Alternian

A fan-conlang (fanlang?) of questionable quality, based on whatever the standard(?) language of Alternia from Andrew Hussie's Homestuck may or may not be.

Obviously, I do not own Homestuck or Hiveswap. This is a transformative work, done purely for fun.

The Alternian script used here is from Hiveswap, made by Hussie and What Pumpkin, and the font itself was compiled by OrangeyPeels on DeviantArt. The alphabet belongs to Hiveswap/What Pumpkin and Hussie, not me. Further information can be found on the "Credits" page via the sidebar.

Soon to be updated/revised - take this page with a grain of salt!

Phonology

Vowels: a ɛ e i ə u o ɑ
Dipthongs: aɪ
Consonants: ʀ k g t tʃ d s z ʒ m l f v p b n h ħ j kʼ* tʼ* pʼ* ʒ* dʒ* ʃ* ŋ* ʀ̥*
(Sounds marked with an asterisk are allophones of other sounds or phoneme combinations.)

Syllable structure: mostly (C(C))V(C), but a bit more limited. Still hashing it out.

Syllable stress is a little unpredictable. It shifts preferentially to /ta/ and /ka/ syllables, or else to dipthongs or geminated vowel syllables, or to other syllables with /kV/ and /tV/ or /ʀV/ patterns. Otherwise, it typically defaults to the second syllable for two syllable words, or the penultimate syllable in longer words.

Some general rules and patterns (very much subject to change as I figure out this bullshit phonology):

• /n/ becomes /ŋ/ before /k/ and /g/.
• /s/ becomes /ʒ/ before /m/ and /ʃ/ before /k/.
• p, k and t are often /p'/, /k'/ and /t'/ on stressed syllables when followed by vowels.
• A doubled /k/ or /t/ usually becomes a single /g/ or /d/, respectively.
• /f/ following /m/ usually becomes /p/.
• A /ʀ/ surrounded by only vowels sometimes becomes /ʀ̥ /or /χ/. , depending on the speaker's pronunciation or dialect. At ends of words or syllables, it is also an allophone of /ʁ/.
• /o/ sometimes turns unvoiced consonants after into voiced consonants (ex. /ot/ -> /od/).
• The combination /th/ often becomes /tħ/ or /tx/.
• /ʀk/ is probably an allophone of or generally becomes /ʀq/.
• /ħ/ is generally an allophone of /x/.
• /ħ/, /tʃ/, /ɑ/ and /ʒ/ are found primarily in names, loanwords, and particularly archaic terms. /ɑ/ is also sometimes pronounced /aː/.

Troll Alphabet and Orthography

(If this isn't showing up for you as Hiveswap troll script, there's a problem, and this page won't be nearly as fun.)

a b ch d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z

Alternian	a	aw	b	d	e	f	g	h	i	j	k	l	m	n	o
IPA	a, ə	ɑ	b	d	ɛ	f	g	h	i, ə	ʒ	k, kʼ	l	m	n	o
Romanization	a	aw	b	d	e	f	g	h	i	j	k	l	m	n	o

Alternian	p	r	s	t	u	v	x	y	z	qu	hh
IPA	p	ʀ	s	t, tʼ	u	v	z, ks	j, aɪ	z	kw	ħ
Romanization	p	r	s	t	u	v	x	y	z	qu	hh

Doubled letters are also meaningful. Normally they represent consonant or vowel gemination (making a sound longer than normal), with two notable exceptions. One, "hh" (/ħ/), is indicated above. The other, "ee", is pronounced as /iː/ rather than /ɛː/.

Grammar and Syntax

Basics

Alternian is agglutinative and heavy on prefixes. Descriptors and adjectives both precede their nouns. Word order is typically SOV, but flips to VOS for binary (yes/no) questions.

It has four noun classes: low (or "warm"), high (or "cool"), neutral (or "green"), and wild. It also has four-ish cases (nominative, accusative, dative/lative, genitive/ablative), optionally marked by prepositional particles which agree with the noun's class (with the exception of pronouns, which are conjugated by inflection and classed by implicit status -- blood caste, the speaker's opinion, etc.) These are only needed for definite articles (i.e. "the".)

