The Mhun Language

PHONOLOGY (and accompanying orthography in standard Latin alphabet)

b
ch (voiceless velar fricative)
d
dh (voiced, like the 'th' in 'then')
f
g
gh (voiced velar fricative)
k
l
m
mh (M + GH, nasal affricate)
n
nh (N + GH, nasal affricate)
t
th (voiceless, like in 'thin')
r
s
sh
v
w (not distinguished separately from 'u' in Mhun orthography)
y (not distinguished separately from 'i' in Mhun orthography)
z
zh

VOWELS:

a (The 'ah' in 'saw')
e (The 'eh' in 'bet')
i (The 'ee' in 'bee')
o (The 'oh' in 'go')
u (The 'oo' in 'goo')

(Nhu means 'no')

NOUN DECLENSION

Mhun has seven different ways of declining its nouns, each reflecting a distinct category of existence and each reflecting different influences. These different forms are used in distinct contexts, as well as distinct places in the sentence; the only exceptions are when a unique name is being given. Otherwise, when everyone knows the word, the declensions are used normally.

Mhun, the male declension; used for men and common for loanwords

Mhun (subject) ("man of the people")
Mhuin (genitive) -post-vowel i ("of/from the people")
Mhuen (accusative) -post-vowel e ("man of the people")
Mhus (dative) -replace ending with s ("to the people")
Mhum (ablative) -replace ending with m ("away from/with the people")

Nhen (subject) ("light")
Nhein (genitive) ("of/from the light")
Nheyen (accusative) ("light")
Nhes (dative) ("to the light")
Nhem (ablative) ("away from/with the light")

Ghenerul (subject) ("general")
Gheneruil (genitive)
Gheneruel (accusative)
Ghenerus (dative)
Ghenerum (ablative)

Mhunna, the parent declension; used for women

Mhunna (subject) -generally a feminine a added to a male/neuter noun- ("mother/parent")
Mhuinna (genitive)
Mhuenna (accusative)
Mhuas (dative) -drop ending, replace with -as
Mhumma (ablative)

Mhida (subject) ("young woman")
Mhiyida
Mhuida
Mhias
Mhim

Nhenna (subject) ("wife")
Nheinna
Nheyenna
Nheas
Nhemma

Ivifa, the locative declension; used for countries, cities, places, other locations

Ivifa (subject) ("land")
Iviyifa (genitive) -yi- after middle vowel.
Iviofa (accusative) -o- after middle vowel.
Ivios (dative) -os ending after middle vowel.
Iviob (ablative) -ob- ending after middle vowel.

Moghedu (subject) ("source")
Mogheyidu (genitive)
Mogheodu (accusative)
Mogheos (dative)
Mogheob (ablative)

Chald ("hall")
Chayild
Chaold
Chaos
Chaob

Tesh, the material declension; used for inanimate material held in reverence

(Note: The prefixes used in this declension are borrowed from Hlugnic.)

Tesh (subject) ("earth")
Entesh (genitive) -en prefix-
Tiesh (accusative) -pre-vowel i-
Untesh (dative) -un prefix-
Antesh (ablative) -an prefix-

Galt ("gold")
Engalt
Gialt
Ungalt
Angalt

Stel ("steel")
Enstel
Stiel
Unstel
Anstel

Chros, the immaterial declension; used for abstracts held in reverence i.e. time, death

Chros (subject) ("time")
Chrios (genitive) -pre-vowel i-
Chreos (accusative) -pre-vowel e-
Chruos (dative) -pre-vowel u-
Chroso (ablative) -o suffix-

Odreb ("knowledge/cunning")
Odrieb
Odreyeb
Odrueb
Odrebo

Mheribus ("hardship")
Mheribius
Mheribeus
Mheribuyus
Mheribuso

Hadd, the craft declension; used for crafted materials or goods held in reverence i.e. gems, amulets, jewelry

Hadd (subject) ("gem")
Haddene (genitive) -ene
Hiad (accusative) -(pre-vowel i)
Haddashe (dative) -ashe
Haddafe (ablative) -afe

