Œtadh

Aroni

(Aronee)

Phonology

Consonants

             labial  dental  alv   alv-pal  velar



stop          p b            t d             c g



fricative    ph bh   th dh   s z    sh zh



approximant                  r l      y



nasal          m              n

trill                         rr

Ph and Bh are pronounced somwhat as in English /f/ and /v/. However, they are made with the lips, not with the lower lip and upper teeth.

C is always pronounced as in “cat.”

Dh is the sound in “these clothes.”

Rr is the sound in the Spanish “perro.”

Zh is the sound in the French “dijon.”

Aroni has eight vowels:

a as in llama

e as in cafe

i as in feet

o as in grow

u as in boot

î as in sit

ê as in get

ai as in ice

Stress

Stress in Aroni is usually on the penultimate syllable of a word. When it is not, the stress is marked with accent marks.

a à á u à ú

e à é ê à è

i à í î à ì

o àó aià áí

Sentence order

Sentence order is SVO (Subject Verb Object) like English.

Numbers

Aroni has a number system not unlike that of Spanish. It counts to ten, then one would say “ten one” for eleven. There are words for twenty, thirty, forty, fifty, etc. And to say 26, one would say “twenty six.” There is a word for all the multiples of ten, and the word for 100 is “phul.” To say 200, one would say “two hundred.” To say 482, one would say “four hundred eighty and two.”

0 sîn 20 zuli 1,000,000,000 num

1 um 30 theco 1,000,000,000,000 zhest

2 zu 40 pêmai 74 lethio e pêz

3 thari 50 sencino 482 pêz phul dhag e zu

4 pêz 60 bhose 200 zu phul

5 senc 70 lethio 7,000 leth mîn

6 bhon 80 dhag 1965 mîn raina phul bhose e senc

7 leth 90 raise 1.4 um zirro pêz

8 dhona 100 phul 1^st um plo

9 raina 1,000 mîn 45^th pêmai e senc plo

10 sena 1,000,000 lirai ¼ um nîs pêz

Nouns

Gender

All Aroni nouns have gender, it is either masculine or feminine.

Masculine nouns end in –o, –e, or –u.

Feminine nouns end in –a, –i, or –ai.

Masculine è duno, cîle, phaigêshu

(owl) (bed) (doctor)

Feminine è dhisa, zobhi, batháí

(ballerina) (inn) (tiara)

Number

To form a plural, add –n to masculine nouns; add –m to feminine nouns.

dunon dhisam

cîlen zobhîm

phaigêshun batháím

Articles

Articles come before the noun, and agree with the noun in gender and number. Adjectives go between the article and the noun, not before the article. All nouns require an article if there are no other adjectives. “Naked nouns”, as they are called, are ungrammatical.

Definate articles

	Masc.	Fem.
Singluar	lu	lai
Plural	lun	laim

Indefinate articles

	Masc.	Fem.
Singluar	se	si
Plural	sen	sim

Adjectives

Adjectives precede the noun they describe, and they agree in gender, but not number. The neutral form of an adjective ends in –u.

big è shu pompous è snubhu

big dogs è sho pulon pompous fish è snubha puscoma

big shirt è she zhase pompous cheerleader è snubhi slabhi

big tent è shu mîdêsu pompous queen è snubhai rêgai

Comparison

Comparision is expressed by adding the appropriate word in front of the adjective.

more è bhîz most è corro less è aine least è ele as è ne

Adjectives in expressions of comparison agree with the noun that is first. The word for “than” is “phi.” It is also used in “as” statements, so “as…as” would change to “as…than.”

The dog is as pompous as the queen.

Lu pulo bu ne snubho phi lai rêgai.

The boy and girl are younger than the cheerleader.

Lu co e lai ca bun bhîz yimo phi lai slabhi.

The girl and boy are fatter than the fish.

Lai ca e lu co bun bhîz rrimona phi lai puscoma.

