Kheprerven, Language of the Daemonic Empire

[Wensleydale]

The planet-spanning nature of the daemonic empire means that it encompasses many thousands, even millions, of languages. However, the mother tongue of almost all daemons, and of millions upon millions of human slaves, is Kheprerven - the lingua franca of the Empire. Meaning literally 'Language of Daemons', it has many dialects, the most prevalent in the world of the Duer being Merer-Her and Mererven - 'Above slaves' and 'Slaves' language'. Merer-Her is the 'upper' language, spoken mostly by older daemons and used most prevalently in literature and place names - it is considered the 'pure' Kheprerven, and is sometimes referred to as Kheprerven itself. This will deal mostly with Mererven, as it is the more common dialect, and the first language of many thousands of humans. Mererven is Subject-Object-Verb-Indirect Object, although speakers often move parts of sentences around - whilst Merer-Her is generally free-order.

Basic Grammar

Nouns

Merer-Her uses eight grammatical cases, the Genitive, Nominative, Accusative, Dative, Instrumental, Final, Numerative and Causal. Pluralisation is exact, and usually uses the specific number in the numerative case (i.e. Kheprersnuz, two daemons).

'Base' daemonic, that is, Mererven, retains only two of these cases; the Dative (indirect objective) and the Accusative (objective). The Genitive and Instrumental are formed in certain cases using grammatical particles (see below). In Mererven, the plural is usually indicated with 'sek', which roughly translates in Merer-Her to 'Many', or leaving the noun unmodified in certain cases, as with 'Merer-Her'.

Both languages' native words work off groups of 2-6 consonants which normally represent a specific idea - 'life', for example, is 'n-k'. Vowel sounds are added for specific meanings - for example, 'Ank' is 'physical life' in Merer-Her, whilst 'Nekw' is the true daemonic life in the Amenta. Nekw has, for obvious reasons, fallen out of use in common Mererven.

Many words and clusters of consonants are also formed from mixes of multiple words - for example, 'n-d-n-k(h)' is 'blood' (or perhaps more accurately in Mererven, bodily fluid), a combination of 'n-k' (life) and 'n-d' (liquid). This can be confusing to outside speakers, as, for example, Nadnekh (blood) means something quite different from Nad (water) or Nek/Nekh (not actual words) alone. Furthermore, there are a selection of adjective suffixes often combined into one word with their object which indicate classes such as 'species' (-se), 'language' (-ven), 'family' (-de), and so on.

The particle 'sy' (also the feminine pronoun) placed before a word indicates that said word is feminine. Conversely, the particle 'f' indicates that it is masculine.

[table=Kheprerven (Mererven) Cases]

[tr][th]True Cases (Suffix)[/th][/tr]
[tr][td]Case[/th][td]Singular/Plural[/th][/tr]
[tr][td]Accusative[/td][td]Ukh/Ukha[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]Dative[/td][td]Akh/Akha[/td][/tr]
[tr][th]Particle Cases (Preposition)[/th][/tr]
[tr][td]Genitive[/td][td]Ne/Nex[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]Instrumental[/td][td]Ud/Uda[/td][/tr]
[/table]

Accusative: This is used to mark the object of a verb - for example, in 'Rames talks to Meza', Meza would be written 'Meza-Ukh' (or simply Mezukh) - Rames Meza-Ukh Medw.

Dative: This is used to mark the indirect object of a phrase - for example, in 'Rames gives the book to Meza', the book would be the accusative and Meza would be said 'Meza-Akh' (or simply Mezakh) - 'Rames sfadw-ukh ruda Mezakh.'

Genitive: The Genitive plays an extremely complex role in Merer-Her, but is used in Mererven with a particle and marks either possession or, in many cases, 'of' - for example, 'Rames' book' is Ne Rames Sfadw, whilst 'A group of people' is 'Nexa Remt Dene'.

Instrumental: The Instrumental is used to mean 'by means of' or 'using'. For example: 'Rames fights using the sword' is 'Rames Ud Kopez Aha', and 'I go by sky barge' is 'Ui Ud Depetpet Pera'.

