User:Aegon/High Valyrian Tutorial/W1-1

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The High Valyrian Writing System

Introduction

The Valyrian writing system is a mixed script that features an alphabetic component, an iconic component, and a paradigmatic component. All three elements are used simultaneously.

Alphabetic glyphs are used purely for their phonetic value. Most of the time they indicate a single consonant and sometimes they are used for long vowels or sequences of sounds.

Iconic glyphs can stand for whole words, can be augmented to form different words, or inflections of the same word.

Paradigmatic glyphs are glyphs that generally have other functions and are used in specific verbal and nominal paradigms to indicate inflections.

Punctuation

Double dots indicate full stops and separate sentences, regardless of if they are statements, questions, or exclamations.

Single dots separate words. No spaces appear in the High Valyrian sentence. All full words are separated with single dots to clearly state when one word ends and the other begins.

Paradigmatic Glyphs

Grammatical Number

Number Glyph
Singular N/A
Plural MUCH
Paucal HAND
Collective PILE

Noun Determinatives

Declension Gender Common Alternative
First lunar SNOW (occasional)
lunar, subtype -ia OWL
aquatic WATER BLOOD (uncommon)
Second lunar HAMMER FIGHT (violence)
solar FIRE DRAKARYS (martial danger; connection to dragons)
Third lunar GATE
lunar, subtype -io RAIN
solar SUN GOD (irregular)
solar, contracting
terrestrial ICE IRON (substances; names)
ROPE (binding)
STONE (sturdiness)
TABLE (occasional)
BACK (occasional)
HOLE (occasional)
terrestrial, subtype -ion NIGHTSKY
aquatic SHIP
aquatic, subtype mȳr Y-WATER
Fourth lunar TREE
HORSE
solar BIRD DRAGON (dangerous; venerable; dragon names)
terrestrial
Fifth lunar CAT
solar
aquatic WORD
Sixth foreign ARAKH

WOMAN is a determinative for female animate nouns of any class.

Cases

Case Glyph
Nominative N/A
Accusative J
Genitive HEFT
Dative HEFT-T
Locative
Instrumental HEFT-S
Comitative
Vocative

Derivations

LEG is used for the -kio agentive derivational affix. Also, for the ikagon causatives.

SWELL appears to be used for the intensification prefix oz-.

STORM is used for the augmentative -āzma.

HOOK is used for inchoative verbs (eg. obūljagon).

CYCLIC is used for repetitive verbs (eg. ā-).

Adjective Determinatives

Class Common Alternative
I BIG
II CYCLIC TRUE
III CERTAIN

TRUE is a common determinative for superlatives.

Verb Conjugation

Indicative Subjunctive Imperative Participle Infinitive
Singular Plural Singular Plural Singular Plural
1s 2s 3s 1pl 2pl 3pl 1s 2s 3s 1pl 2pl 3pl 2s 2pl
Active
prs. √-N √-A √-Z √-MUCH √-A-T √-Z-MANY √-V-N √-V-O √-V-Z √-V-MUCH √-V-O-T √-V-Z-MANY √-A-S √-A-T-A-S √-?(adj. II) √-DO-THING
aor. √-GO-N √-? √-GO-Z √-GO-MUCH √-? √-GO-Z-MANY √-GO-V-N √-? √-GO-V-Z √-GO-V-MUCH √-? √-GO-V-Z-MANY √-? √-? √-?(adj. II) √-?
fut. √-LIE-N √-? √-LIE-Z √-LIE-MUCH √-? √-LIE-Z-MANY √-LIE-V-N √-? √-LIE-V-Z √-LIE-V-MUCH √-? √-LIE-V-Z-MANY √-? √-? √-?(adj. II) √-?
npfv. √-? √-? √-? √-? √-? √-? √-? √-? √-? √-? √-? √-?
pfv. P-SEVEN-N P-SEVEN-A P-SEVEN-Z P-SEVEN-MUCH P-SEVEN-A-T P-SEVEN-Z-MANY P-SEVEN-V-N P-SEVEN-V-O P-SEVEN-V-Z P-SEVEN-V-MUCH P-SEVEN-V-O-T P-SEVEN-V-Z-MANY see below P-DO-THING
plup. P-? P-? P-? P-? P-?
phab. P-? P-? P-? P-? P-? P-? P-? P-? P-? P-? P-? P-? P-? (adj. II)
Passive prs. √-aks √-āks √-aks √-aksi √-āks √-aksi √-oks √-ōks √-oks √-oksy √-ōks √-oksy √-āks √-akson
aor. √-iks √-iaks √-iks √-iksi √-iaks √-iksi √-uks √-uaks √-uks √-uksy √-uaks √-uksy √-iāks √-iarza (adj. I) √-iakson
fut. √-ilaks √-ilāks √-ilaks √-iliks √-ilāks √-iliks √-iluks √-ilūks √-iluks √-iluksy √-ilūks √-iluksy √-ilāks √-ilaksa (adj. I)
npfv. √-ileks √-ilēks √-ileks √-ilēks √-iloks √-ilōks √-iloks √-iloksy √-ilōks √-iloksy
pfv. P-aks P-āks P-aks P-aksi P-āks P-aksi P-oks P-ōks P-oks P-oksy P-ōks P-oksy P-a (Adj. I) P-akson
plup. P-eks P-ēks P-eks P-iks P-ēks P-iks
phab. P-iks P-iaks P-iks P-iksi P-iaks P-iksi P-uks P-uaks P-uks P-uksy P-uaks P-uksy P-iarza (adj. I)

Present

First person singular is N.

First person plural is MUCH.

Third person plural is Z-MANY.

GO indicates the aorist tense.

GO-NECK indicates the third person aorist agreement.

Future

First person plural is LIE-MUCH.

Perfect

Third person singular is SEVEN-Z.

Third person plural is SEVEN-Z-MUCH.

Third person singular passive is SEVEN-EAT.

Valyrian has a derivation where the perfective form of the verb can be turned into a new stem (so urnegon “to see”; ūndan “I saw”; ūndegon “to catch sight of”). When these repurposed perfectives are spelled, a silent H is used to separate the verb stem from the rest of the inflection.

J is also used in verbal conjugation for the past tense [e] series.

Z is used for third person inflection.

V is used for marking locative applicatives, and is also used for the subjunctive.