Today I'm starting a new format for blog posts going forward called Author's Diaries. These blog posts won't be about my stories, side projects I'm working on, my life, or cool things I've created. These will be posted roughly every week at whatever day of the week best suits me. To kick off this new format. Today I would like to share a language I created for my story, the Athakarin Language, which is the native language of the main character of the Avala: Spirits of the Mindscapes Series.
How Athakarin Works
The Athakarin Language function on symbols that each represent a syllable that are put together to form complex words. On their own each symbol has a vague meaning, and by combining those meanings together you can get any word imaginable (however sometimes it might take quite a number of symbols, as the language was designed by the Yajixa to keep the Athakarins from easily advancing scientifically.)
The Symbols
Note: Purple and Pink Lines are for positioning.
The Symbol Meanings
Aal = Death, End, Stop, Sleep, close
Ack = Justice, stand
Ad = fall, drop, down, south
Ag = But, However, If only
Aix = Blade, Sword
Ak = Path, find
Al = Mountain, Hill, Stone
Alv= Love, Lust, Sex, Red
Ama = Happiness, happy
An = Guide
Ar = Hate, Rage, Anger
Ath = current, present
Av = Life, Forest, Plant, Green, Start
Cal = move, walk, run
Cam = Hair, Fur
Chi = foot, bottom
Chil = Heart, Soul
Crek = Scales
Da = desire, want, need
Dai = River, Water, Flood, Blue
Dar = Man, Boy
Dev = Wicked, Evil, Monstrous
Di = Fish
Dor = Waste, Garbage, Filth
Dri = Baby, Infant
Dril = or, other choice, alternative
Duu = Beast, Animal, Monster
Dy = skin, meat, flesh
Dya = Equal
Dyak = Flat, Plate, edge
Ec = Cave, Cavern
Ech = Darkness, Shadow, Black
Eth = Empty, Void, Hollow
Evelon Tah = The World
Ex = Feathers, Arrow, Dart
Gix = Fear
Gra = Wing, Flight, Fly
Gre = East, Right
Hal = word, writing
Hav = Sick, Illness, Poison
Ij = War, Violence, Aggression
Ija = Gather, Collect
Ina = Lie, Deceit, Fake
Ith = Mind, Thought, Brain
Ix = nose, smell, scent
Jar = See, Sight, Eye
Ji = Spirit, Ancestor, God
Jix = Faith, Religion
Kaa = Sand, Fine, Dust
Kaal = Crime, Sin
Ki = take, receive, arrive
Kio = Not, No, Zero
Kna = west, left
Knak = Celebrate, Fun, Party, Purple
Ko = building
Kor = Three
Kta = sad, upset
Kya = Protect, Defend, Shield
Kyat = Attack, Fight
La = Self, Me, I, Same
Lai = Ice, Cold, Frozen, Snow, White, Pale
Lan = We, Us, Unity
Li = Woman, Girl
Lik = Food, Eat
Line = Drink, Thirst
Lith = Future, To Come, Will
Lix = Thing, Object, it, this
Maj = Fire, Heat, Warmth
Mo = Sky, Air, Wind, Sound
Mog = Adult
Moh = Four, you, your
Na = Color, Hue, Identity
Nax = Time
Net = Event
Nor = Many, Lots, Plenty
Ra = Home, Holding
Rain = Location, place
Rak = Good, Perfect, Yes, Truth
Ran = Make, Create, New
Rek= Intelligence, Knowledge
Ri = add, and, in addition
Ril = Eternal, Forever
Rin = speak, say
Ro = Light, Bright
Rok = Top, up, north
Sa = Submit, Give, leave
Sal = Chosen, Prime, First, One
Scy = Five, Hand, Fingers
See = Sibling, Other Part
Sen = Body, Whole, Entire, All
Sha = Note, Music, Song
Shae = circle, round, ball, cycle
Sul = Freedom, Rescue
Suu = Metal
Sy = Face, front, Shape
Ta = Crystal, Glass, Gem, Special
Tad = Blood, Pain, Wound, Orange
Tah = Two, Twin, Pair, Couple
Ti = Possible
Tix = do, try
Uul = Rigid, Solid
Uun = Fur, Hide, Coat, clothes
Va = Children, Child
Vai = Power, Strength, Great
Vaic = Force, Enforce
Vaj = Scale Strands
Van = fast, short, small, light
Var = is, was, in, to, since, because, of, at, with, from, by
Vlu = slow, long, far, big, heavy
Vor = They, Them
Vra = May it be, please
Wra = hold, hug, grab
Wrak = Pull, Bow (as in bow and arrow)
Wran = Push
Ya = Parent, Caretaker
Yam = Ruler, more
Yat = Past, Was
Yil = Open, wide, vast
Yv = Wealth, Value, Prize, Yellow
Zay = Old, Unseen, Hole
Athakarin Grammar and layout
Symbols are added together to create new words with a meaning taken from the symbol meanings.