Whilst in Merer-Her, the ways of making nouns from verbs are quite complex, many of these have been cut down for more rapid use in Mererven - for example, the equivalent to 'Speaker' in Merer-Her is normally 'F'a Mdaw' or 'Sy'a Mdaw' - He/She (that) acts - in Mererven, the less common derivation pattern of x ... x-vowel-X-i - based off the standard 3-consonant format - where X is the last consonant, preceded by a vowel and followed by an 'i'. Although this does not always work and can sometimes result in semi-unpronouncable words, the infinite amount of letters that can be placed between the first and second xs can make this easier. Some dialects also use -ty (reserved for nouns and adjectives in standard use) to indicate this.

Other derivation patterns beyond using the suffixes include 'a-x... x-vowel-x-a' which indicate a place where something is stored or something happens. For example, the engine core room in a sky-barge is normally referred to as a 'afifa' (from the root 'f-f'), or 'flying place', whilst more regularly (using three consonants), 'x-b-t' (dance root) becomes 'axbita' (dancing hall or inn).

This can also 'appear' to happen to nouns or adjectives, although this is less common. For example, 'Sawi' (the daemonic place name for Na Mal-Maziij) literally means something like 'place of freedom', and although it might be derived from Suwo (to liberate, to remove chains), it is much more likely to have been formed from the root itself (s-w) or the word 'swa' (freedom).

Verbs

Verbs are formed in the same way as nouns, from clusters of consonants with an often overlying theme. Although like nouns there is no pattern that MUST be followed, most verbs end with a vowel in the infinitive form, making them relatively easy to spot (although there are exceptions to this rule as well as nouns that also end with a vowel). Kheprerven in general recognises the plural and the singular when it comes to verbs, whilst Merer-Her also recognises several 'prestiges' or 'statuses' that are condensed in Mererven into Formal and Informal. There are also six tenses - present, preterite, past continuous, future, future continuous, conditional.

Plural

Plural verbs almost always end with an 'n' in Mererven, or an 'en' or 'an' if they normally end with a vowel. This comes after all other modifications, including participles.

Formal/Informal

Formal verbs are used almost exclusively in literature, although some children talk to their parents formally, sermons are occasionally performed with them, and in some communities they are also used to speak to superiors and elders. They are formed using the 'Na' particle, placed directly before the verb, so that 'What do you like?' (you like what) is, formally, 'Tew du na nema?'

Past tense

The past tense in Mererven distinguishes between the preterite and the past continuous using the particle 'Ik' for the latter. It is formed not with an auxiliary verb, but with a past participle. The past of all regular verbs (most) is formed with an 'ay' or 'uki' replacing the last vowel or added to the end of the word (Nemay for Nema, Medwuki for Medw). Which takes which is not easy to work out, although loanwords often take the former. It is simply something that must be learned with the verb. For example: 'Rames spoke to Mezed' would be 'Rames Mezed-ukh Medwuki', whilst 'Rames was speaking to Mezed' would be 'Rames Mezed-ukh Ik Medwuki'.

Future Tense

The future tense is formed almost identically to the past, using a participle and distinguishing simple and continuous with the particle 'Ik' (Ix plural) to mark the latter. The participle is formed by replacing the last vowel with 'eh' or 'ah' or adding it to the end of the verb. For example, 'I will speak to Mezed' would be 'Ui Mezed-ukh Medwah'. Whether it uses the former or the latter is decided by whether it takes 'ay' or 'uki' in the past tense.

Conditional Tense

The conditional tense is formed using the 'Ze' particle (plural Zek) - for example, 'Ui Mezed-ukh Ze Medwah' translates as 'I would talk to Mezed', whilst 'Ui Mezed-Ukh Ze-Ik Medwuki' is 'I would have been talking to Mezed'.


