From EncyclopAtys
Contents
- 1 Preamble
- 1.1 Sounds
- 1.2 General Language Info
- 1.3 Unsorted
- 1.4 See also
- 1.5 Resources
- 1.6 References
- 1.7 Notes
Preamble
Fyrk is a language of measure and reserve. It transcribes the way of life of the people of the Desert accustomed to surviving in a harsh and inhospitable environment. The Fyros language transcribed below was commonly spoken in the alleys, academies and palaces of the flamboyant capital of the Old Lands: Fyre.
Sounds
Vowels
The u is pronounced ou (as in mood). The e is pronounced é. The ü is pronounced u (as in new). The ï is pronounced aye (as in pie).
As a general rule, all vowels are pronounced, so pyrae is said pyr-a-é. Accented vowels are long (èch, ùch...). When there are more than two vowels to be pronounced in a row, the last one prevails. pyraeùch -> pyrùch Exception: pyraeen became pyrae
Consonants
The r is guttural as in French, except when it is preceded by an accented vowel (ûr, nûr). In this case it is rolled (as in Italian).
The t and the k are very marked.
The “sh” at the end of a word tends to fall in favor of the “k” when the idea conveyed should be imbued with force or power. Thus orash becomes orak (discipline) or fyrash became fyrak then fyrk (dragon).
Two recordings, on the fyros pronunciation: (thanks to Skarn and Horion!) [1] et [2].
General Language Info
Marks of plural, gender, or deference are absent. Fyros don't bother with these kinds of subtleties. The context is generally sufficient to define the number, rank, and sex of beings and things.
Verbs and Conjugations
The verb is the main vector of context, being the one who transcribes the action. It is always located at the end of a sentence. (Except in official documents and speeches where it immediately follows the subject)
The verb is conjugated in 4 cases: Present, past, future, imperative.
The declensions of the verbs 'being' and 'having' are used to decline all the other verbs.
| Past | Present | Future | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| I was | àch | I am | èch | I will be | och |
| You were | às | You are | ès | You will be | os |
| He was | àt / àr | He is | èt / èr | He will be | ot / òr |
| We were | san | We are | sun / sen | We will be | son |
| You were | sat | You are | sut / set | You will be | sot |
| They were | sam | They are | sum / sem | They will be | som |
| Pass | Present | Future | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| I had | nùk | I have | ùch | I will have | mùk |
| You had | nùs | You have | ùs | You will have | mùs |
| He had | nùr | He has | ùr | He will have | mùr |
| We had | nùn | We have | hùn | We will have | mùn |
| You had | nùt | You have | hùt | You will have | mùt |
| They had | nùm | They have | hùm | They will have | mùm |
So to conjugate a verb you just need to add the cases of being or having following its root. Example: I drink -> pyrùch (pyraeùch, cf. Les vowels)
The choice of the case of being or having depends on the type of action described. We speak of passive or active form.
A verb is said to be active when its subject does the action. The cases of the verb having are then used. (see the example above.)
A verb is said to be passive when its subject undergoes the action without having any power over it. The cases of the verb to be are then used. Example: I live -> pyrèch I receive -> lekèch
Past, Present and Probable Future
3 descriptive tenses for verbs in èch: past (àch), present (èch), future (och)
3 descriptive tenses for verbs in ùch: past (nùk/nùch), present (ùch), future ( mùk/mùch)
(mnemonic: AEOn NUMerical => àch-èch-och nùk-ùch-mùk)
Special Case:
- èt (he is) is to be distinguished from èr (he is at) which denotes belonging and is most of the time translated as of
Example:
fyros èt -> He is Fyros, he is a Fyros. èr fyros -> He is in the Fyros, he belongs to him. èr sel ! -> It's mine!
This form does not exist for verbs other than to be.
- Some clans use the forms sen, set, sem instead of sun, sut, sum (we are, you are, they are)
Command Tone
Imperative Mode: èkud -> sois, soyez ùkùd -> aie, ayez
Example:
kifyrèkud -> Be happy! gladùkud -> Fight! (to assault)
Pronouns
Fyrk allows the usage of personal pronouns :
| I | sel |
| you (single) | el |
| he | kel |
| we | zel |
| you (plural) | bel |
| they | nel |
However, these pronouns are almost always eluded. They are used to emphasize the subject. (Me, I am ...) and in conjunction with the article ûr (see the possessive). Official texts and sententious speeches also use personal pronouns.