Thitar ("theatre")
Thitarene
Thietar
Thitarashe
Thitarafe

Denche ("flower")
Denchene
Dienche
Dencheashe
Dencheafe

Chesh, the thing declension; used for most nouns not fitting into the above categories; also common for loanwords

Chesh (subject) ("thing")
Cheshehe (genitive) -ehe
Chuesh (accusative) -(pre-vowel u)
Chesheho (dative) -eho
Cheshehu (ablative) -ehu

Vesh (subject) ("weapon")
Veshehe
Vuesh
Vesheho
Veshehu

Empra (subject) ("order")
Empraehe
Emprua
Empraeho
Empraehu

VERBS

Mhun verbs follow a complex pattern of conjugation similar to Hlugnic and other Vashnarian languages which has, due to insularity, remained complex and difficult for outsiders to decipher. The example verb given below is highly irregular; most verbs will follow one of a few more consistent patterns, but this is not your usual verb.

bada (v.), to be

Present indicative, singular / plural / negating
1st: chas / chasr / chnas / chnasr
2nd: chay / chayr / chnay / chnayr
3rd: bas / bar / banas / banar

Past indicative, singular / plural / negating
1st: ches / chesr / chnes / chnesr
2nd: chey / cheyr / chney / chneyr
3rd: bes / ber / benes / bener

Present optative, singular / plural / negating
1st: bach / bachr / banach / banachr
2nd: bagh / baghr / banagh / banaghr
3rd: char / charsr / chnar / chnarsr

Past optative, singular / plural / negating
1st: bech / bechr / nafech / nafechr
2nd: barch / berchr / nafarch / naferchr
3rd: chash / chashr / chnash / chnashr

Future, singular / plural / negating
1st: nas / nar / nhagha / nhaghr
2nd: naygh / nayghr / nhey / nheyr
3rd: mla / mlar / nhlem / nhlemr

Imperatives
2nd singular: be (negating: nhe)
1st plural: batr (negating: nhatr)
2nd plural: bayr (negating: nhur)

Infinitive: bada
Gerund (Genitive): badain
Gerund (Dative): bos
Present Participle: bed
Past Participle: bad

dhegha (v.), to do

Present indicative, singular / plural / negating
1st: dhos / dhosr / dhoson / dhosonr
2nd: dhuy / dhuyr / dhuyon / dhuyonr
3rd: dhys / dhysr / dhyson / dhysonr

Past indicative, singular / plural / negating
1st: dhym / dhymshr / dhymon / dhymonshr
2nd: dhygh / dhyghr / dhyghon / dhyghonr
3rd: dhom / dhomshr / dhomon / dhomonshr

Present optative, singular / plural / negating
1st: dhach / dhachr / dhanach / dhanachr
2nd: dhash / dhashr / dhanash / dhanashr
3rd: dhoch / dhochr / dhanoch / dhanochr

Past optative, singular / plural / negating
1st: dhech / dhechr / dhenech / dhenechr
2nd: dharch / dharchr / dhenarch / dhenarchr
3rd: dhash / dhashr / dhenash / dhenashr

Future, singular / plural / negating
1st: dhas / dhar / dhnagha / dhnaghar
2nd: dhav / dhavr / dhnav / dhnavr
3rd: dhyv / dhyvr / dhnyv / dhnyvr

Imperatives
2nd singular: dha (negating: dhna)
1st plural: dhegh (negating: dhnegh)
2nd plural: dhra (negating: dhrana)

Infinitive: dhegha
Gerund (Genitive): dheghyn
Gerund (Dative): dhos
Present Participle: dhet
Past Participle: dhat

EXAMPLE SENTENCES

Dencher vueshr Mhiyida bar. ("Flowers are the weapons of women.") (plurals are formed with a word-final R)

Vesh enstel bas. ("The weapon is made of steel.")

Du nheyenna viye chay. ("You are my wife.")

Ve Nesventesh chas. ("I am Nesventesh.")

Ve odrebo chas. ("I am cunning.")

Du mheribuso chay. ("You are suffering.")