Pronouns

Pronouns in Aroni are similar to English ones. However, the plural “you” is different from the singular “you.” Plural pronouns are formed simply by pluralizing their singular counterparts.

mon

you

bhe

you all

bhen

she

yai

yot

them

yun

Table of Correlatives

Query

This

That

Some

Every

Adjective

which

elo

aro

dîdh

aig

Person

dho

elo

aro

dîdh um

et um

aigum

Thing (oplo)

bhêl

elo

aro

dîdhoplo

et oplo

aigoplo

Place (ili)

cem

lêna

cami

dîdhili

et ili

aigili

Time (îm)

yotai

spagi

rêbh

dîdhîm

et îm

aigîm

Way

saiph

dîdhaip

Reason

phuth

Demonstrative adjectives

The adjectives this and that change according to the gender and number of their noun.

This	Masc.	Fem.
Singluar	elo	ela
Plural	elon	elam

That	Masc.	Fem.
Singluar	aro	ara
Plural	aron	aram

Verbs

There are three kinds of infinitives, named after their final letter. Each infinitive conjugates differently, however, most Aroni verbs are regular. Verbs have personal endings, making the use of pronouns unnecessary. To form the tense of the verb, drop the final letter of the infinitive and add the appropriate personal ending.

Present

Sannam (to break)
Mo	sanali	Mon	sanathên
Bhe	sanau	Bhen	sanasu
Yu Yai Yot	sanadai	Yun	sanadh

Cebhal (to eat)
Mo	cebhari	Mon	cebhaph
Bhe	cebhatu	Bhen	cebhaza
Yu Yai Yot	cebhabi	Yun	cebhanis

Solonêc (to write)
Mo	solonêle	Mon	solonêphên
Bhe	solonête	Bhen	solonêca
Yu Yai Yot	solonêpe	Yun	solonêt

Past

Sannam (to break)
Mo	sanalí	Mon	sanathèn
Bhe	sanaú	Bhen	sanasú
Yu Yai Yot	sanadáí	Yun	sanadhá

Solonêc (to write)
Mo	solonêlé	Mon	solonêphèn
Bhe	solonêté	Bhen	solonêcá
Yu Yai Yot	solonêpé	Yun	solonêté

Cebhal (to eat)
Mo	cebharí	Mon	cebhaphí
Bhe	cebhatú	Bhen	cebhazá
Yu Yai Yot	cebhabí	Yun	cebhanís

Future

To form the future tense, add the personal ending without dropping the final letter of the infinitive.

Sannam (to break)
Mo	sanamêl	Mon	sanamêphe
Bhe	sanamêp	Bhen	sanamêbha
Yu Yai Yot	sanamêto	Yun	sanamêton

Cebhal (to eat)
Mo	cebhalel	Mon	cebhalephe
Bhe	cebhalep	Bhen	cebhalebha
Yu Yai Yot	cebhaleto	Yun	cebhaleton

Solonêc (to write)
Mo	solonêcul	Mon	solonêcuphe
Bhe	solonêcup	Bhen	solonêcubha
Yu Yai Yot	solonêcuto	Yun	solonêcuton

The verb “to be”

The verb “to be” is irregular in the present and in the past. Here is its conjugation.

Buc (to be)
Mo	bo	Mon	bon
Bhe	be	Bhen	ben
Yu Yai Yot	bu	Yun	bun

Buc (to be)
Mo	bail	Mon	bailon
Bhe	bete	Bhen	beten
Yu Yai Yot	buma	Yun	bunum

Progressive

The progressive is formed by adding the conjugated verb “to be” in front of the verb. Then, the proper infix is added in between the final vowel and consonant. For “m” verbs: -cai-. For “l” verbs: -cî-. For “c” verbs: -so-.

Thudom (to drink)
Mo	bo thudocaim	Mon	bon thudocaim
Bhe	be thudocaim	Bhen	ben thudocaim
Yu Yai Yot	bu thudocaim	Yun	bun thudocaim

Gerunds

Gerunds are formed by dropping the final letter of the infinitive and adding the approproate gerund suffix. All gerunds are feminine.

thudom è thudocaim lezhal è lezhacîl gogoc è gogosoc

(to drink) (drinking) (to fight) (fighting) (to purchase) (purchasing)

Participles

There are two kinds of participles, present participles and past participles. Present participles are formed the same way as gerunds. Participles do not have to agree with their noun.