Example : I am -> sel èch is often presented as èch.
Common names
Just like the verb, the noun is declined. Many common Fyrk nouns have an identical origin: the root. The declension of this root will give a new word with a new meaning from a unique ideological base. We speak of a son-noun (or godson-noun).
Example: the word or (light) is a root. Once declined it gives rise to godson words. Thus or + -en gives oren, which means the day. or+-um gives orum which means the Desert.
The rule is always the same. The root being always the lowest common denominator at the level of meaning as at the level of grammar, we obtain an effect of increasing power for each particle:
| Manifestation | Accumulation | Mastery | Ideal notion | |
| Root + | -en | -um | -ash(-ak,-k) | -aï |
Example :
| fyr(heat) | fyren(fire) | fyrum(blaze) | fyrk(dragon) | fyrai(destiny) |
| or(light) | oren(day) | orum(Desert) | orak(discipline) | orai(order) |
| tal(reason) | talen(truth) | talum(knowledge) | talash(wisdom) | talai(experience) |
In our example, fire is the manifestation of one of the qualities of the root, the blaze an accumulation of fire, the Dragon controls (or is the source) of fire, destiny is a notion which arises from all the previous cases.
Adjectives
There are no adjectives, strictly speaking, as in French. The same principle applies as for nouns.
Demonstratives
- -ci (near) -> ha
- -là (distant) -> ka
- ha fyren -> these fires, this fire.
Possessives and Comparatives
The article ûr is used to mark possession. It is often omitted. When it is present, the structure is as follows:
fyrek ûr fyrk -> the heat of the fire sel ûr fyren -> my fire ûr is also used in comparisons: ha fyren ûr fyr -> the heat belongs to this fire, in other words this fire is the hottest. The other element compared depends on the context.
Figures and Numbers
Numbers
Numbers are primarily used in combat to give direction of movement (see #Movements and order of battle).
This is why the Fyros numbering system is a base twelve system, more practical than base ten, because it is more easily divisible. There are therefore twelve numbers, including zero, although it is rarely used, except among scholars and Generals. Similarly, the simple soldier generally does not know how to count beyond 2 or 3 dozen.
| daï | zero, absence, empty, nothing |
| an | one |
| lo | two |
| hus | three, right |
| on | four |
| eps | five |
| la | six, retreat |
| in | seven |
| di | eight |
| sen | nine, left |
| ix | ten |
| melo | eleven, last, end |
We add:
- -hum for dozens (which correspond to tens[1] in base 10)
- -ash for dozens of dozens (which correspond to hundreds in base 10)
- -aï for dozens of dozens of dozens (which correspond to thousands in base 10)
Beyond this we use thousands of thousands by adding the ûr:
| anaï ûr anaï | "millions" (in base 12, in fact 12^6) |
| lozhaï ûr anaï | two "millions" (2*12^6 ) |
| anash ûr anaï ûr anaï | 12^2(anash) "millions"(12^6) |
| lozhash anum la | 216 (in base 12) or 302 (in base 10) |
Composition
As in French, the largest order first (thousands, then hundreds, then tens, then units) example: 158 = 144 + 12 + 6 = anash-anum-la
For millions (thousands of thousands) we put a multiplier in front if necessary: anash ûr anaï ûr anaï = 144 * 1728 * 1728
Only great scholars use this kind of number, ordinary mortals are content with anaï-kün (innumerable)
Rank, Order
Numbers are added as a suffix to indicate a rank, an order:
| glados-lo | second [group of] warrior(s) |
| malos-an | first brother, elder brother |
Fraction
Fractions are constructed from the prefix kek (from kekùch, to cut, to slice) followed by the number
| kek-lo | half, half |
| kek-hus | third, one out of three |
| kek-anaï | infinitesimal fraction, almost nothing |
Approximation
The suffix kün (large) is used to mean a few, or more than
| anum-kün | a few dozen, more than twelve |
| anash-kün | a few hundred, more than 144 |
| anaï-kün | many, innumerable |
The suffix bem (similar) is used to mean about
| lozhum-bem | about 2 dozen |
Proper names
All Fyros proper names come from common roots that are actually the names of the first fyros. The variations are due to the added particles that correspond to the numbers representing the position of the fyros in the lineage, family, tribe, or army.
