Mateis
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This article discusses the language as spoken by the Matis.
Pronunciation
The Matisian language makes use of generally soft sounds. There is very little overlap between many consonants, vowels and diphthongs. In the Matisian language there are harsh sound such as the t and k, as well as reserved words that has a often negative, unpleasant or otherwise important connotation, eg. of the latter include "Kterhos", which means Fyros and is considered one of the harshest words in the Matisian language containing 3 harsh consonants.
Vowels
- a, o, i are pronounced like their counterparts in the common French tongue.
- e is pronounced as the French would pronounce é.
- u is a sound between the french u and ou.
- y can be considered both a vowel and a consonant, as a vowel it is pronounced as i.
Consonants
Note: All consonants in the Matisian language are sounded. Also, sounds not listed here are pronounced as they would be in French.
- y can be considered both vowel and a consonant, as a consonant it is pronounced like the English initial y in "you"
- ch is pronounced as tch similar to English ch, eg. cherae is pronounced tchéraé.
- sh is pronounced like the French ch.
- r is pronounced from the back of the throat, similar to French r or halfway between Spanish r and English r.
- c, k, t are hard sounds and are pronounced like one would pronounce them in French. The c and k usually denote a negative or an important notion such as in the word "necat" (end) or the honorific "-karan" (king). c when followed by and e or i is pronounced ké and ki respectively.
- rh is the harshest sound in the Matisian language and is pronounced similarly to the Spanish j and comes from the back of the throat. These sounds are rare and only appear in words with a strong negative connotation.
- Double consonants like ss lengthens the sound, double consonants are usually exceptional, like "nasse" (poison)
Common Phrases
| Phrase | English |
|---|---|
| aiya(e) | Hey (lit. "blessed") |
| davae naia | Good evening (lit. "sweet night") |
| deles aiye | Greetings! (this is less formal than "deles silam" but stronger than "aiya") |
| deles silam | Good day, (lit. "good time", this phrase contains no notion of time) |
| deles necat | Goodbye (lit. "ending time") |
| meria naia | Goodnight |
| deles cherae | Good luck! (lit. "chance time") |
| erates file | Congratulations! (lit. "Be proud!") |
| naete | Please |
| fila(e) | Thank you |
| neis | You're welcome |
| Jena aiye | Blessed be Jena! |
| ser(ae) | Mr/Ms |
| nec | used for negation, eg. nec mindaleis = I dislike |
| nec | No |
| sil | Yes |
Note: letters in brackets indicate the letter to be added for the word's feminine form.
Prefixes
- ata- : again
- mai(ae)- : good, beneficial, well
- ulca(e)- : malicious, bad
Suffixes
Honorifics
- -wivan : underling, honorific used for someone beneath your standing
- -modin : equal, honorific used for someone equal to your standing
- -kin : lord, honorific used for someone of higher standing i.e a superior or noble
- -karan : king, reserved honorific for the Matis king
Adjectives and Passive forms
- -a : masculine singular
- -ae : feminine singular
- -ai : plural (masculine or feminine)
Nouns
Note: matal = fight
- -e : singular
- -ei : plural
- -ena : a contraction of "-e nar". Marker indicating a person performing an action, eg. matalena = the (male) warrior, one who fights
- -enae : feminine form of -ena, the person performing the action is a female, eg. matalenae = the (female) warrior
- -enai : plural of -ena, eg. matalenai : the warriors
- -a/ae/ai : marker, used in the passive voice, to indicate the person or object undergoing an action, eg. matala = the beaten, the fighting
Verbs
Note: mindal = love; mot = work
- -eis : present tense and infinitive marker, eg. mindaleis = I love
- -eiti : past tense marker, eg. mindaleiti = I loved
- -ias : future tense marker, eg. mindalias = I shall love
- -ates : imperative marker, eg. motates = work!
Important! Matisian verbs only indicate time and do NOT conjugate, meaning it does not change according to the subject performing the action. When a subject is not present the first person singular (I) is automatically the subject, or in case of the present tense form it can also have an infinitive meaning.