Verbs conjugate by tense (past, present, future), number (singular versus plural), and five different registers of formality: honorific, humble, formal, informal, and intimate.

Verb Conjugation

Conjugation of verbs is fairly complex, involving tense, number, and level of familiarity/formality. In most compounds, conjugation prefixes are applied directly to the root verb, after other prefixes.

Ex:

nykangi (caused) --> kamxemrinykangvrol (one who caused [something] to be removed)
simakanyi (shines) --> xaninsimakanyi  (shines warmly)

Verb Conjugation
	Past		Present		Future		Negative
	Sg.	Pl.	Sg.	Pl.	Sg.	Pl.	Sg./Pl.
Honorific	nam-	namya-	sam-	samya-	tam-	tamya-	vekya-
Humble	nyta-	nytaka-	sima-	simaka-	toma-	tomaka-	veka-
Formal	nim	nak-	sim-	sim-	tim-	tak-	vek-
Informal	ny-	nyk(a)-	-	-	ty-	tyk(a)-
Intimate	na-	na-	i -> a*	i -> a*	ta-	ta-	ve-

*Instead of an affix, /a/ replaces the final vowel of the verb.

Alternian has five commonly used registers of formality/intimacy:

• Honorific: used to respectfully describe actions of individuals significantly higher caste than the speaker, or by very high-caste speakers speaking about their own actions to a low-caste listener.
  The latter generally reads as pompous or arrogant, but is common with purples and above, or even a blueblood trying to throw their weight around.
• Humble: used to describe the speaker's own actions or actions of other lower-caste participants when addressing those of notably higher caste.
  In interactions where the speaker is only a few castes below, may come off as brown-nosing or suckup-y. Commonly heard in customer service.
• Formal: used formally as a neutral default, especially in cases of low caste disparity, or when addressing mixed groups or those of unknown color.
  Some highblood speakers use this to suggest politeness and refinement when addressing those below them.
• Informal or "plain": used in casual contexts, particularly among frenemies or in groups of similar caste, and by highblood speakers to lowblood listeners
• Intimate or "close casual": used primarily between quandrantmates, or sometimes other very close individuals.
  Doubles as default casual register among subjuggulators and similar subcultures, to reflect in-group closeness. Can come across as flirtatious if not already close.

Verbs beginning with a front vowel /a/, /e/ or /i/ and non-geminated /t/, /r/, /l/, /s/ lose their initial vowel when conjugated with prefixes.

Kra erommi.
Kra erommi
I search.
Kra tyrommi.
Kra tyrommi
I'll (go) search.

Kra idokotavan aledi.
Kra idokotavan aledi.
I build bicycles.
Ka sum idokotavan vekledi.
Ka sum idokotavan vekledi
She did not build the bicycle.

Verbs beginning with /h/ also lose their initial consonant to prefixes.

Kra huski.
Kra huski.
I'm afraid.
Kra nimuski.
Kra nimuski
I was afraid.

Since a duplicate /k/ generally becomes /g/, and /kg/ is not allowed, verbs beginning in /k/ and /g/ will conjugate slightly irregularly.

Gama kul nyki
Gama kul nyki
I hated him.
Vakan kul nykki
Vakan kul nygi
They (pl) hated him.

Gama tu nygapyni
Gama tu nygapyni
I touched it.
Vakan tu nykgapyni
Vakan tu nygapyni
They (pl) touched it.

Vocabulary

Particles

CLASS	Low	High	Neutral	Wild
Nominative	sa	fa	ta	ma
Accusative	sum	fu	to	o
Dative	xi	fi	ti	vi
Genitive	xa	a	a	ho

Pronouns

Alternian has a large collection of personal pronouns with varying implications, not entirely unlike, say, Japanese or Thai. Most or all can be conjugated for the four cases by their vowel ending, and are given in default nominative form here.

