Difference between revisions of "Kohtohkhan Raptoric"

Revision as of 04:31, 29 December 2006

General

Kohtohkhan Raptoric is a saurian language which originated on the planet Dincota. It is spoken by the dincotians, a non-anthropomorphic dinosaurian theropod and dromeosaurid race in Miokalia. It is often considered to be the French of Reptillian langauges. Of particular note is that it allows for a certain kind of artistic written and spoken flexibility in grammar that isn't considered 'proper' in most languages. It is this flexibility that has kept it as a living and thriving language amongst it's speakers.

The language uses more than 55 different sounds, (English has about 26), 4 Written connotative modifiers (which are similar to the 4 tones in Mandarin Chinese, but instead of tones, these elements are invoked with words which also correlate to colors)

Classification

Kohtohkhan has no substantial or consistent relation to any other language known. With the one execption that it shares the same numbers and ordinal words as Dibochar. Some beleive that the numbers are oddly close to those in French, at least up to '5'. This is generally dismissed as a coincidence. Kohtohkhan has very minimal lexonic similarities with any other langauge, however it has some of the most flexible grammar conventions of any language known.

Written language

Kohtohkhan consists of 28, alphabetical elements which can be written out sequentially from left-to-right, top-to-bottom. And 5 connotive glyphs which are used for emphatic purposes as well as grammatical ones. The alphabetical elements can be arranged in three stages of 'compression'. The first stage is sequential and familiar to western romantic languages in that it reads as an alphabet. The second stage is where the alphabetical elements are kerned and compressed together and even graphically interlock. This system reads the same way, although some syllabal context is usually necessary to determine which letter to read first when they happen to be one-over-the-other. The third form is the most compressed. This form sometimes takes on the appearence of Chinese Hanzi or Japanese Kanji. In actuality, this is a different kind of arrangement of letters where the alphabetical symbols are arranged and interlocked together to form modular glyphs. This form reads left-to right, top-to-bottom and the letters read in a special order: Outside-to-inside, clock-wise inside. Some characters for the vowels of 'A' and 'E' may be present outside each modular glyph if they do not fit inside in an aesthetically appealing way. The most condensed form of written Kohtohkhan is flexible enough that there is quite a bit of flexibility in the structure of these modular glyphs. For example, one may choose to put 2 letters over 2 more letters inside the first letter (which is usually how it is done). Or they may but 3 over 1. Because of how the glyphs are read, as long as they read in the same direction they are legible in a variety of different arrangements.

Phonology

Despite occasional coincidence and similarity in sound to Russian and Japanese, Kohtohkhan shares no substantial degree of lexonomy with either language.

Some of the common Kohtohkhan sounds not present in English in their English equivalent notation:

 td  (pronounced 'da')
 iy  
 yy
 yl
 yr
 ryyt (pronounced 'ree-it'
 yon  
 ron
 ton
 ht  (pronounced 'hit' with diminished 'i')
 

Despite that Kohtohkhan is spoken by some dinosaurians (specifically raptors and other traditionally carnivorous theropods and dromeosaurs), it has nothing linguistically in common with Dinosaur language or Juunia

Numbers and ordinals

Kohtohkhan has often been related to French because of the first four numbers being very close, however this is a coincidence.

1 - Un 2 - Du 3 - To 4 - Kot 5 - Pa 6 - Ci 7 - Sat 8 - At 9 - Hno 10 - Ki

Above 10, it is acceptable to simply use the two number words together. Example: fourteen = Unkot

For powers of 10, a modifier is attached to the number word:

10 - Ki 100 - Haya 1000 - Kuo 10,000 - Kikuo 100,000 - Hayakuo 1,000,000 - Haunodon 1,000,000,000 - Hadudon 1,000,000,000,000 - Hatodon

Ordinals (words like "First" or "second", do not exist in Kohtohkhan. Rather the closest the have are words like 'primary' and 'secondary') In place of ordinals, usually the article "do" is placed before the number. Example: 'The seventh' = 'Do Sat'

Travelers' Guide

Basic greetings and civilities

 Hello: Oiy
 Good Morning: Dastch Iyndo
 Good Afternoon: Dastch Kiyando
 Good Evening: Dastch Lakargdo
 Good Night: Darbun zcit
 Good Day: Darbun iynit
 Goodbye: Sei-ila
 Yes: Yar(normal) yargen(full)
 No: Nar(normal) nargen(full)
 Pardon me: tovo
 Please: Dosch
 Thank you: Dosch (same word, contextual difference)

Difficulties

 Do you speak English?: Tovo, Yargito Zsetn Do Englishe
 I don't speak Kohtohkhan: Ti Nargen Zsetn Do Kohtohkhale
 I don't understand: Ti Nargen Hokomroda

Travel, getting around

 Airport: a hararodot (or just "airport" is usually understood)
 Rail Station: a enibiy taton
 Train: haschier
 Bus Station: a karoger taton
 Bus: karoger
 Taxi: tachzhi
 Port: nodot
 Tram: latsoger
 Metro: metro
 Stop: sot
 Fuel: -cel (eg. Tdarocel NH, H120, H200) Petrol is usually unavailible in Dincota and Miokalia
 Ticket: laiyt