Articles
| Article | Meaning | |
|---|---|---|
| Definite article: | i | the |
| Partitive article: | di | of |
Notes on articles:
- There is no indefinite article, eg. "i ende" means "the heart" while "ende" can mean either just "heart" or "a heart"
- The partitive article can also be used meaning "from" or "by", eg. "tuleiti di Zora" means "I came from Zora"
Pronouns
Personal pronouns
| Word | English |
|---|---|
| ne | I, me |
| le | you (singular) |
| se | he, she, it |
| nye | us |
| lye | you (plural) |
| sye | they |
Possessive Adjectives
| Masculine Singular |
Feminine Singular |
Plural | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| na | nae | nai | my |
| la | lae | lai | your |
| sa | sae | sai | his, her, its |
| nya | nya | nyai | our |
| lya | lya | lyai | your |
| sya | sya | syai | their |
Note: Possessive adjectives agree with the number and case of the noun they modify, eg. na mane e nai sanei = my food and my thoughts
Examples:
- sa nar : his homin
- sae narae : her homin
- la mindalena : your lover
- lae mindalenae : your lover
- na mindala : my darling
- nae mindalae : my darling
- na mate : my labour
- nai matei : my labours
Interrogative pronouns
- ma : which/what?
- il : when?
- lar : where?
- manya : how?
- ye : who?
Derivatives:
| Word | Basic Meaning |
|---|---|
| mailya | everything |
| mamine | something |
| mane* | anything |
| ililya | all the time |
| ilmine | perhaps |
| ilne* | ever |
| larilya | everywhere |
| larmine | somewhere/anywhere |
| larne | nowhere |
| manyailya | by all means |
| manyamine | somehow |
| manyane | by any means |
| yeilya | everyone |
| yemine | someone |
| yene* | anyone |
* By adding "nec" in front of these words the word is negated, eg. nec mane = nothing; nec ilne = never; nec yene = no-one
Demonstrative pronouns
- tana : this, that, these, those, etc
Examples:
- tana ma : "what's that?" or "what are those?" or "what are these?"
- tana ye : "who's that?" or "who's this?"
Determinatives
| Present Tense | Past Tense | Future Tense | Basic Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| neis | neiti | nias | that's me |
| leis | leiti | lias | that’s you |
| seis | seiti | sias | that's him/her/it |
| nyeis | nyeiti | nyias | that's us |
| lyeis | lyeiti | lyias | that's you (plural) |
| syeis | syeiti | syias | that's them |
Other pronouns
- ena : there
- hya : here
Prepositions
- a : to, at, by
- an : towards, upwards (motion)
- apa : against, on
- ento : after
- epe : before
- ilya : with
- imi : in, on, aboard
- ten : for, towards
Conjunctions
- cil : or
- e : and
- nan : but
- nasie : because
Adverbs
- anda(e) : far, long
- ata : still, again, yet
- ata- : prefix which gets the meaning of English "re-"
- hara(e) : near, short
- Ilya : together
- uvea : many, much
- yale : finally, at last
- laye : very
- sin : as well
Numerals
| Matis | English | Number |
|---|---|---|
| 0 | mane | zero |
| 1 | mine | one |
| 2 | ate | two |
| 3 | nele | three |
| 4 | came | four |
| 5 | leme | five |
| 6 | ene | six |
| 7 | ote | seven |
| 8 | tole | eight |
| 9 | nere | nine |
| 10 | caine | ten |
Adjectives
This section is under construction
| Matis | Basic Meaning |
|---|---|
| aiya(e) | blessed |
| alta(e) | built, manufactured, engineered (for plants) |
| anda(e) | far, long |
| ara(e) | owned, propertied |
| arya(e) | left, left-sided, left-handed, clumsy, awkward |
| avala(e) | nice, pleasant, agreeable |
| cadera(e) | fallen |
| chera(e) | lucky |
| dava(e) | sweet, tender, soft, gentle |
| decata(e) | painful, sorrowful, sad |
| era | hasbeen (as adjective) |
| ferya(e) | rightheous, right-sided, right-handed, straight, adroit, skillful, dexterous |