Thus Boello Mekops is the second child of the 5th lineage of Mek.
Colours
Colours actually refer to things, objects of characteristic colour (like orange or turquoise in French which refer to the fruit and the corresponding stone).
To distinguish the thing from its colour we add if necessary the suffix -sk or -chk (if there is no possible ambiguity the suffix is omitted)
To nuance the colour we add the following suffixes:
- or : light
- dir : dark
- fyr' : bright, bright
- og : fade, greyish
The interrogative seka exists and means what colour (is)
| Reference | Color | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| atalmeyu | atalmeyusk | sawdust/sand (color) |
| fyren | fyren(sk) | fire (color), orange |
| fyrendir | red | |
| kahel | kask | amber |
| kaldir | garnet | |
| likan | likan(sk) | vegetable / green |
| likadir | dark green | |
| likafyr | emerald (color) | |
| mektib | mektichk | tawny (mektoub color) |
| meyu | meyu(sk) | wood color, brown |
| meyor (meyu i gold) | light wood, between beige and yellow | |
| mefyr (meyu i fyr) | bright yellow | |
| odra | odra(sk) | sky / blue |
| odrafyr | bright blue | |
| odradir | bright night | |
| odrag | Blue-gray | |
| odralyk | turquoise | |
| og | og(sek) | smoke / gray |
| ogor | light gray | |
| gold | orsk | white |
| orog | Very light gray (grayed white) | |
| diren | diren(sk) | night / black |
Movements
The vocabulary related to movement is quite complete, simple and unambiguous.
Direction
The numbers give the direction like on a clock (see the numbers), the verb geyùsh is used, the conjugation is often omitted for speed.
| gey | forward, twelve o'clock |
| gey-gey | forward (insistent, reinforced) |
| la, la-gey | rear, retreat, come back, six o'clock |
| an, angey | overflow slightly on the right, one o'clock |
| melo, melo-gey | overflow slightly on the left, eleven o'clock |
| sen, sen-gey | go left, nine o'clock |
| hus, hus-gey | go right, three o'clock |
The verticality information is given by the 2 opposite directions
| odra | upwards, sky |
| didra | downwards, depth |
We can also give positions relative to the enemy:
| nel ûr sen | on the left flank (of the enemy) |
| nel ûr la | on their rear guard, take them from behind |
Speed
The speed information is given by the suffix -za (fast) or -zakün (very fast); if the suffix is absent it means that there is no particular urgency
| gey-za | fast charge |
| gey-zakün | max speed charge |
| gey-gey-zakün | charge to the full, move! |
Rotation
| anum-gey | turn around (clockwise) |
| de-anum-gey | turn (counterclockwise) |
| anum-de-gey | stop turning |
Deploy or Regroup
| bekum[ukud] | regroup |
| debekum | deploy |
| glados gey-zakün ! | Warriors charge! |
| kamenos bekum | Magicians regroup / stay grouped! |
The different groups are either named (codename) or numbered according to their functions:
| glados-(bek)-an | first [group of] warriors |
| glados-an also means elite warrior; in case of possible confusion the bek becomes mandatory to remove the ambiguity. | |
| etikamen-(bek)-lo | second [group of] healers |
Counter-orders
| degey | stop |
| deza[ush] | slow down, slow down |
Enter, exit
| oks, oks-gey[ùsh], okùsh | Interior, enter |
| deok[ùsh] | exit |
Derivatives
| la-gey-zas | fleeing, cowardly, afraid, cowardly |
| la-gey-zas urkyan | fearful prey |
| gey-zas | brave |
| gey-zaküs | reckless |
| negey(ney-gey) | freedom, free (I want I go, I go where I want) |
The body
Anything related to the body can be followed by the suffix -tem (of the body), which is often omitted.