For conjugation: the final or penultimate vowel typically becomes /a/ for nominative, /u/ for accusative, /i/ for dative, and /o/ or rarely /i:/ for genitive.

meaning
I (very humble)
I (generic, usually a safe bet)
I (casual, somewhat feminine)
I (casual)
I (very casual, intimate register)
I (arrogant, high-status - think JP. ore-sama)
I (formal, higher-status)

you (honorific)
you (respectful, generic)
you (casual)
you (casual, crude)
you (disparaging, common for kismesis)
you (archaic, typically older highbloods addressing lowbloods)
you (intimate, usually reserved for quadrants)

he (formal)
he (informal)
she (respectful, implies danger)
she (formal)
she (informal)
he/she/they (unfamiliar, dangerous)
he/she/they (formal)
he/she/they (familiar, friendly)
he/she/they (informal)
he/she/they (crude, somewhat demeaning)

it

this (one)
that (one)
that (one) over there

who
what
why
when
where

*Does not inherently conjugate.
**Conjugates with /i:/ for genitive.
***Irregular.

Pronouns that do not conjugate are given class particles as prefixes in dative and genitive cases. In formal speech, the accusative case gets a prefix as well.

Ni ma meer gakan?
Ni ma meer gakan?
What is this?

Kan aenoky kafi nimygi.
Kan aenoky kafi nimygi.
They (sg.) drank your [troll equivalent of] coffee.

The word for "what", amir, conjugates irregularly, inflecting with the first vowel instead of the last.

Naxa tu nimmari imir?
Naxa tu nimmari imir?
Who did you sell it to?

Nouns

Nouns pluralize with the prefix /va(t)/, added to the head/root word.

For example:

/uspe/ (shirt) --> /vatuspe/ (shirts)
/taʀkos/ (tube) --> /vadaʀkos/* (tubes)
/kaʀo/ (beast) --> /vakaʀo/ (beasts)
/miakaʀo/ (meowbeast) --> /miavakaʀo/ (meowbeasts)

*/tt/ --> /d/, though the word would still be written as vattarkos

A noun for a general concept needs neither a plural nor an article.

Kra sum miakaro favri.
Kra sum miakaro favri.
I like the meowbeast.

Kra miakaro favri.
Kra miakaro favri.
I like meowbeasts (in general).

Kra sum miavakaro favri.
Kra sum miavakaro favri.
I like the meowbeasts.

Low/Warm

thing, tool
temperature, heat
refrigerator ("thermal hull")
thief (common, low)
insect, crawling thing
dirt, earth
cave fungus used for a popular Alternian drink
friend*
beast, animal
name
bone
hatred (platonic)
hatred (romantic)
wheel (archaic), circle
friend, hatefriend*
bicycle (two-wheel-having-device)
bottom, backside
woofbeast, dog
day
dream
sun
end, back, after
friendship (relationship)
friend* (most literal English translation)
cartilage, gristle
fire, storm, cataclysm
wind
storm, windstorm
psychic, psionic (troll)
fat
room, space, "block"
tube, chute
house, hive
vessel, container, cooking pan
mask
rope
cloth, shirt

High/Cool

person, enemy, friend* (rarely)
troll (species)
Alternia ("troll planet")
device, machine
strength, (physical) power
pain
idea, concept
rage, wrath
leg (HV/archaic), limb, frond (of a plant)
fish (animal)
poem
moon
sea (archaic)
seadweller
pirate
night
mirror
deity, god (non-specific)**
a period of time, life (a person's past)
beginning, front, future
thief (noble, implies cleverness, trickery)
vehicle

Neutral/Green

organ, brain
worth, value
coin
Caegar (traditional Alternian currency)
cloak, hood
mother***
question
leaf
cat (meowbeast)
hand, foot
stone
head
horn
capacity, ability
planet, world
grub, livestock animal (generic)
language
tube, sphincter, throat

Wild

finger ("touch stub"), toe (less common)
fear
caretaker beast, guardian
mother, matron
(the) north
game
thing (generic)
nub, stump, stub
protrusion, feeler
a common migratory fish
feeling, emotion
(the) south
troll (person), person (generic)
archaic form of tirol
ally

HV: Highblood Vernacular - this word is typically only used by cooler castes, due to linguistic drift/dialect differences.