Symbols that one ends and the next starts in the same transliterated set of letters can be combined together. This does not change the meaning and is instead like a contraction. This is represented in transliterated format as AV+VA
Each new sentence is on its own line. This causes most Athakarin scrolls to be long and narrow.
Any time English would use a comma, Athakarins instead take a new line that is indented. Any further parts like this have a new line with the same indent.
If a line gets too big for the page, it continues on the next line with a special continuation line symbol that looks like a line of about three symbols long.
Every single line of a quote has the Athakarin quotation makes at the start, and some lines have both this and an indent if they are part way through a sentence. These quotes look a three symbol long stretched out zig-zag, with three segments and the points facing up and down.
Some Words have the Athakarin Question Mark as part of it, this makes the word almost a question of its own.
In sentence Structure, Subject most often comes first, and is written in proper name, instead of pronouns.
Tense is not as important in Athakarin as in English, the only time that present tense is not used is when it legitimately matters.
The symbol var is the equivalent of most small words in English, however it isn’t always used unless it is necessary to understand what is being said.
There are no such thing as possessive nouns in Athakarin.
Dialects of Athakarin are based on combination of symbols and their overall meaning. In one dialect, Rakrak (Rak-Rak) might mean yes (Ecrekio Valley), while in another dialect it might mean true perfection (Avraintix). These other dialects though able to be understood given enough context are different enough that people of different regions of Evelon II still need translators to easily communicate between different nation.
Athakarin names or Proper Nouns are written with a line over and below the symbols of the name or proper noun.
Common Ecrekio Valley Dialect Athakarin Phrases
Rakshae (Rak-Shae): Hello, Literal: Good Cycle,
Rakshaeaal (Rak-Shae-Aal) Goodnight, Literal: Good Sleep
Yajivar! (Ya-ji-vr) By the Spirits!
Yaji Var Larin! (Ya-ji-var La-Rin) In the name of the Spirits!
Mohrak (Moh-rak) Thank you, Literal: You Good.
Mohvra (Moh-Vra) May you please, Literal: You Please
Lavra (La-Vra) May I please, Literal: I please
(Your Name) Seealv (Other Person's Name) / La Seealv Moh (See-Alv): I love you like a Sister/brother, literal: I sibling love you.
(Your Name) Lanalv (Other Person's Name) / La Lanalv Moh (Lan-Alv): I love you (Romantically), literal: I unity-love you.
(Your Name) Vaalv (Other Person's Name) / La Vaalv Moh (Va-Alv): I love you like my child, literal: I child-love you.
(Your Name) Yaalv (Other Person's Name) / La Yaalv Moh (Ya-Alv): I love you like my parent, literal: I Parent-Love You
Rakrak (Rak-Rak) Yes, literal: Yes Yes
Kiokio (Kio-Kio) No, literal: No No
(Subject's Name) var Havavrak? / Moh var Havavrak? (Moh var Hav-av-rak) Are you in good health?, literal: Are you healthy?
Downloadable Example of Athakarin Translation
- From Chapter 1 of Avala: Spirits of the Mindscapes - Book 1 Hope
That's all for today, until next time.
~ Caleb Teal, Author of Avala: Spirits of the Mindscapes
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