The Fan Language of Splatoon

[Andy-the-Dandy]

Corrections: In the Language Guide PDF, "cat" in "the cat is not old" is written as |ayuredu| instead of |uyaredu|. The example sentence "I go to the arena now" has no romanization.

{beota papa} "good shot" while {papa beota} means "shoot well" is how I understand it.

We could be more strict about word order of adverbs when the word used is not principally an adverb. I usually put them after the verb, too. I just wanted to show that the same words in the same order could mean different things.

Also, the conversion suffix is a great idea! One thing: should it then be added to the descriptors we already have, or should it be added to everything but those descriptors?

 

[piboy430]

Thank you for all the vocab and stuff you've contributed!

You're most welcome! I just love this project and the community of people who are contributing to it.

First thing: the word {teno} is the word for "human". Unless you specifically want a word for ancient Homo Sapiens like us.

Oh, this was originally the word for 'kid', wasn't it? You must have only changed it when the PDF got the redo. As for the Homo sapiens bit, I think that another word for us would be nice, as the inklings are different to us (like how we call Neanderthals 'early humans'.)

Second thing: I employed the word {uya} as a prefix for "a little" or "a bit" or "a piece" along with a brief description. Looking back, I found that the word for "cat" is {uyaredu}. I went and added {redu} as a word for "tiger", retroactively making {uyaredu} into "small tiger".

May I ask why you didn't stick with {uye}? I chose it specifically BECAUSE no words started with it. {redu} can stay as 'tiger', though maybe a broader definition like 'big cat' or 'panther' would be better.

Using the logic of Inkling, I planned on adding those together as {ŧasuyokižá} for "sanitary napkin" or "pantyliner". In addition, {šaégeŧasuyo} would be "blood obstacle" or "tampon".

Funny, I would have thought that {šaégeŧasuyo} would have been 'bandage' (and maybe {ŧasuyokižá} as 'handkerchief', referring to nosebleeds? This is stretching it a little, though.)

Oh, also, you have {šaége} down as both the word for 'blockage' and 'to block'. 'To block' is actually {šaégu}.

 

[EclipseMT]

About Octoling:

My preferred verb conjugations and noun declensions.

Verbs do not conjugate based on number and person.
So far, I have the root verb (u), and:
* Interrogative form (u becomes a).
* Imperative form (u becomes e).
* Passive form (u becomes aru).
* Negative form (u becomes onu).
* Conditional form (u becomes eba).
* Past (u becomes eta). Past passive: areta.
* Once I understand how the causative works in Japanese I will think about it.
* No potential, volitional, and so on; they can be represented by verb+infinitive.

Nouns do not necessarily decline; case and so on is particle-based.

No grammatical gender or number system is present.

EDIT: Added pattern on how verbs conjugate.

OTHER EDIT: Added past and negative forms.

Once I have a set infrastructure, I will create a seperate thread.

ANOTHER EDIT: Modified some conjugations.

So far, what do you think?

 

[Joseph Staleknight]

About Octoling:

My preferred verb conjugations and noun declensions.

Verbs do not conjugate based on number and person.
So far, I have the root verb (u), and:
* Interrogative form (u becomes a).
* Imperative form (u becomes e).
* Passive form (u becomes aru).
* Negative form (u becomes onu).
* Conditional form (u becomes eba).
* Past (u becomes eta). Past passive: areta.
* Once I understand how the causative works in Japanese I will think about it.
* No potential, volitional, and so on; they can be represented by verb+infinitive.

Nouns do not necessarily decline; case and so on is particle-based.

No grammatical gender or number system is present.

EDIT: Added pattern on how verbs conjugate.

OTHER EDIT: Added past and negative forms.

Once I have a set infrastructure, I will create a seperate thread.

ANOTHER EDIT: Modified some conjugations.

So far, what do you think?

Sounds good so far. The verb conjugations especially make this distinct from Inkling. Speaking of which:

Also, the conversion suffix is a great idea! One thing: should it then be added to the descriptors we already have, or should it be added to everything but those descriptors?

I think we should leave the descriptors we already have alone and only add the suffix to newly-derived ones. At least, that's how I believe it works in other languages; there are basic non-derived ones (like "big" and "green") and then there are those derived from other parts of speech (like "beautiful" and "unknown").

Also, I noticed that "kraken" is |zatsadíu| and is etymologically a "super squid", but the word for "super" is still |zetsá|. We should change either word to match the etymology. Oh, and we still only have the one modal verb "can". I'll try to think up words for the other modals.

