Tetrian (language)

History
Tetrian is a constructed language created 376 million Earth-years ago by Protopyronates and Protomagnetates as a common language that would facilitate trade between their populations. It has since been adopted as a global language, and it is commonly spoken across most of the planet as a first or second language. The largest concentration of speakers is found on Gamiala due to Tetrian's inclusion in standardized education systems by the Dramilian Federation.

Alphabet
The characters of the Tetrian alphabet are most closely pronounced as follows:



When not at the beginning of a word, the consonant w is silent. All consonants are vocalized, and all vowels are pronounced with their long vowel sounds.

Transliteration
The most common transliteration of Tetrian script into the Roman alphabet is called Tetrian Basic. The transliteration is reproduced below:



Transliterated Tetrian words are written in italics.

Sentence Structure
In formal speech, sentence structure always follows this pattern (sections in parentheses are optional):

Indicator

Verb

(Preposition-Noun) (conjunction)

(Preposition-Noun)

Etc...

Time-Specifier Adverb

(Adverb)

(Adverb)

Etc...

All sentences/clauses begin with one of these indicators:

mogvew - Command

zalvew - Statement

galvew - Question

vilvew - Conditional

What are considered adjectives in English are adverbs in Tetrian, as they modify the verb "to be".

Clauses can be joined with infinite recursion by replacing a sentence's Preposition-Noun block with another complete sentence, beginning with an indicator.

Word Roots
All verbs, nouns, and adverbs are formed from basic word roots with various endings:

Root + baw = Concept (Noun)

Root + raw = Place (Noun)

Root + law = Person (Noun)

Root + haw = Recipient of action (Noun)

Root + liw = Action (Verb)

Root + biw = To begin the action (Verb)

Root + low = Adverb

The root "to be", more accurately translated as "to exist", is hor. It is conjugated:

horbaw - Existence

horraw - Location

horlaw - Being (something alive)

<font face="Tetrian Basic" size="4">horhaw - Thing

<font face="Tetrian Basic" size="4">horliw - To exist

<font face="Tetrian Basic" size="4">horbiw - To come into existence

<font face="Tetrian Basic" size="4">horlow - Existent

Pronouns
Pronouns are formed from combinations of the 3 indefinite subjects, followed by <font face="Tetrian Basic" size="4">xaw :

<font face="Tetrian Basic" size="4">tel - Speaker

<font face="Tetrian Basic" size="4">nel - Listener

<font face="Tetrian Basic" size="4">gel - Uninvolved 3rd person

Each indefinite subject (except for <font face="Tetrian Basic" size="4">tel ) can be pluralized by appending <font face="Tetrian Basic" size="4">zav. Thus:

<font face="Tetrian Basic" size="4">telxaw - I

<font face="Tetrian Basic" size="4">nelxaw - you

<font face="Tetrian Basic" size="4">gelxaw - he/she/it

<font face="Tetrian Basic" size="4">nelzavxaw - y'all

<font face="Tetrian Basic" size="4">gelzavxaw - they

<font face="Tetrian Basic" size="4">telnelxaw - you and I

<font face="Tetrian Basic" size="4">telgelxaw - he and I

<font face="Tetrian Basic" size="4">nelgelxaw - you and he

<font face="Tetrian Basic" size="4">telnelgelxaw - I, you, and he

<font face="Tetrian Basic" size="4">telnelzavxaw - y'all and I

<font face="Tetrian Basic" size="4">telgelzavxaw - I and they

<font face="Tetrian Basic" size="4">telnelzavgelxaw - I, y'all, and he

<font face="Tetrian Basic" size="4">telnelgelzavxaw - I, you, and they

<font face="Tetrian Basic" size="4">telnelzavgelzavxaw - I, y'all, and they

<font face="Tetrian Basic" size="4">nelzavgelxaw - y'all and he

<font face="Tetrian Basic" size="4">nelgelzavxaw - you and they

<font face="Tetrian Basic" size="4">nelzavgelzavxaw - y'all and they

Prepositions
Prepositions precede every noun in Tetrian, identifying the role in the sentence or relation to other nouns. Preposition-noun blocks can be joined by inserting the conjunction <font face="Tetrian Basic" size="4">rel between them. There are 6 types of preposition:

Locational (ending with <font face="Tetrian Basic" size="4">zah )

<font face="Tetrian Basic" size="4">bimzah - Near to

<font face="Tetrian Basic" size="4">mimzah - Far from

<font face="Tetrian Basic" size="4">gimzah - At

<font face="Tetrian Basic" size="4">bilzah - Inside

<font face="Tetrian Basic" size="4">milzah - Outside

<font face="Tetrian Basic" size="4">bitzah - On the left of

<font face="Tetrian Basic" size="4">mitzah - On the right of

<font face="Tetrian Basic" size="4">gitzah - In between

<font face="Tetrian Basic" size="4">birzah - Above

<font face="Tetrian Basic" size="4">mirzah - Below

<font face="Tetrian Basic" size="4">bibzah - In front of

<font face="Tetrian Basic" size="4">mibzah - Behind

Directional (ending with <font face="Tetrian Basic" size="4">lah )

