Last time on the Author's Diary I talked about the Athakarin Constructed Language. You can find that here: https://www.eveloniistudios.com/post/author-s-diary-1-the-athakarin-language if you missed it.
Today I'd like to talk more about it.
Pronunciation
The Pronunciation of various symbols really depend on the region of Evelon II you are from, but more or less they are similar sounds, which can easily be transliterated into English. Following are a list of sounds that symbols are pronounced as for different regions.
Ecrekio Valley
C: small emphasis 'ck' sound
K: heavy emphasis 'ck' sound
AA: Hard 'A' Sound
UU: Hard 'U' Sound
I: Hard 'E' Sound
CK: small emphasis 'ck' sound followed by heavy emphasis 'ck' sound.
R: Like an American 'R' sound.
E: Soft 'E' Sound
J: 'jhz' sound
AI: Hard 'A' Sound, followed by hard 'E' Sound
A: Soft 'A' Sound
OH: Hard 'O' sound, followed by a heavy emphasis 'H' sound.
O: Hard 'O' sound.
AH: Soft 'A' sound, followed by a heavy emphasis 'H' sound.
TH: An American 'TH' sound
CH: An American 'CH' sound
WR: A heavy emphasis American 'R' sound.
Y at end of symbol: Hard 'I' sound
Y before vowel: 'Ya', 'Yo', 'Ye' or similar sounds. Only within same symbol
The Northlands
C: small emphasis 'ck' sound
K: heavy emphasis 'ck' sound
AA: 'AW' Sound
UU: 'OO' Sound
I: Hard 'I' Sound
CK: small emphasis 'ck' sound followed by heavy emphasis 'ck' sound.
R: Rolled 'R' sound.
E: Soft 'E' Sound
J: 'jhz' sound
AI: Hard 'A' Sound, followed by hard 'I' Sound
A: Soft 'A' Sound
OH: Soft 'O' sound, followed by a heavy emphasis 'H' sound.
O: Soft 'O' sound.
AH: Soft 'A' sound, followed by a heavy emphasis 'H' sound.
TH: An American 'TH' sound
CH: An American 'CH' sound
WR: A heavy emphasis rolled 'R' sound.
Y at end of symbol: Hard 'I' sound
Y before vowel: 'Ya', 'Yo', 'Ye' or similar sounds. Only within same symbol
Avraintix Plains
C: small emphasis 'ch' sound
K: heavy emphasis 'ch' sound
AA: Hard 'A' Sound
UU: Hard 'U' Sound
I: Hard 'E' Sound
CK: small emphasis 'ch' sound followed by heavy emphasis 'ch' sound.
R: Trilled 'R' sound.
E: Soft 'E' Sound
J: 'jhz' sound
AI: Hard 'A' Sound, followed by hard 'I' Sound
A: Soft 'A' Sound followed by a soft emphasis 'H' sound.
OH: Hard 'O' sound
O: Soft 'O' sound.
AH: Soft 'A' sound
TH: An American 'TH' sound
CH: A 'CK' sound
WR: An American 'R' sound.
Y at end of symbol: Hard 'E' sound
Y before vowel: 'Ya', 'Yo', 'Ye' or similar sounds. Only within same symbol
The Ruinlands
C: small emphasis 'ch' sound
K: heavy emphasis 'ch' sound
AA: Hard 'A' Sound
UU: Hard 'U' Sound
I: Hard 'E' Sound
CK: small emphasis 'ch' sound followed by heavy emphasis 'ch' sound.
R: Trilled 'R' sound.
E: Soft 'E' Sound
J: 'jhz' sound
AI: Hard 'A' Sound, followed by hard 'I' Sound
A: Soft 'A' Sound
OH: Soft 'O' sound, followed by a heavy emphasis 'H' sound.
O: Soft 'O' sound.
AH: Soft 'A' sound, followed by a heavy emphasis 'H' sound.
TH: An American 'TH' sound
CH: A 'CK' sound
WR: A heavy emphasis rolled 'R' sound.
Y at end of symbol: Hard 'I' sound
Y before vowel: 'Ya', 'Yo', 'Ye' or similar sounds. Only within same symbol
The Farmlands
C: small emphasis 'ck' sound
K: heavy emphasis 'ck' sound
AA: 'AW' Sound
UU: 'OO' Sound
I: Hard 'I' Sound
CK: small emphasis 'ck' sound followed by heavy emphasis 'ck' sound.
