps

Approximants

MN

Velar

4 5014
Stops are the only manner of articulation that contrasts voicing, with voiced stops being less frequent
than their unvoiced counterparts. The glottal stop is an interesting phoneme, because it only appears
as the result of phonological processes. As such, it can only appear intervocalically. All other stops can
appear in any position.
Voiceless stops are aspirated except for when they are directly followed by another consonant or they
are word (nal. / p t k / B [ p- t- k- ]
Ex: Ppatx
/ @papa7 / B [ @p-ap-&7 ]
'heart'

Ex: p
/ @ap / B [ @ap ]
'go'

Ex: Ttan
/ @tatan / B [ @t-at-&n ]
'health'

Ex: urat
/ @u=u4at / B [ @u=84&t ]
'immortal'

Ex: Krika
/ @ki4ika / B [ @k-i4ek-& ]
'panther'

Ex: Slak
/ @salak / B [ @sal!k ]
'ocean'

Voiced stops in unstressed syllables become lenited, except for when at word boundaries.
/bd,/B["$:]
Ex: Bt
/ @bat / B [ @bat ]
'child'

Ex: Nban
/ @naban / B [ @na"&n ]
'hawk'

Ex: Dr
/ @da4 / B [ @da4 ]
'(ve'

Ex: Hdar
/ @xada4 / B [ @xa$a4 ]
'(fteen'

Ex: Grax
/ @,a4a5 / B [ @,a4&5 ]
'secret'

Ex: Mgal
/ @ma,al / B [ @ma:&l ]
'smooth'

MO

A notable regional di+erence is that in the Pnyar region / , / has been replaced by / q /. Also, the
lenition of the voiced stops varies. In Pnyar / b d q / become [ v % ; ] and in the other regions / b d , /
become [ " % : ].
In Pnyar, the following words would be realized as such:
Ex: Grax
/ @qa4a5 / B [ @qa4a5 ]
'secret'

Ex: Mgal
/ @maqal / B [ @ma;al ]
'smooth'

/ "4"-4
The three nasals exhibit very little variation. Both / m / and / n / can occur in any position.
However, / 1 / is only found word initially and medially.
Before a velar consonant / n / is realized as [ 2 ].
Ex: Intratx
/ in@ta4a7 / B [ /n@t-a4&7 ]
'his destruction'

Ex: Inkatx
/ in@ka=a7 / B [ /2@k-a=&7 ]
'his house'

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There is noticeable di+erence in frequency between the fricatives. The least common one is /3/, with
the most frequent ones being / s / and / x /. All fricatives, with the exception of / x /, become voiced
when preceding a nasal or voiced stop.
Ex: Iftrik
/ if@ta4ik / B [ /f@t-a4ek ]
'your spine'

Ex: Ifdri
/ if@da4i / B [ /v@da4i ]
'your magic'

Ex: Izkha
/ i3@kaha / B [ /3@k-ax& ]
'your box'

Ex: Izgrig
/ i3@,a4i, / B [ /%@,a4e, ]
'your hat'

Ex: Tuskuha
/ tus@ka=uxa / B [ t-8s@k-a=ox& ]
'six boxes'

Ex: Tusgriug
/ tus@,a4iu, / B [ t-8z@,a4iu, ]
'six hats'
MP

Ex: xkar
/ @a5ka4 / B [ @a5k-a4 ]
'duel'

Ex: xmar
/ @a5ma4 / B [ @a<ma4 ]
'fusion'

Ex: Nahtrik
/ nax@ta4ik / B [ n!x@t-a4ek ]
'a spine'

Ex: Nahdri
/ nax@da4i / B [ n!x@da4i ]
'a magic'

" ''3*$"5&4
A+ricates are aspirated when in the onset of a stressed syllable.
Ex: Txm
/ @7m / B [ @7-im ]
'I'

Ex: tx
/ @a7 / B [ @a7 ]
'yes'

