This article discusses the language spoken by the Matis.
The Matisian language makes use of mostly soft sounds. There are very few double consonants, and many vowels and diphthongs. There are very few hard sounds such as t and k, which are reserved for words that have an often negative or unpleasant connotation, or sometimes to convey importance or superiority. For example, the former use includes "Kterhos", which means "Fyros" and, containing 3 hard consonants, is considered one of the harshest words in the Matisian language.
Note: All consonants in the Matisian language are sounded. Also, sounds not listed here are pronounced as they would be in French.
| 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, e.g. nec mindaleis = I dislike |
| nec | No |
| sil | Yes |
Note: letters in brackets indicate the letter to be added for the word's feminine form.
Note: matal = fight
Note: mindal = love; mot = work
Important! Matisian verbs only indicate time and do not conjugate, in other words, they do 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, an infinitive is sometimes implied.
| Article | Meaning | |
|---|---|---|
| Definite article: | i | the |
| Partitive article: | di | of |
Notes on articles:
| Word | English |
|---|---|
| ne | I, me |
| le | you (singular) |
| se | he, she, it |
| nye | us, we |
| lye | you (plural) |
| sye | they |
| 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 gender of the noun they modify, e.g. na mane e nai sanei = my food and my thoughts
Examples:
| 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
Examples:
| 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 |
| Number | Matis | English |
|---|---|---|
| 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 |
| 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 | being (as adjective) |
| ferya(e) | righteous, 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) | 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), owed |
| 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, enveloped, entwined |
| vanima(e) | ugly, unsightly, ill-favoured |
| valya(e) | protected, guarded |
| vela(e) | understood, seen, watched |
| 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 |
| filar | noble |
| firhe | death |
| herena | guide |
| 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)"
| 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 |
Note: All sources are in French