Phonetic High Woldian



Several centuries after the first emergence of the High Woldian language we start to see the development of a phonetic language. This was increasingly used to form the words used for names and places. In time the phonetic language came to dominate the glyph-based one, ultimately replacing it altogether, and there is some evidence to suggest that this language forms the basis of early form of the modern written form of the Common tongue.

Starting as they did from a very abstract symbolic language, it is interesting to note that the scholars who created this new language based it on an almost mathematical system of logic.

Vowels
As we can see below, the vowel symbols are remicent of certain base High Woldian symbols, and it is probable that the High Woldian prononciation of 'The Wold' was 'Ah'.

Short Sound

 Symbol Example
Ah Cat
Eh Bet
Ih Pit
Oh Sock
Uh Gut

The addition of a vertical stroke lengthens each basic vowel sound, as follows:

Long Sound Symbol Example
Aah Past
Eeh Feet
Aye Light
Oar War
Ooh Boot

The 'Eh' sound has a further variant, a destressed mode indicated as follows:

Destressed Sound Symbol Example
Err Fur

Consonants
The consonants are constructed from a number of variables. We have been able to break the language down into its component parts, and have discovered that the symbols in fact describe the actions of the sound they represent.

The language creators identified four Manners of sound, base types of noise made through the nose, by hissing and so on;

Consonant Manner
Nasal
Sibilant
Liquid
Plosive

Further, they identified four locations in the mouth from where a noise could be produced by placing the tongue, using the lips, the teeth, the palatte or the upper gum (alviola).

Consonant Place
Labial
Dental
Paletal
Alviola

Finally, they determined that many sounds could be produced in either a Vocal or Non-vocalised manner. The same sound could be made without using the voice, for example 'Ssss', or with the voice, for example 'Zzzz'. This voice they denoted with a vertical mark.

By combining these three variables, they were able to produce an alphabet that covered every sound in the High Woldian tongue. One should note that the system of Place is an approximation of the true complexity of sound creation, though with certain consonants the High Woldians acknowledged this complexity by combining Places to denote new areas of the mouth.

Manner Sound Symbol Example Place Place Vocalisation
Nasal Mm Mast Labial   Non vocal
  Nn Next Alviolal   Non vocal
  Ng Sing Palatal   Non vocal
             
Sibilant Huh Half None   Non vocal
  Fuh Fast Labial Dental Non vocal
  Vuh Very Labial Dental Vocal
  Suh Salt Alviolal   Non vocal
  Zuh Zone Alviolal   Vocal
  Thuh (non-vocal)) Three Dental   Non vocal
  Thuh (vocal) Thus Dental   Vocal
  Jjuh Leisure Palatal   Vocal
  Shuh Thresher Palatal   Non vocal
             
Liquid Wuh Wall Labial   Non vocal
  Luh Long Alviolal   Non vocal
  Ruh Remain Alviolal(*)   Non vocal
  Yuh Yellow Palatal   Non vocal
             
Plosive Buh Blast Labial   Vocal
  Puh Past Labial   Non vocal
  Tuh Ton Alviolal   Non vocal
  Duh Done Alviolal   Vocal
  Kuh Crack Palatal   Non vocal
  Guh Great Palatal   Vocal
  Juh Just Alviolal Palatal Vocal
  Ch Choose Alviolal Palatal Non vocal

Note that the 'R' sound is shown as an 'L' sound with a downward stroke. This stroke is believed to represent a trilling sound.

This alphabet can also describe all the letters of today's Common tonge, though there are some that require the use of multiple letters and others which were deemed the same in High Woldian.

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So my name, Malfus Al'Garik, would be witten:

















 


 

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