 

[EclipseMT]

Also, I noticed that "kraken" is |zatsadíu| and is etymologically a "super squid", but the word for "super" is still |zetsá|. We should change either word to match the etymology. Oh, and we still only have the one modal verb "can". I'll try to think up words for the other modals.

Keep |zetsa| the way it is.

Change "kraken" into |zetsadiu|.

In terms of modal auxiliaries, we have "should," "must," and I think "would," in addition to "can."

 

[EclipseMT]

Added Octoling conjugation: progressive.

U becomes ichu.

 

[Joseph Staleknight]

In terms of modal auxiliaries, we have "should," "must," and I think "would," in addition to "can."

Forgot those existed. Thanks!

 

[piboy430]

Forget this post. It was an accident.

 

[theFIZZYnator]

About Octoling:

My preferred verb conjugations and noun declensions.

Verbs do not conjugate based on number and person.
So far, I have the root verb (u), and:
* Interrogative form (u becomes a).
* Imperative form (u becomes e).
* Passive form (u becomes aru).
* Negative form (u becomes onu).
* Conditional form (u becomes eba).
* Past (u becomes eta). Past passive: areta.
* Once I understand how the causative works in Japanese I will think about it.
* No potential, volitional, and so on; they can be represented by verb+infinitive.

Nice! I think Octoling should also have an object marker. Existing examples include
Esperanto:
"Mi vidas la koloron" (I see the color: object)
as opposed to
"La koloro estas blua" (The color is blue: subject)
Japanese:
"色を変える" (change the color: object)
as opposed to
"色が付く" (The color is put: subject)
"色は青" (The color is blue: subject)

In fact, Japanese doesn't really have a word for "to be"; the idea of being is notated by using a subject marker and an object without a verb, like "私はインクリングです。" watashi wa inkuringu desu. (I am an Inkling.) In this sentence there is no verb, like in "私はインクリングに変身します。" watashi wa inkuringu ni henshin shimasu. (I transform into an Inkling.) "です" desu may appear to be the word for "to be", but is really just a polite ending, and the sentence will have the same meaning: "私はインクリング。" watashi wa inkuringu. (I am an Inkling.)

In Octoling, I think we should keep the vocabulary largely the same, but add verb conjugation and the object marker so it's different enough to be considered a different language. Also, let me be in charge of the Octoling alphabet if you're willing to.

 

[EclipseMT]

Nice! I think Octoling should also have an object marker. Existing examples include
Esperanto:
"Mi vidas la koloron" (I see the color: object)
as opposed to
"La koloro estas blua" (The color is blue: subject)
Japanese:
"色を変える" (change the color: object)
as opposed to
"色が付く" (The color is put: subject)
"色は青" (The color is blue: subject)

In fact, Japanese doesn't really have a word for "to be"; the idea of being is notated by using a subject marker and an object without a verb, like "私はインクリングです。" watashi wa inkuringu desu. (I am an Inkling.) In this sentence there is no verb, like in "私はインクリングに変身します。" watashi wa inkuringu ni henshin shimasu. (I transform into an Inkling.) "です" desu may appear to be the word for "to be", but is really just a polite ending, and the sentence will have the same meaning: "私はインクリング。" watashi wa inkuringu. (I am an Inkling.)

In Octoling, I think we should keep the vocabulary largely the same, but add verb conjugation and the object marker so it's different enough to be considered a different language. Also, let me be in charge of the Octoling alphabet if you're willing to.

Those were my exact plans.

For noun "declension" (It isn't declension per se), I was thinking of doing particles like how Japanese does it.

My primary candidates are particles equivalent to Japanese 「は」, 「に」, and 「を」 (For all of you non-Japanese types, these are subject,
dative, and objective particles). The only difference is that 「が」 will be omitted, because, as far as I knew over the course of 2 years 2 years ago, 「が」 was more or less a composite of 「は」 and 「を」.

Oh, and 「の」 (genitive particle).

But to maintain mutual intelligibility, some vocabulary (predominantly nouns) will carry over.

EDIT: Yes, Japanese is a funny language in regards of "to be." In a technical sense, it's 「いる」 or 「ある」 depending on animacy, but it isn't really an equivalent of the English "I am....;" that's where 「です」, 「でし」, 「だ」, and so on come in: the copula.