R: Rolled 'R' sound.
E: Soft 'E' Sound
J: 'jhz' sound
AI: Hard 'A' Sound, followed by hard 'E' Sound
A: Soft 'A' Sound
OH: Hard 'O' sound, followed by a heavy emphasis 'H' sound.
O: Hard 'O' sound.
AH: Soft 'A' sound, followed by a heavy emphasis 'H' sound.
TH: An American 'TH' sound
CH: An American 'CH' sound
WR: A heavy emphasis American 'R' sound.
Y at end of symbol: Hard 'I' sound
Y before vowel: 'Ya', 'Yo', 'Ye' or similar sounds. Only within same symbol
The Southlands
C: small emphasis 'cl' sound
K: heavy emphasis 'cl' sound
AA: 'AW' Sound
UU: Hard 'U' Sound
I: Hard 'A' Sound
CK: small emphasis 'cl' sound followed by heavy emphasis 'cl' sound.
R: British 'R' sound.
E: Soft 'E' Sound
J: 'jhz' sound
AI: Hard 'A' Sound, followed by soft 'A' Sound
A: Soft 'A' Sound
OH: Hard 'O' sound, followed by a heavy emphasis 'H' sound.
O: Hard 'O' sound.
AH: Soft 'A' sound, followed by a heavy emphasis 'H' sound.
TH: An American 'TH' sound
CH: An American 'CH' sound
WR: A heavy emphasis American 'R' sound.
Y at end of symbol: Hard 'I' sound
Y before vowel: 'Ya', 'Yo', 'Ye' or similar sounds. Only within same symbol
Special Symbols for Transliteration
There are some Athakarin words that predate modern Athakarin language and either the original symbol for the sounds have been lost, or predated the syllable system. For these words, Athakarins use a special system of having symbols that each stand for only a small sound, like an alphabet. These can also be used for foreign names, or even made up names by Athakarins, as some sound that they are familiar with don't actually have syllables with the order of sounds they may want them for made up names. However, as most Athakarin people names are actual words based off of the signs of their birth, these made up names are often instead used for pets, or imaginary friends.
Example of Common Words in the Athakarin Language that Use Special Symbols
Milic - A type of grain farmed on Evelon II, possibly from a genetically modified Millet grain brought to the world by the original human settlers of the planet two thousand years ago. The name sort of stuck around and became Milic.
Mogdi - A type of bean turned into Mogdi Juice, a hot beverage that has loads of caffeine. Like the Milic grain, Mogdi beans were once genetically modified coffee beans, and the name got mutated over time, but was not replaced with symbols.
Drathhaar - The Athakarin underworld. A name that most likely came from Yajiran roots, as apposed to human roots. Though it is unknown what the legend really refers too.
Torok - The name of a common Athakarin meat pie. This name most likely was a made up name rather than having a fancy origin, as Torok Meat pie is a recent invention within the last three hundred years, which by that point the world-wide Athakarin language was already well established by the priesthood.
Etoor - The Etoor fruit is pre-human-colonization native fruit that has strange mind altering effects, and is usually turned into a sort of adult beverage by the primitive Athakarins. The name most likely comes from the English root of Eat-Not, as in it was not a good fruit to eat, and the name evolved into Etoor over the past two thousand years, but was never replaced with symbols.
Viatha - The Viatha Beast is a type of native creature to Evelon II, similar to a bat. The name Viatha might have come from its human given Latin name Viathira Minima (the Viathira coming from Greek for Violence Hunting). The name seems to have stuck around, and never be replace by symbols.
Ziglot - The Ziglot beast is a native creature to Evelon II that looks like a cross between a lizard, wolf, and big cat. The origin of their name is unknown, but probably came from one of the pre official language languages that the Athakarins had developed in their first seven hundred years.
Vragis - The Vragis beast is a deer like creature native to Evelon II. It's name probably comes from a Lithuanian word meaning 'Theif' as the Vragis are know to steal things. The human colonists on the world were from all sorts of backgrounds so those with Lithuanian ancestry were definitely there.
Screek - The Screek bird is a type of creature native to Evelon II. It was most likely named after the sound it makes, before the symbols system came into use.