| bavul | The mouth |
| bam | the tongue |
| deku | the fingers (the small ones) |
| dies | the foot(didra eps) |
| eps(deku) | the hand (the 5 fingers) |
| fazul | the nose |
| fyrtem, tem ùr fyren | heart (fire of the body) |
| hus-lodid | the right leg |
| koltem | elbow (odra koltem), knee (didra koltem), major joint |
| kolum | facial wrinkles |
| krak, krok | teeth, fangs |
| kri | nails, claws |
| ladi | buttock, posterior |
| lodid | legs (lo-didra-tem, the 2 of the lower body) |
| lodra | arms (lo-odra-tem, the 2 of the upper body) |
| odratem | torso, upper body |
| odraktem | chest |
| orul | eyes |
| pak | sex (organ) |
| paya | belly (of the homine, literally the nest) |
| sen-lodra | left arm |
| talan | face |
| taltem | head, brain (spirit of the body) |
| tem | body (whole) |
| trazul | ears |
Blows, Bites and Scratches
It is impossible to end this part on the body without mentioning the subtleties on blows, bites and scratches. The Fyros soul is wild and warlike, and if the Fyros prefer to attack with daggers, swords, firearms, they do not disdain to use their natural weapons should the opportunity present.
Blows
The blows are constructed in a fairly simple way on the root kar (blow) preceded by the part of the body used, with an elision most of the time:
| kar | blow (without precision) |
| takar | headbutt (tal-kar) |
| ekar | punch (eps-kar) |
| dikar | kick (dies-kar) |
| kokar | elbow/knee strike (kolem-kar) |
| kartal | fight to the face, insult of defiance (on an opponent that one otherwise respects) |
| karùch | strike |
Bites and Scratches
What is disconcerting to a non-Fyros is the number of different words for 'bites' (kroken) and 'scratches' (krin); there are in fact many variations, with the words sometimes changing from one clan or tribe to another.
| krokùch, kroken | bite, bite |
| krinùch, krin | scratch, scratch |
| krokiùch, krokien | bite, nibble |
| krakiùch, krakien | bite "friendly", bite lightly; used for a playful or stimulating purpose (like a pinch among other peoples) |
| krokün | the big bite, ritual bite in certain tribes, by which a homin and a homin mark each other. The usage tends to be lost in large cities |
| krokarùch, krokarn | to bite deeply with the aim of injuring, "combat" bite |
| krodakùch, krodaken | to finish, to slit the throat with a bite (especially used for predators) |
| krokaï | the art of biting |
| kriniùch, krini | to scratch "tenderly", lightly scratched with the aim of stimulating |
| krikarùch, krikarn | to scratch deeply with the aim of injuring |
| kridakùch, kridaken | to scratch viciously, to lacerate with the aim of killing |
| kritalùch, krital | to scratch in the face, to insult, to mortal insult (on a sworn enemy) |
Exotic Expressions
Expressions found only in a few savage tribes:
| el makèch i krakiùch | I love you and I (want to) bite you (lovingly) |
| el makùch, sel krakiùd | I love you, bite me |
Not to be confused with el makùch i krokùch (I love you and I bite you) rather used in the figurative sense of he who loves well, bites (punishes) well
Unsorted
Words and Phrases
(A few from the French link below. Please read the French for correct conjugations and larger variety.)
| Fyrk | Basic Meaning |
|---|---|
| Oren pyr | Hello ("Days of honor and death.") |
| Oren fyraï | Goodbye |
| Oren fyraï sel bek | Goodbye my friends |
| Ney | Yes |
| Dai | No |
| Cal i akash! | Strength and honor! |
| Akep | Thank you ("honorable death") |
| Oràch | It was my duty (in response to akep) |
| Deney | No need (in response to akep) |
| Denen | Anything (in response to akep) |
| Selum | Thank you |
See also
Resources
References
Notes
- ↑ Strictly speaking, a ten is independent of the base: it is simply the 10 of the base)