The drinking hobbit è Lai thudocaim obîdai

The fighting Irish è Lu lezhacîl Airîshu

Past participles function the same way, but they have different endings.

The purchased car è Lu gogosoc snafarro

The murdered ballerina è Lai sebhîsoc dhisa

Negative

To make a verb negative, insert the word “et” before the verb.

I ate è Cebharí They will break è Sanamêton

I didn’t eat è Et cebharí They won’t break è Et sanamêton.

Perfect

To use the perfect, insert the auxiliary verb “to have” before the infinitive. Note that the auxiliary verb “to have” is different from the verb “to possess” (duphal)

Zal (to have)
Mo	zali	Mon	zathên
Bhe	zau	Bhen	zasu
Yu Yai Yot	zadai	Yun	zadh

Zal (to have) (past)
Mo	zalí	Mon	zathèn
Bhe	zaú	Bhen	zasú
Yu Yai Yot	zadáí	Yun	zadhá

Zal (to have) (future)
Mo	zalel	Mon	zalephe
Bhe	zalep	Bhen	zalebha
Yu Yai Yot	zaleto	Yun	zaleton

Zali thudom è I have drunk.

Zasú lezhal è Y’all had fought.

Zalephe phunil è We shall have learned.

Imperative

To give a command, use the second person singular in the present tense.

Cebhatu! è Eat!

Et pebatute! è Don’t shoot!

Adverbs

Adverbs are formed from adjectives, first, take the feminine form of the adjective ending in –i, and add the adverbializing suffix –sambe. There are some adverbs without adjectival forms, like “seldom”, and they are just words. The word for “seldom” is “dol.”

good è well stupid è stupidly

orru è orrisambe nuphu è nuphisambe

Conjunctions

The conjunctions are:

and e

or lai

if yîbh

but bon

nor dum

because rabhela

that cet

Prepositions

about baile above napho

across goti after umi

against shîc among siema

around corrin at yuma

before cli behind dhlip

beside rot between loth

by îl down rîdo

during ninîl except pêsht

for tu from phen

in shub into gubh

inside shubh near abha

of izu off bêc

on lonai over nîs

through îzhe to pai

toward pisi under phairre

up sul with zha

Noun phrases

Articles, numbers, adverbs and adjectives preceed nouns in that order.

The three very fast cows Lai thari serr nairi pubhim

Clauses

Clauses are formed like in English.

The boy who is a doctor Lu co dho bu lu phaigêshu.

The relative pronouns are:

which cet

who(m) dho

that cet

when yotai

where cem

why phuth

Questions

Make a rise in intonation at the end of the sentence, as in English.

Are you sleeping? ¿Be benicîl?

The words for yes and no are ai and et, respectively.

An excerpt from The Hobbit, by J.R.R. Tolkein:

And what is a Hobbit?

Hobbits are little people, smaller than dwarfs. They love peace and quiet and good tilled earth. They dislike machines, but they are handy with tools. They are nimble but don't like to hurry. They have sharp ears and eyes. They are inclined to be fat. They wear bright colors but seldom wear shoes. They like to laugh and eat (six meals a day) and drink. They like parties and they like to give and recieve presents. They inhabit a land they call The Shire, a place between the River Brandywine and the Far Downs.

¿E bhêl bu si obîdai?

Laim obîdaim bun gipe shaiten, bhîz gipai phi lun dharrphem. Yun phethit lu seso e lai musudai e orre cabalîn dhorre. Yun et ledênis lun nînilon, bon yun bun nagiphai zha lun unêslon. Yun bun shairrai, bon yun et ledênis spanîm. Yun epit phêsa sona e phêsa corra. Yun bun sidêcos buc rrimonai. Yun zhesuênis tirre gênen, bon yun dol zhesuênis lun senon. Yun ledênis philêne cebhal (bhon dêzenaim gin nuzu) e thudom. Yun ledênis laim zasim e yun ledênis sairrom e nerregil laim sunametim. Yun necunis si sotala cet yun onedh Lu Shirre, si ebhunai loth lu Disage Brandibhain e laim Nêstaim Susaim.