Active/Passive Voice

There is not really any concept of an active or passive voice in any form of Mererven. Rather, things may be performed by a hypothetical 'fourth person', formed by adding a -na or -a to the end of the verb whilst using (normally) the fourth person pronoun (uz). Whether a -na or -a is added is decided upon by whether the verb takes 'ay' or 'uki' in the past tense, unless that conjugation ends with a vowel anyway (almost ALL present tense singular), in which case a -na is used by default.

The Uz pronoun plays several other roles in Mererven, most particularly as the direct object in sentences where one is not used in english but a 'to' is (mostly in 'give', although some others use it as well) - for example 'Give to god'. Here, the word 'god' would use the dative, whilst the Uz would serve as the object being given. - 'Ruda Uz Raakh', 'Give (something) to God'.

[spoiler=Conjugation of Ruda]
[table=Conjugation of Ruda]
[tr][th]Pronoun[/th][th]Translation[/th][/tr]
[tr][th]Present Tense[/th][/tr]
[tr][td]Ui (I)[/td][td]Ruda[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]Tew (You sing. masc.)[/td][td]Ruda[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]Ten (You sing. fem.)[/td][td]Ruda[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]F (He)[/td][td]Ruda[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]Sy (She, It)[/td][td]Ruda[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]Uz (4th person)[/td][td]Rudana[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]Inn (We)[/td][td]Rudan[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]Tny (You plu.)[/td][td]Rudan[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]Syn (They)[/td][td]Rudan[/td][/tr]
[tr][th]Past Preterite[/th][/tr]
[tr][td]Ui (I)[/td][td]Ruday[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]Tew (You sing. masc.)[/td][td]Ruday[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]Ten (You sing. fem.)[/td][td]Ruday[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]F (He)[/td][td]Ruday[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]Sy (She, It)[/td][td]Ruday[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]Uz (4th person)[/td][td]Rudayna[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]Inn (We)[/td][td]Rudayn[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]Tny (You plu.)[/td][td]Rudayn[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]Syn (They)[/td][td]Rudayn[/td][/tr]
[tr][th]Past Continuous[/th][/tr]
[tr][td]Ui (I)[/td][td]Ik Ruday[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]Tew (You sing. masc.)[/td][td]Ik Ruday[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]Ten (You sing. fem.)[/td][td]Ik Ruday[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]F (He)[/td][td]Ik Ruday[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]Sy (She, It)[/td][td]Ik Ruday[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]Uz (4th person)[/td][td]Ik Rudayna[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]Inn (We)[/td][td]Ix Rudayn[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]Tny (You plu.)[/td][td]Ix Rudayn[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]Syn (They)[/td][td]Ix Rudayn[/td][/tr]
[tr][th]Future Simple[/th][/tr]
[tr][td]Ui (I)[/td][td]Rudeh[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]Tew (You sing. masc.)[/td][td]Rudeh[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]Ten (You sing. fem.)[/td][td]Rudeh[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]F (He)[/td][td]Rudeh[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]Sy (She, It)[/td][td]Rudeh[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]Uz (4th person)[/td][td]Rudehna[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]Inn (We)[/td][td]Rudehn[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]Tny (You plu.)[/td][td]Rudehn[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]Syn (They)[/td][td]Rudehn[/td][/tr]
[tr][th]Future Continuous[/th][/tr]
[tr][td]Ui (I)[/td][td]Ik Rudeh[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]Tew (You sing. masc.)[/td][td]Ik Rudeh[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]Ten (You sing. fem.)[/td][td]Ik Rudeh[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]F (He)[/td][td]Ik Rudeh[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]Sy (She, It)[/td][td]Ik Rudeh[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]Uz (4th person)[/td][td]Ik Rudehna[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]Inn (We)[/td][td]Ix Rudehn[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]Tny (You plu.)[/td][td]Ix Rudehn[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]Syn (They)[/td][td]Ix Rudehn[/td][/tr]
[tr][th]Conditional (Future)[/th][/tr]
[tr][td]Ui (I)[/td][td]Ze Rudeh[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]Tew (You sing. masc.)[/td][td]Ze Rudeh[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]Ten (You sing. fem.)[/td][td]Ze Rudeh[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]F (He)[/td][td]Ze Rudeh[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]Sy (She, It)[/td][td]Ze Rudeh[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]Uz (4th person)[/td][td]Ze Rudehna[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]Inn (We)[/td][td]Zek Rudehn[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]Tny (You plu.)[/td][td]Zek Rudehn[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]Syn (They)[/td][td]Zek Rudehn[/td][/tr]
[/table]
[/spoiler]