* The words for things like "enemy" or "friend" in Alternian are... complex. Any troll who isn't a quadrant or extremely close (and indeed, even those who are) can be classified as "enemy" due to Alternia's constantly hostile social scene. The terms often translated as "friend" and/or "enemy" identify connections to other trolls not by positive or negative relationship, but by familiarity and attachment. In a society rife with hate-romance and rule by intimidation, the strength of connection is considered more important than positive or negative relation -- assumption is that any relationship could easily flip to hostile, under the right circumstances.

Additionally, and tying slightly into the psychology behind kismessitude: a personally known enemy is considered a different kind of dangerous than an unknown one. While not necessarily safer, it is often seen more favorably, so "known enemy" terms often translate as more positive than unknown ones. Thus "akyon ho muxa" (my enemy) becomes a descriptor for someone probably (but not guaranteed!) semi-friendly -- this is your enemy in particular, one you know and can deal with -- but "sotan akyo" (that enemy over there) suggest a more potentially threatening individual -- a distant enemy, unpredictable and unknown.

TL;DR: troll relationship terms prioritize familiarity over positive or negative relationship, so there are lots of troll words for various degrees of familiarity, tolerance, wariness, and percieved threat, most of which translate as "friend" as easily as they do "enemy".

/end worldbuilding ramble

** This word (jegok) is actually an old loanword, now used primarily for obscenities, metaphor, and general reference to higher powers. Alternian culture is largely secular in the current era -- religion tends to be restricted to small movements and cults, most notable the indigo-caste clown cults. Most trolls consider the two concepts synonymous.

Verbs

to construct, to assemble
to shine, to glow
to be related to, to be associated with
to feel neutral toward
to copulate (for mammals, obscene)
to meet
to have (a trait or thing) (anim.)
to copulate (for trolls)
to demand
to arrive
to search
to rage, to be wrathful, to be a highblood (inf.)
to argue
to like, to be comfortable around
to sleep
to touch, to sense
to say
to blow (on), to push (for inanimate actor)
to fear (something), to be afraid
to attempt
to oblige, to require
to wear (under something, or closely fitted)
to cause
to hate
to come
to confess, to admit
to use
to stab, to cut (with the point of a blade)
to sell, to trade away
to desire, to want
to give (a gift)
to cut up, to divide, to split
to call out, to scream
to ask, to interrogate
to be fond of, to pity
to die
to be able to
to be
to buy, to trade for (something)
to kill
to speak (generic)
to wear (outer layer, or loosely)
to craft, to produce
to be lively, to be in good health
to give (something), to surrender
to do
to speak (with)
to dwell, to live (in)
to see, to observe, to pay attention to
to cut (with a flat cutting blade)
to strike, to stab
to fight
to pick over, to examine
to imagine, to concieve of
to agree, to accept
to have (a trait or thing) (inan.)
to think
to watch
to bother, to harass, to call out to
to dislike but tolerate
to know (of), to speak (a language)
to make, to cook
to run
to write
to travel (a long distance)
to increase
to follow
to steal, to rob
to go
to be greater than (comparator)
to remove, to doff
to eat, to drink

Verb Modifiers

(prefix indicating a gerund)
(prefix for passive voice) (uncommon)
(prefix for continuous action)
(perfect prefix, used like 'yet' or 'already')

Adjectives

Adjectives are negated with prefix /vek/.

Verbs can become adjectives/modifiers by conjugating the final /i/ as /ot/, for animate nouns, or /av/ for inanimate, or by simply using the verb's stem (i.e. removing the final /i/.) The latter is more common in older, calcified terms; the former is more modern and sometimes has a different meaning to the verb-stem version of a compound.

Nouns can be adjective-ified by the verb /di/ or /ti/ (to possess a trait or quality, for animate and inanimate actors respectively) or /yi/ (relating to, being associated with.)