| fila(e) | proud |
| firha(e) | dead, extinct |
| hara(e) | near, short |
| lela(e) | Continuous, uninterrupted, unceasing |
| loida(e) | material, physical |
| luma(e) | living, live, vibrant |
| lutae | enchanting, enchanted |
| mai(ae) | good, favourable, well |
| mana(e) | eaten |
| matala(e) | beaten, battered, defeated |
| mata(e) | eloquent, speaking, spoken |
| mena(e) | gone |
| mera(e) | wanted, desired |
| meria(e) | beautiful |
| mindala(e) | loved |
| mota(e) | working |
| naia(e) | nocturnal |
| nara(e) | homin (as an adjective) |
| naeta(e) | pleasant, pleasing, amiable, amusing, agreeable |
| nata(e) | new |
| necata(e) | final, ending, ended |
| nerhta(e) | killed, murdered, assassinated |
| nitya(e) | small |
| ora(e) | due (as an adjective) |
| palta(e) | stricken, affected |
| pola(e) | possible |
| sama(e) | helped, saved |
| sana(e) | thoughtful |
| sarda(e) | hard, rough, rigid |
| satia(e) | strong, brave |
| silama(e) | joyous, happy |
| sula(e) | drunken |
| tana(e) | made, ripe |
| tula(e) | destination |
| ulca(e) | evil, bad |
| uma(e) | great, tall |
| vaina(e) | surrounded, besieged, envelopped, entwined |
| vanima(e) | ugly, unsightly, ill-favoured |
| valya(e) | protected, guarded |
| vela(e) | understodd, seen, watched |
Nouns
| Matis | Basic Meaning |
|---|---|
| aire | copper (colour) |
| aiye | blessing |
| altae | manufacturing |
| altaena | manufacturer, maker |
| ande | distance, length |
| are | ownership |
| arena | owner, possessor |
| arye | left(side), clumsiness |
| avale | pleasantness |
| cadeleule | bronze (colour) |
| cadere | fall, dusk |
| cirhie | traitor |
| cherae | luck, chance |
| dare | proximity |
| dave | sweetness |
| decat! | pain, suffering |
| deles | time |
| ende | heart |
| envine | cure, treatment |
| envinena | healer |
| ere | being, creature |
| ferye | right(side), address |
| file | pride |
| firhe | death |
| firhena | dead |
| ilmae | light, sun |
| ilmaule | gold (colour) |
| kainae | goddess |
| kterhos | a Fyros, barbarian, heathen |
| lele | Continuation |
| loide | body |
| lum! | life |
| lutaena(e) | enchanter |
| maie | well, good (both nouns) |
| mane | food |
| manena | eater |
| morhda | black, dark |
| morhdasane | inquietude, disquiet, dark thoughts |
| matala | the beaten, loser |
| matale | fight, battle |
| matalena | warrior, fighter |
| mata | history (that is spoken) |
| mate | speech, language |
| matena | orator, speaker, narrator |
| mearule | red, blood |
| mene | a round |
| mere | will |
| meriae | beauty |
| meriaena(e)* | a beatiful homin |
| mindala(e) | beloved, darling, sweetie |
| mindale | love |
| mindalena(e) | lover |
| mote | work, labour |
| motena | worker, labourer |
| naete | pleasure |
| naia | night |
| nar(ae) | a homin |
| nate | novelty |
| necat! | end |
| nasse | poison |
| nertha | the killed, victim |
| nerhte | assassination, murder |
| nerthena | assassin, murderer, killer |
| ninwe | sky, heaven |
| ninweule | blue |
| nirila | relection |
| nirile | mirror |
| nityae | smallness |
| nityaena | a small or short homin, a Tryker |
| ora | due (as a noun) |
| ore | duty |
| palte | touch, sensation |
| pole | power |
| sama | those who are helped, the saved |
| same | rescue, aid |
| samena | that which helps, savior |
| sane | thought |
| sanena | thinker |
| sarde | hardness, rigidity |
| satie | strength |
| silam! | joy, happiness |
| sule | drink |
| sulena | drinker |
| tane | fact |
| tule | advent, arrival |
| tuline | red-gold (colour) |
| ulcae | disease, evil |
| ulcaena | patient |
| ulye | colour |
| umae | greatness |