Ex: Tsag
/ @6a=a, / B [ @6-a=!, ]
'thing'

Ex: tsar
/ @i6a4 / B [ @i6a4 ]
'word'

In rukar and parts of txakar, a+ricates become ejectives under the same conditions
/ @7 @6 / B [ @7 > @6> ].
A typical pronunciation of the following words in rukar:
Ex: Tsag
/ @6a=a, / B [ @6>a=#, ]
'thing'

Ex: tsar
/ @i6a4 / B [ @i6>!4 ]
'word'

- *26*%4!"/%!" 11309*."/54
Like most other phonemes in Inyauk, / l 4 j / can be found at any position within a word. The one
placement restriction is that / j / cannot be adjacent to / n / or / 1 /. They are very stable in their
pronunciation and exhibit little to none allophonic variation.

MQ

30."/*;"5*0/
The Inyauk have their own writing system, but there is also a standard romanization that will be used
in this grammar. Glottal stops are not written because the appear from regular phonological processes.

Inyauk Romanization
Consonants

Vowels

p
b
t
d
k
<p> <b> <t> <d> <k>

!
<g>

'
*

f
<f>

(
< ts>

)
< tx >

s
%
x
<z> <s> <x> <h>

m
n
#
< m > < n > < ny >
$
<r>

l
<l>

j
<y>

a
a,
i
i,
u
u,
au
ai
< a > < aa > < i > < ii > < u > < uu > < au > < ai >

Primary stress will be indicated by an accent over the stressed vowel. If a second accent is present, it
does not convey stress but rather indicates the (rst vowel of an adjoining root. This is done to help
readers to parse the word correctly.

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Syllables are simple with a maximal structure of (C)V(C). This only allows for consonant clusters
across syllable boundaries.
Stress always falls on the (rst vowel of the root. This is marked with an accent over the vowel. Stressed
vowels cannot form diphthongs or geminates, and are naturally longer than unstressed vowels.

MR

1 30$&44&4
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Unlike vowels, consonants are not allowed to be geminated in Inyauk. When this occurs the length is
transferred to the following vowel.
tsunaataratx [ @i68na?t-a4&7 ]
UNDERLYING
B VOWEL LENGTHENING
6unnatara7
B 6unaatara7
6un-na-ta4a7
god-ADJ-destroy
'god of destruction'

" 44*.*-"5*0/
When consonants of the same place or manner are adjacent, the second will assimilate to the place or
manner of the (rst. This will result in a geminated consonant that will follow the vowel lengthening
rule mentioned before.
Flumaatsulas [ @fal8ma?68las ]
UNDERLYING
B ASSIMILATION
flumna6ulas
B flumma6ulas
flum-na-6ulas
forest-ADJ-dark
'dark forest'

B
B

VOWEL LENGTHENING

flumaatsulas

The only exceptions to this rule are liquids / l 4 / and nasals / m n 1 /. Liquids will only assimilate
with other liquids and nasals will only assimilate with other nasals.
halnaihda [ @ax&lnaix$& ]
UNDERLYING
SURFACE
B
axalnaixda
B
xalnaixda
xal-na-ixda
grass-ADJ-green
'green grass'

MS

( -055"-!4 501!* /4&35*0/

There is also a rule that requires that stressed vowels cannot be geminated or adjacent to any other
vowel. A glottal stop is inserted between the stressed vowel and any neighboring vowel. As noted
before, the glottal stop is not expressed in the romanization.
Inyak [ e@=i1!k ]
UNDERLYING
B
i1ak
B
i-1ak
DEF-person
'the person'

GLOTTAL STOP

i=1ak

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There are also times when an invalid consonant cluster will appear where assimilation cannot take
place. In order to make a valid sequence, the following vowel is duplicated and inserted between the
o+ending consonants.
Lanka [ l&@nak-& ]
UNDERLYING
B VOWEL DUPLICATION
lnka
B lanka
l-nka
MDL-meal
'that cat'