Adjectives[/b]

Adjectives are almost always placed after the noun, although there are a few exceptions. Titles are also placed after the individual concerned - for example, Rameset Sfudu, Prince Rameset. It is grammatically correct to say 'Ne Rameset Wur' using the Genitive - meaning 'Great of Rameset' - rather than Rameset Wur, although the latter is often used informally. Numbers also have prefix forms which are sometimes used - NuiSfudu, 'Two Princes', rather than 'Nex Sfudu Senui' as would usually be used.

Counting System[/b]

The daemonic counting system goes up in nines, with the occasional unique number. Each number up to eighteen has a common prefix form which can be used as indicated above. Some others also have prefix forms, but they are not commonly in use.

Ua - Ua - One.
Senui - Nui - Two.
Khemtet - Tet - Three.
Iftet - Ift - Four.
Diut - Diut - Five.
Siset - Set - Six.
Kheftet - Khef - Seven.
Khemnet - Khem - Eight.
Pesdjet - Pes - Nine.
Uapes-Ua - Pesua - Ten.
Uapes-Nui - Pesnui - Eleven
Uapes-Tet - Pestet - Twelve
Uapes-Ift - Pesift - Thirteen
Uapes-Diut - Pesdiut - Fourteen
Uapes-Set - Peset - Fifteen
Uapes-Khef - Peskhef - Sixteen
Uapes-Khem - Peskhem - Seventeen
Nui-Pesdjet - Nuipes - Eighteen

Status as a Language[/b]

Mererven is an extremely common language amongst the humans and elves of the Tandhus Archipelago, as well as, of course, the Khetau and Hobgoblins. Many Duer speak it as a second language, and the only tongue matching it in terms of global speech is Hariiji. In terms of Merer-Her, however, and other upper dialects of daemonic, fluency is limited to a few scribes (who use it for historic and literary purposes) and certain daemons, who are for obvious reasons rarely seen.

[Wensleydale]

Mererven-English

Ank - Life (physical or general)
Anku - To live
Aha - To fight
Aperi - To come
Aruda - To take
Apera - House
Axbita - Dancing hall, inn

Bin - Bad

Dbeti - Hunter
Debetu - to Hunt (Debetay)
Dene - Group
Depet - Boat
Diaat - Everything
Dtiu - World
Du - What
Dwur(-Se) - Duer

Ehah - Battle
Enz - Birth
Enezu - To give birth
Enem - Desire

Fifu - To fly

Harib - Dragon
Harib-Se - Hariij
Hribmerer(-Se) - Elf, or other Hariiji-speaking non-Hariij

Iri - To do
Irut - Eye
Isef - Evil
Iwit - Sin, wrongdoing

-Ka - Mark of respect or uniqueness used for emphasis, for example, 'The Lord'
Kaprer - Daemonic 'god' (Raa's lieutenants), also used for other gods in Mererven
Kdo - 'Must', 'Should'
-Keb - All
Kheprer - Daemon
Kupor - Death (full, even in the Amenta, daemons only)
Kopez - Sword
Kopr - Dialectal 'evil'
Koz - From

Maab - Mark
Mawt - Death (unnatural, in battle)
Mawuta - To kill
Mazodi - Replace, exchange
Mdaw - Speech, announcement
Mdawi - Speaker
Medw - To speak
Menft - Soldier
Merer - Slave, also human
Mesa - Army
Mi - Identical to, the same as
Mrar - Man
Mrur - Worker, craftsman
Muwti - To die
Mwut - Death (natural)