General

whole, complete
kind, type
juvenile, young
small, short (for time)
true, real
(right) now
skilled, competent
big, great
narrow, closed (space or opening), cramped, tight
all
close (distance)
far
high, tall
low, short
more
broad, open (space or opening), loose

Colors (vader)

color
red (usually dark); warm
brown, orange
yellow
light/yellow green
mid-green/"olive"
jade
teal
cerulean, greener blue (from /xa iquv/, "blue (low)")
indigo, purpler blue (from /kraro iquv/, "true blue")
purple
violet, "royal purple" (from /harum ter/ "sea color"); cold
pink (tyrian)
rust (from /ta nivrot ter/, "metal decay color")
yellow-green (spectrum)
green (generic)
blue (generic)

Adverbs

very, extremely
already
eventually, at last
probably
ideally, perhaps, if (one is) lucky
only

(added to an adjective to make an adverb)

Conjunctions, Etc

but, however
as, while
with, at (for high or neutral nouns)
with, at (for low or wild nouns)
and then
and
about

Interjections, Etc.

hey, oy

Numbers

one
two
three
four
five
six
seven
eight
nine
ten

Dialect Variations

Indigos & Subjuggulators

Often use the /i/ -> /a/ conjugation of intimate register in casual speech, and drop the final /a/ in tense prefixes. The first person pronoun /maz/ and second person pronoun /aka/ are used more frequently, especially when speaking with other trolls within the church.

Aka ankir xaditaza?
Aka ankar xaditaza?
Where d'you think you're going?

Seadwellers

Seadwellers typically drop the initial and final h (h) sound, which is otherwise pronounced as a normal /h/, and pronounce midword /h/ as /j/. They also often slur the midword x (x, /ks/) as a /kʃ/ or /ktʃ/ sound, which is sometimes formalized in name pronunciations (ex. Peixes gets pronounced as /pekʃis/.)

Vrota ka 'arumvrit kamni tazi.
Vrota ka 'arumvrit kamni tazi.
I think she's a pirate.

Translations

Subject to repeated changes and alterations. Might need to take with a grain of salt, depending.

CG: KAMSAVISAMDOVRI IKRAVEKDOT HUMAN
CG: KAMSAVISAMDOVRI IKRAVEKDOT HUMAN
kʼamsavisamdovʀi ikʼʀavɛkdot hjuman
GERUND-pay-attention-PRES-HON-DEMAND worth-NEG-have-ADJ human
CG: GREETINGS WORTHLESS HUMAN

CG: GAKAN SIT JEGOK KAMSAMNAYY NI.
CG: GAKAN SIT JEGOK KAMSAMNAYY NI.
gakʼan sit ʒegokʼ kʼamsamnajaɪ ni
this-NOM you-GEN deity GERUND-PRES-HON-speak INF-is
CG: THIS IS YOUR GOD SPEAKING.

CG: KALTA QOT SAT KAMUSKI ITINYTANATI XAQI SUTKISAMOT SAMSTOSOT JEGOK SAMNI.
CG: KALTA QOT SAT KAMUSKI ITINYTANATI XAQI SUTKISAMOT SAMSTOSOT JEGOK SAMNI.
kʼalta kwot sat kʼamuʃki iti naɪtʼanati zakwi sut kʼisamot samstosot (d)ʒegok samni
he-HON-NOM than you-NOM GERUND-fear imagine PAST-HUMBLE-be-able-to be-greater you-ACC romantically-hate-ADJ pres-HON-be-wrathful-ADJ deity pres-HON-be
CG: IT IS A WRATHFUL GOD WHO DESPISES YOU MORE THAN YOU COULD HAVE POSSIBLY DARED TO FEAR.

Another sample, with some different politeness and pronoun choices.

GA: Kri Ulto Kamtukrisimadovri
GA: Kra Ulto Kamtukrisimadovri
kʀa ulto kʼamtukʀi simadovʀi
I-FML only GERUND.know.HMBL-PRES-demand*
GA: I Just Want To Know

GA: Tomsimnafi Novros Lusus
GA: Timsimnafi Novros Lusus
timsimnafi novʀos lusus
yet.FML-PRES-die GEN-HIGH.you-FML-GEN lusus
GA: Is Your Lusus Dead Yet

*Using the humble register changes the verb /dovri/ ('to demand') to something like 'to want' or 'to request'.

Bonus

Because I felt like it, I'm trying out some different homebrewed Alternian script fonts. You can see the test page here.