MT

Certain words may require the use of several of these processes. It is also important to note that there
is order in which these processes occur.
Nahudan [ n!xo@=u$&n ]
UNDERLYING
B ASSIMILATION
naxkdan
B naxxdan
nax-kudan
PRX-co+ee
'this co+ee'
Itxilin [ /7e@=il/n ]
UNDERLYING
B ASSIMILATION
i)slin
B i))lin
i7-slin
1sgP-sibling
'my sibling'
Lantxab [ l!@=an7&b ]
UNDERLYING
B ASSIMILATION
l$n7ab
B lln7ab
l-4an7ab
MED-town
'that town'

B
B

VOWEL LENGTHENING

B
B

VOWEL LENGTHENING

B
B

VOWEL LENGTHENING

naxudan

i)ilin

lan7ab

MU

B
B

GLOTTAL STOP

B
B

GLOTTAL STOP

B
B

GLOTTAL STOP

naxu'dan

i)i=lin

la'n7ab

( 2".."4*$"-!$ "4&(02*&3
Inyauk only has three true categories of words nouns, verbs and functional words. The (rst two,
nouns and verbs, take a large number of a*xes. The closed class of functional words is easily
distinguished because they do not take any a*xes and are quite short in length.

/ 06/4
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Inyauk proper names act very much like common nouns. They can take a*xes and in many cases are
just common nouns. The Inyauk naming tradition allows for an adult Inyak to choose their own name.
After years of waiting, it is expected that one chooses a name with a meaning that re)ects their
nature. A made-up name is thought to be re)ective a person who is irresponsible or lazy.
0 /22&22*#,*38

The strongest type of possession is done with cases. It infers direct control over an object. That is the
possessor can do whatever it wishes with it. The Inyauk have a strict taboo against slavery and for this
reason it is considered highly o+ensive to use the possessed case with a person.
When used with certain verbs this distinction can act as a secondary human vs. nonhuman marker.
However, the other weaker kinds of possession do not evoke this distinction.
For example you can say:
Ex: Itxnka
[ /7@naka ]
i7-naka
1sgP-cat
'my cat'

Ex: Txr nkaat

[ @7-i4 @nak-a?t ]
7i-4
naka-at
1sg-PSR
cat-PSD
'I have a cat.'

NL

However, with a person, the second example is invalid:

Ex: Itxman

Ex: Txr manat*

[ /7@am&n ]
i7-aman
1sgP-mother
'my mother'

[ @7-i4 @am&n&t ]
7i-4
aman-at
1sg-PSR
mother-PSD
'I own a mother.'

With this construction the second example implies that the speaker keeps their mother as a slave. In
order to say 'I have a mother,' one must default to the non-possessive cases. Possessive cases are
explained further in the section on!$ "4&.
Ex: Txm manaya.
[ @7-i4 @am&n&j& ]
7i-m
aman-aja
1sg-AGT mother-OBJ
'I have a mother.'

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Most words in Inyauk are formed from base roots and they can usually be used for nouns or verbs,
with the main di+erence being which set o+ a*xes are applied. There is no limit on root structure as
long it (ts the overall phonotactics. See section the above section on 1 )0/0-0(:E

NM

1 30/06/4
Pronouns function the same as common nouns and have a full distinction between singular, dual and
plural. This, with the four person distinctions, gives Inyauk twelve unique pronouns.
Closer inspection of the pronouns shows that are actually composed of two parts. The (rst indicating
the person and the second indicating the number. These segments are metathesized to form the
personal possessive a*xes. These however do not function as roots and cannot take stress nor can
they appear in isolation.
Inyauk Pronouns
Bare

Possessive

Singular

Dual

Plural

Singular

Dual

Plural

First

Tx
[ +)*i ]

Txn
[ +)*in ]

Tx
[ +)*u ]

Itx[ ") ]