Nad - Water
Nadnek - Blood
Nebw - Gold
Nedez - Small
Nekw - Life (In the Amenta, daemons only)
Nema - To like, to want
Neta - To bring
Neti - Bringer
Neweh - Rope

Onaza - To be born

Pari - To Return
Pera - To go
Per - To reside
Pet - Sky
-Py - This, this particular one. Overridden by other suffixes

Rde - Gift
Re - Against
Remt - People
Ren - Name
Rnep - Foot
Ruda - To give
Rudi - Giver

Sabw - Day
Sebaw - Today
-Se - People (as in species or ethnic group)
Set - Place
Sekh - Chaotic
Semdo - To make, to craft
Smedi - Crafter, maker
Semek - Empire
Sepi - To bind
Ska - Chaos
Sfadw - Book
Sfudu - Prince
Spe - Binder
Supet - New
Syat - Prayer
Sayito - To pray
Suwo - To liberate
Swa - Free

-Ta - 'God', title for T'qet or foreign, suffix
Taty - Compound, almost slang word meaning 'foreign god'
Taw - Bread or food in general
-Ty - Suffix, often applied to loanwords, meaning 'One who is'

Xebat - Dance
Xebitu - to Dance
Xeh - Fire

Wab - Pure
Wat - Road
Waw - Warrior, usually mercenary or foreign (non-daemonic) although also a title
Wiro - Strong
Wur - Great
Wira - Power

English-Mererven

Against - Re
All - -Keb (sometimes Akeb), can be added after other subjects
Army - Mesa

Bad - Bin
Battle - Ehah
To Bind - Sepi (Sepuki)
Binder - Spe
To give birth - Enezu (Enezay)
To be born - Onaza (Onazay)
Birth - Enz
Blood - Nadnek
Boat - Depat
Book - Sfadw
Bread - Taw
To bring - Neta (Netuki)
Bringer - Neti

Chaos - Ska
Chaotic - Sekh
To come - Aperi (Aperuki)
Craftsman - Smedi
To craft - Semdo (Semduki)

Dance - Xebat
To Dance - Xebitu (Xebitay)
Daemon - Kheprer
Dancing hall - Axbita
Day - Sabw
Death (Natural) - Mwut
Death (In battle, unnatural) - Mawt
Death (In the Amenta, daemons only) - Kapor
Desire - Enem
To Die - Muwti (Muwtay)
To Do - Iri (Iruki)
Dragon - Harib
Duer - Dwur(-Se)

Elf - Hribmerer(-Se)
Empire - Semek
Everything - Diaat
Evil - Isef or, in certain non-slave dialects, Kopr
Eye - Irut
Exchange - Mzodi (Mzoduki)

To fight - Aha (Ahay)
Fire - Xeh
To fly - Fifu (Fifay)
Food - Taw
Free - Swa
From - Koz

To give - Ruda (Ruday)
Gift - Rde
Giver - Rudi
To go - Pera (Peruki)
God - Kaprer
God (frequently a title for T'qet or a foreign god, suffix) - -Ta
God - Taty (foreign. slang word, not used in Merer-Her)
Gold - Nebw
Great - Wur
Group - Dene

Hariij - Harib-Se
House - Apera
Hunt - Debetu
Hunter - Dbeti

Inn - Axbita

To Kill - Mawuta (Mawutuki)

Life (physical, general) - Ank
Life (Amenta, daemons only) - Nekw
To like - Nema (Nemay)
To liberate - Suwo (Suway)
To live - Anku (Ankay)
To live (reside) - Per (Peray)

Man - Mrar
To make - Semdo (Semduki)
Maker - Smedi
Mark - Maab
Must - Kdo (Kduki)

Name - Ren
New - Hupet

One who is (suffix) - -ty

People - Remt
People (as in species or ethnic group, suffix) - -Se
Place - Set
Power - Wira
To pray - Sayito
Prayer - Syat
Prince - Sfudu
Pure - Wab

