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LAND OF SPIRITS

The Language of the Guyins

Phonology and Orthography

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Consonant List:

b ('b' as in bat)
d ('d' as in dad)
g ('g' as in game)
ǵ ('g' as in Dutch geen)
h ('ch' as in Dutch acht)
k ('c' as in cat)
m ('m' as in man)
n ('n' as in not)
r ('r' as in Chinese ren)
t ('t' as in top)
w ('w' as in way)
y ('y' as in yes)

Vowel List:

a ('a' as in father)
á ('e' as in bed)
e ('e' as in Spanish el)
i ('ee' as in see)
o ('o' as in Spanish loco)
ó ('ou' as in thought)
u ('oo' as in food)
ú ('eu' as in Dutch neus)

Stress and Phonotactics:

- Stress is placed on the first syllable.
- There is a strict limit of two syllables per word. When two or more words are combined to create a longer expression that exceeds the two-syllable constraint, they are pronounced with an extended pause between each word, like the word Muweǵ-ta (which means hunter)
-Syllables can only begin with the following letters: b, d, g, ǵ, h, k, a, á, m, n, r, t, w, y, u, ú, au, ó.
- Syllables can only end in the following letters: n, h, ǵ, k, a, u, i, r, ai, oi, t, au, ú.
- When before consonants, "ai" becomes "á", "oi" becomes "o", and "au" becomes "ó".
- In two-syllable words, "wi" becomes "ú" when "wi" is not preceded by a vowel.

Examples:

- Guyin Language, Guyin
Guyin Garda

- Nayil
Nehta

- Underground
Róhu

- sea, Large Inner Sea
Mahhai

- Sword
Hokda

- War
Weǵron

- Sun
Ai

Numerals:

1: ur
2: noi
3: tir
4: mau
5: dau
6: roi
7: hin
10: nyun
11: nyun ur
12: nyun noi
13: nyun tir
14: nyun mau
15: nyun dau
16: nyun roi
17: nyun hin
20: noi nyun
21: noi nyun ur
22: noi nyun noi
23: noi nyun tir
24: noi nyun mau
25: noi nyun dau
26: noi nyun roi
27: noi nyun hin
30: tir nyun
31: tir nyun ur
32: tir nyun noi
33: tir nyun tir
34: tir nyun mau
35: tir nyun dau
36: tir nyun roi
37: tir nyun hin
40: mau nyun
50: dau nyun
60: roi nyun
70: hin nyun
100: unyi
200: noi unyi
300: tir unyi
400: mau unyi
500: dau unyi
600: roi unyi
700: hin unyi
1000: kihyi