Nitx[ n") ]

Utx[ &) ]

Second

F
[ +fi ]

Fn
[ +fin ]

F
[ +fu ]

If[ "f ]

Nif[ n"f ]

Uf[ &f ]

Third

N
[ +ni ]

Nn
[ +nin ]

N
[ +nu ]

In[ "n ]

Nin[ n"n ]

Un[ &n ]

Fourth

Z
[ +-i ]

Zn
[ +-in ]

Z
[ +-u ]

Iz[ "- ]

Niz[ n"- ]

Uz[ &- ]

7 &3#4
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2 3"3&2!>!& -/3*/.2

Many stative expressions are actually formed without the use of verbs. They are formed by using the
possessive cases.
Ex: Txr nfat.
[ @7-i4 @nafat ]
7i-4
naf-at
1sg-PSR wine-PSD
'I have wine.'

Ex: Txm snakalak nfaya.

[ @7-im @san!k-&l!k @naf&j& ]
7i-m
sanak-al-ak
naf-aja
1sg-AGT drink-PST-END
wine-OBJ
'I drank the wine.'

NN

The main exception is expressing qualities of an object, which is done by incorporation. However, for
emphasis this can be expressed with cases as well.
Ex: Txnanira.
[ @7-inan/4& ]
7i-na-ni4a
1sg-ADJ-drunk
'I am drunk.'

Ex: Txr nraat.

[ @7-i4 @ni4a?t ]
7i-4
ni4a-at
1sg-PSR
drunk-PSD
'I am drunk.'

Weather is also expressed in a similarly verbless way. The possessed cased can be used in the absense
of context to express the existence of something. The meaning will often translate into 'there is' in
English.
Ex: Glimat.
[ ',al/m&t ]
galim-at
rain-PSD
'It's raining.'

Ex: Tslat.
[ '6-al&t ]
6al-at
sun-PSD
'It's sunny.'

$ /(.*3*/.

Verbs expressing cognition often take possessive cases rather than the standard Agent and Object
cases. This includes verbs such as 'to think,' 'to know,' 'to understand' and 'to learn.'
Ex: Nr ssikana.
[ 'ni4 'susek-&n& ]
ni-i4
susik-ana
3sg-PSR
know-CNT
'He knows.'

Ex: Nr dalana.
[ 'nim 'u$&l&n& ]
ni-i4
udal-ana
3sg-PSR understand-CNT
'He understands.'

Ex: Nr zrana nukaaf.

[ 'ni4 '3u4&n& 'na=ok-a?f ]
ni-i4
3u4-ana
na<u>ka-af
3sg-PSR
think-CNT
cat<pl>-ON
'He is thinking about cats.'

NO

However, if the thinking action refers to a person then the postposition defaults back to the Agent.
Ex: Nm zrana tsbimaf.
[ 'nim '3u4&n& '6i"/m&f ]
ni-im
3u4-ana
6ib-im-af
3sg-AGT
think-CNT
youth-FEM-ON
'He is thinking about the girl.'

NP

/ 05/!"/%!/ 05/;1)2"3&!0 1&2"4*0/3

$0.106/%*/(
There are compound words in Inyauk and where they exist they are treated as a single root word.
Compound words usually refer to a single concept rather than a simple conjunction of two or more
ideas. For example:
Ex: Iflumtsulasi

Ex: Iflumaatsulas

[ /@fal8m68l&si ]
i-falum.6ulas.i
DEF-forest.dark.B
'the dark forest*'
*The name of a speci(c forest.

[ /@fal8ma?68l&s ]
i-falum-na-6ulas
DEF-forest-ADJ-dark
'the forest is dark'

Coumpound words are formed by putting the two words together without the Adjectizer and adding -i,
the 'binder,' at the end.

% &/0.*/"-*;"5*0/
Most roots can be used interchangeably as nouns or verbs. There is no speci(c process for deriving
one from the other. Since each grammatical category has their set of a*xes it is apparent how a root is
being used.