Replace - Mazodi (Mzoduki)
To Return - Pari (Paray)
Road - Wat
Rope - Neweh

Same as - Mi
Should - Kdo (Kduki)
Sin - Iwit
Sky - Pet
Slave, also human - Merer
Small - Nedez
Soldier (rank-and-file daemonic) - Menft
Soldier (mercenary, foreign, title) - Waw
To speak - Medw (Medwuki)
Speaker - Mdawi
Speech - Mdaw
Strong - Wiro
Sword - Kopez

This - -Py (Overridden by other suffixes)
Today - Sebaw
To take - Aruda (Aruduki)

Uniqueness (suffix for emphasis, as in 'The Lord') - -Ka

To Want - Nema (Nemay)
Water - Nad
What - Du (Questions should be formed as 'You like what?' 'You want what?')
World - Dtiu
Worker, craftsman - Mrur
Wrongdoing - Iwit

[Tybalt]

So...just to clarify a few things:

1. This is a sort of universal language that most ordinary people would know?

2. It seems a little simpler than Duer--am I correct in understanding that?

3. However the way it is spoken--ie certain modes of conjugation--indicate social status?

[Wensleydale]

So...just to clarify a few things:

1. This is a sort of universal language that most ordinary people would know?

2. It seems a little simpler than Duer--am I correct in understanding that?

3. However the way it is spoken--ie certain modes of conjugation--indicate social status?

1) Not exactly. There're kinda two 'common' tongues in the continents within which Wonders is set, Hariiji (which is the language of the OLD empire) and daemonic (the language of the alien daemons and humans, which has corrupted into this form over time). Sharuss (i.e. Duer, for most intents and purposes) is spoken fluently in the main setting of Wonders, the Tandhus Archipelago. Because the humans were slaves of the daemons, most of them speak it.

2) Yes, it is. Duer is a lot more specific, and has been kept mostly static by various official bodies, whilst this has devolved from the language that the daemons use to the more common, humanised tongue.

3) There's the formal in Mererven, true. Merer-Her is more like the system of 'titles' that Japanese has (well, from my understanding), which has devolved into the current system.

[Wensleydale]

The Lord's Prayer in Mererven

Ne Nesu-Ka Syat

Ne Inn F' Mei - Our Father
Im Ne Tatysek Pet Tew Na Per - In heaven you live
Ne Tew Ren Na Taty - Your name is God
Ne Tew Semek Tew Na Aperi - Your empire come to you
Uz Ne Tew Nemsek Na Irina - Your desires be done
Im Dtiu-Py, Im Ne Tatysek Pet - In this world, in heaven
Sebaw Tew Inn Na Ruda Ne Inn Ne-Sabw-Taw - Today give us our daily bread
Tew Inn Na Suwa Koz Ne Inn Iwitsek - Liberate us from our wrongdoing
Mi Inn Syn Suwa Koz Ne Syn Iwitsek Re Inn - As we liberate them from their wrongdoing against us
Tew Inn Na Aruda Koz Benem - Take us from bad wishes
Tew Inn Na Aruda Koz Kopr - Take us from evil
Ne Tew Semek, Ne Tew Wira, Ne Tew Wur, - Your empire, your power, your strength
Sabwakeb - For ever

Sy Wat-Py - It is so (Amen)

Most noticable in this version of the prayer - which itself would have many T'qetan counterparts, such as Ne T'qet-na Syat (T'qet's prayer) itself - is the use of the word 'Kopr' to mean 'Evil', rather than the older Isef or Iseft. Kopr is a comparatively young word derived from K(h)eprer, removing the final radical to produce Kopr. This is accompanied by a general disgust for all things daemonic - the word 'Kheprer', for instance, has been replaced in some dialects by 'Kopr-ty', meaning 'Evil One'.

[LordVreeg]

I love this.  I love detail in general.  I love the different ages of  terminology, which is something I use as well, though not as well developed.

[Wensleydale]

I love this.  I love detail in general.  I love the different ages of  terminology, which is something I use as well, though not as well developed.

Thankyou.

I'm still revelling at the fact I was sad enough to translate the Lord's prayer into Mererven...