<font face="Tetrian Basic" size="4">bimlah - Towards

<font face="Tetrian Basic" size="4">mimlah - Away from

<font face="Tetrian Basic" size="4">gimlah - Through

<font face="Tetrian Basic" size="4">billah - Into

<font face="Tetrian Basic" size="4">millah - Out of

<font face="Tetrian Basic" size="4">bitlah - To the left of

<font face="Tetrian Basic" size="4">mitlah - To the right of

<font face="Tetrian Basic" size="4">gitlah - Between

<font face="Tetrian Basic" size="4">birlah - Over

<font face="Tetrian Basic" size="4">mirlah - Under

<font face="Tetrian Basic" size="4">biblah - Ahead of

<font face="Tetrian Basic" size="4">miblah - Behind

Instrumental (ending with <font face="Tetrian Basic" size="4">vah )

<font face="Tetrian Basic" size="4">telvah - With (via)

<font face="Tetrian Basic" size="4">nelvah - Without

<font face="Tetrian Basic" size="4">tevvah - For (the purpose of)

<font face="Tetrian Basic" size="4">nevvah - Against

Relational (ending with <font face="Tetrian Basic" size="4">rah )

<font face="Tetrian Basic" size="4">texrah - With (a person)

<font face="Tetrian Basic" size="4">nexrah - Without (a person)

<font face="Tetrian Basic" size="4">gezrah - As

<font face="Tetrian Basic" size="4">tezrah - Like

<font face="Tetrian Basic" size="4">nezrah - Unlike

Chronological (ending with <font face="Tetrian Basic" size="4">mah )

<font face="Tetrian Basic" size="4">tirmah  - Before

<font face="Tetrian Basic" size="4">nirmah  - After

<font face="Tetrian Basic" size="4">girmah  - At (the time)

<font face="Tetrian Basic" size="4">tilmah  - Until

<font face="Tetrian Basic" size="4">nilmah  - Since

<font face="Tetrian Basic" size="4">gilmah  - During

Role-defining (ending with <font face="Tetrian Basic" size="4">gah )

<font face="Tetrian Basic" size="4">margah - Action is done by

<font face="Tetrian Basic" size="4">bargah - Action is done to

Time-Specifiers
All adverbs are formed from word roots except for the time-specifier adverbs, which determine the tense of a clause or sentence:

<font face="Tetrian Basic" size="4">tirlow - In the past (past)

<font face="Tetrian Basic" size="4">wirlow - Currently (present progressive)

<font face="Tetrian Basic" size="4">girlow - Now (present finite)

<font face="Tetrian Basic" size="4">nirlow - In the future (future)

Reported Speech
Reported speech is enclosed in a rectangular box, and can only be used as an object in a sentence. For example:

<font face="Tetrian Basic" size="4">[ZALLOW:]

Example Roots
<font face="Tetrian Basic" size="4">ton - Read

<font face="Tetrian Basic" size="4">tol - Write

<font face="Tetrian Basic" size="4">val - Put

<font face="Tetrian Basic" size="4">kix - Eat

<font face="Tetrian Basic" size="4">nov - Travel

<font face="Tetrian Basic" size="4">xat - Want

<font face="Tetrian Basic" size="4">mig - Teach

<font face="Tetrian Basic" size="4">zig - Learn

<font face="Tetrian Basic" size="4">var - Be able to

<font face="Tetrian Basic" size="4">laz - Imagine

<font face="Tetrian Basic" size="4">zag - Live

<font face="Tetrian Basic" size="4">ber - Make

<font face="Tetrian Basic" size="4">bil - Know

<font face="Tetrian Basic" size="4">lox - Be slow

<font face="Tetrian Basic" size="4">rox - Be fast

<font face="Tetrian Basic" size="4">vet - Give

<font face="Tetrian Basic" size="4">zet - Receive

<font face="Tetrian Basic" size="4">vetzet - Trade

<font face="Tetrian Basic" size="4">geb - Guide

<font face="Tetrian Basic" size="4">zal - Befriend

<font face="Tetrian Basic" size="4">mot - Calculate

<font face="Tetrian Basic" size="4">tom - Have

<font face="Tetrian Basic" size="4">laxxal - Speak

<font face="Tetrian Basic" size="4">tirroz - Combine/connect

<font face="Tetrian Basic" size="4">nirroz - Divide

Example Words
<font face="Tetrian Basic" size="4">tetrow - tetrow - Tetro

<font face="Tetrian Basic" size="4">gammiwwallaw - gammiwwallaw - Gamiala (Continent)

<font face="Tetrian Basic" size="4">xavvar kamden - xavvar kamden - Javar Camden (Tetrian name)

<font face="Tetrian Basic" size="4">verroklaw - verroklaw - Verockla (Vehicle manufacturing firm)

<font face="Tetrian Basic" size="4">ninliw - ninliw - Ninli (Visual language of Magnetates)

Example Phrases
Tetrian script: <font face="Tetrian Basic" size="4">zalvew horliw margah telxaw gezrah zallaw wirlow.

Transliteration: zalvew horliw margah telxaw gezrah zallaw wirlow.

English translation: I am a friend. (formal Tetrian greeting)

Tetrian script: <font face="Tetrian Basic" size="4">zallow.

Transliteration: zallow.

English translation: Hello! (lit. "friendly") (Informal Tetrian greeting)

Numbers
All Tetrian numbers are written in base 3. The digits are:

0 = <font face="Tetrian Basic" size="4">0

1 = <font face="Tetrian Basic" size="4">1

2 = <font face="Tetrian Basic" size="4">2

When spoken, the digits are pronounced:

0 = <font face="Tetrian Basic" size="4">xav

1 = <font face="Tetrian Basic" size="4">gav

2 = <font face="Tetrian Basic" size="4">zav

When a multi-digit number is written, the digits become strung together:

<font face="Tetrian Basic" size="4">120