NT

/ 6.#&3
Inyauk distinguishes between singular, dual and plural. This is done by the use of in(xes. The singular
is the plain root form of a noun. To form the dual one inserts '-ni-' before the (nal consonant and to
form the plural one inserts '-u-' before the (nal consonant.
Number
Singular

Dual

Plural

nyak
[ @i1!k ]
i1ak
person
'person'

nyanik
[ @i1&nek ]
i1a<ni>k
person<dl>
'two people'

nyauk
[ @i1auk ]
i1a<u>k
person<pl>
'people'

Tsla
[ @t-isl& ]
tisla
lightning
'a bolt of lightning'

Tsnila
[ @t-izn/l& ]
tis<ni>la
lightning<dl>
'two bolts of lightning'

Tsula
[ @t-is8l& ]
tis<u>la
lightning<pl>
'bolts of lightning'

Tsku%
[ @6-ak-o, ]
6aku,
star
'a star'

Tskuni%
[ @6-ak-8ne, ]
6aku<ni>,
star<dl>
'two stars'

Tskuu%
[ @6-ak-u?, ]
6aku<u>,
star<pl>
'stars'

NU

$ "4&
In a properly formed Inyauk sentence all nouns will be marked for cases. Inyauk has an exetensive
case system with twenty-four cases. These cases can be divide into three main functions thematic,
spatial and temporal.
Thematic cases dictate a nouns functional role in sentence. Agent (AGT), Possessor (PSR), Giver (GVR)
and Taker (TKR) are all thematic cases that indicate the subject of a sentence. Object (OBJ), Possessed
(PSD) and Result (RST) mark the object of a sentence and Recipient (RCP), Benefactor (BEN), With (WTH),
Without (WTO) and Means (MNS) mark the indirect object of a sentence.
Spatial cases are used to indicate the relative location of a noun and often act very similar ot English
prepositions. Cases in this category include: On (ON), In (IN), Between (BTW), Surrounding (SUR), Near
(NER), Above (ABV), Below (BLW), Origin (ORG) and Destination (DST).
Temporal cases mark a relative time of an action. During (DUR), Before (BFR) and After (AFT) are all
cases of this type.
Cases
Thematic

Spatial

Temporal

Agent (AGT)

-im On (ON)

-af

During (DUR) -utxat

Possessor (PSR)

-ir

In (IN)

-ax

Before (BFR) -uba

Giver (GVR)

-il

Between (BTW)

-atil

After (AFT)

Taker (TKR)

-ik

Surrounding (SUR) -agin

Object (OBJ)

-aya Near (NER)

-abar

Possessed (PSD)

-at

-ani

Result (RST)

-ahi Below (BLW)

-asun

Recipient (RCP)

-u

Origin (ORG)

-uhan

Destination (DST)

-ikat

Benefactor (BEN) -ia

With (WTH)

-iha

Without (WTO)

-iya

Means (MNS)

-ur

Above (ABV)

OL

-usi

% &5&3.*/&34C!"/%!% &.0/453"5*7&4!"/%!" 35*$-&4

Determiners are a class of pre(xes which include the de(nite (DEF) and inde(nite(IDF) articles,
demonstratives and possessive determiners. All determiners are optional and nouns can be used
without them.
There are three demonstratives proximal (PRX), medial (MDL) and distal (DTL), three quanti(ers all
(ALL), some (SOM) and none (NON) and twelve possessive determiners that correspond to the twelve
pronouns. These are discussed in more detail in the following section 1 044&44034.

Definite (DEF)

i-

Proximal (PRX)

l-

Medial (MDL)

u-

Distal (DTL)

apia-

OM

All (ALL)
Quantifiers

Indefinite (INF) nahDemonstratives

Articles

%<B<@>=?<@A
nu-

Some (SOM) sar-

None (NON) yar-