| umaena | a great or tall homin, a Zoraï |
| vaine | envelope, entourage |
| valya | protege |
| valye | protection, custody |
| valyena | protector, guardian |
| vanime | ugliness |
| vela | view |
| vele | look, expression |
| velena | observer |
! These nouns are irregular
* This can also be replaced by the phrase "almeria(e) nar(ae)"
Verbs
| Infinitive | Past Tense | Future Tense | Imperative | Basic Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| aiyeis | aiyeiti | aiyias | aiyates | to bless |
| altaeis | altaeiti | altaias | altaates | to make, to produce, to manufacture |
| andeis | andeiti | andias | andates | to be far |
| areis | areiti | arias | arates | have/has (auxiliary verb), to have |
| aryeis | aryeiti | aryias | aryates | to be clumsy |
| avaleis | avaleiti | avalias | avalates | to be nice, to be agreeable |
| cadereis | cadereiti | caderias | caderates | to fall, to descend |
| cheraeis | cheraeiti | cheraias | cheraates | to be lucky |
| daveis | daveiti | davias | davates | to be gentle |
| decateis | decateiti | decatias | decatates | to be in pain (intransitive), to hurt (transitive) |
| envineis | envineiti | envinias | envinates | to cure, to treat |
| ereis | ereiti | erias | erates | to be |
| feryeis | feryeiti | feryias | feryates | to be right, to be clever |
| fileis | fileiti | filias | filates | to be proud |
| firheis | firheiti | firhias | firhates | to die, to be dying |
| hareis | hareiti | harias | harates | to approach |
| leleis | leleiti | lelias | lelates | to carry on, to continue, to proceed |
| lumeis | lumeiti | lumias | lumates | to live, to be alive |
| lutaeis | lutaeiti | lutaias | lutaates | to enchant |
| maieis | maieiti | maiias | maiates | to be well, to feel comfortable |
| maneis | maneiti | manias | manates | to eat, to feed |
| mataleis | mataleiti | matalias | matalates | to battle, to fight |
| mateis | mateiti | matias | matates | to speak |
| meneis | meneiti | menias | menates | to go, to travel |
| mereis | mereiti | merias | merates | to want, to desire |
| meriaeis | meriaeiti | meriaias | meriaates | to be beautiful |
| mindaleis | mindaleiti | mindalias | mindalates | to love |
| moteis | moteiti | motias | motates | to work |
| naeteis | naeteiti | naetias | naetates | to be pleasant, to be agreeable, to please |
| nateis | nateiti | natias | natates | to renew |
| necateis | necateiti | necatias | necatates | to end, to finish |
| nerhteis | nerhteiti | nerhtias | nerhtates | to kill, to murder, to butcher, to slay |
| nityaeis | nityaeiti | nityaias | nityaates | to be small |
| oreis | oreiti | orias | orates | ought to, must |
| palteis | palteiti | paltias | paltates | to hit, to touch, to feel |
| poleis | poleiti | polias | polates | to be able, can |
| sameis | sameiti | samias | samates | to help, to save |
| saneis | saneiti | sanias | sanates | to think |
| sardeis | sareiti | sardias | sardates | to roughen |
| satieis | satieiti | satiias | satiates | to be strong, to be brave |
| silameis | silameiti | silamias | silamates | to tickle, to be happy |
| suleis | suleiti | sulias | sulates | to drink |
| taneis | taneiti | tanias | tanates | to do |
| tuleis | tuleiti | tulias | tulates | to come |
| ulcaeis | ulcaeiti | ulcaias | ulcaates | to be ill |
| umaeis | umaeiti | umaias | umaates | to grow up, to be great |
| vaineis | vaineiti | vainias | vainates | to surround, to envelop, to hug |
| valyeis | valyeiti | valyias | valyates | to protect, to keep, to guard |
| vanimeis | vanimeiti | vanimias | vanimates | to be ugly |
| veleis | veleiti | velias | velates | to see, to watch |
References
Note: All sources are in French