However, in some cases, it can be used as "I am..."/"you are..."/"it is....". Auto at one point (Japanese dub of WALL-E) throws out the phrase (I only recall this from memory as I saw a clip of this) 「必要アリマセン・直チニクレテ下サイ」, meaning "That is not required. Please give it to me at once." But cases like this are only used in nouns and/or adjectives (which the one used in this case, 「必要」, is technically a noun), AFAIK.

Auto has also used 「です」 only once throughout the course of the movie.

 

[EclipseMT]

Speaking of alphabet:

I made an earlier proposal that the Octoling alphabet be an abugida like the Tengwar (Tolkien Elvish script) in that characters represent consonants and vowels are represented by diacritic-like marks.
However, this will accommodate some modifications. I plan to add gemination and palatalization to the alphabet, as well as distinguishing between vowel length, so a vowel lengthener, "soft mark," and "sokuon" would have to be added per my proposal.

 

[theFIZZYnator]

Those were my exact plans.

For noun "declension" (It isn't declension per se), I was thinking of doing particles like how Japanese does it.

My primary candidates are particles equivalent to Japanese 「は」, 「に」, and 「を」 (For all of you non-Japanese types, these are subject,
dative, and objective particles). The only difference is that 「が」 will be omitted, because, as far as I knew over the course of 2 years 2 years ago, 「が」 was more or less a composite of 「は」 and 「を」.

Oh, and 「の」 (genitive particle).

But to maintain mutual intelligibility, some vocabulary (predominantly nouns) will carry over.

I'm developing the Octoling letters now. I don't see any diacritic-like symbols in Octoling script as far as I can see, so I suspected from the lesser variation of letters that it could be a semisyllabary.
There are letters for each single consonant, and letters for "rhymes". Currently, I have letters for a, e, i, o, u, y[aeou], [aeio]u, and [aeiou]n. Perhaps I should also add [aeou]i and w[aeio].

EDIT:

I plan to add gemination and palatalization to the alphabet, as well as distinguishing between vowel length, so a vowel lengthener, "soft mark," and "sokuon" would have to be added per my proposal.

I guess I should reserve the - as the lengthener and geminator. As for palatization, how exactly would that work?

 

[EclipseMT]

I'm developing the Octoling letters now. I don't see any diacritic-like symbols in Octoling script as far as I can see, so I suspected from the lesser variation of letters that it could be a semisyllabary.
There are letters for each single consonant, and letters for "rhymes". Currently, I have letters for a, e, i, o, u, y[aeou], [aeio]u, and [aeiou]n. Perhaps I should also add [aeou]i and w[aeio].

EDIT:

I guess I should reserve the - as the lengthener and geminator. As for palatization, how exactly would that work?

If it is to be a syllabary like Inkling, then it has to at least accomodate the (Octoling) words |su|, |yu|, and |kanabu|, the verbs for "to do," "to be," and "to be ready."

And |yu| conjugates very irregularly, with the past, progressive, imperative, and conditional forms dropping the y entirely.

Palatization would just morph the preceding consonant into <sound>y<vowel>, so adding the "soft mark" would make pa become pya.

EDIT: Gonna create that thread.

 

[EclipseMT]

Here is the link to the Octoling language thread, which I am gonna eventually add to my signature.

EDIT: I have.

Gonna come up with words for Inkling in a moment.

 

[theFIZZYnator]

I've translated the vocab from the introductory chapter of my school's Spanish textbook. I invented quite a few words and phrases as well.

Bullet points of things:
• We need Inkling-native names.
• We need body part names.
• We need weather words.
• We need time-specific greetings.
• We need a decimal point.
• Invented words:
{hábu} "half" < JP hanbun (half), EN half
{zápi hábu} "one quarter" lit. "small half"
{dága hábu} "three quarters" lit. "large half"
{bíeeyu} "mouth"
{gátai} "to hurt"
{gátai-na} "hurtful" (If you decide another verb->adjective suffix, substitute -na with that)
{Dá!} "Ouch!"

We should think of how to deal with numbers like 2005, 2050, 2500, and 2508. Here's my suggestion:
2005: two thousand five
2050: two thousand five ten
2058: two thousand five eight
2500: two thousand five hundred
2508: two thousand five hundred eight OR two thousand five zero eight
2580: two thousand five eight ten
In short, I want to avoid sequences of zeroes because I feel like it's not ideal for spoken language.
Also, can we make a word for ten thousand and a hundred million, just to make the system closer to the Japanese?

 

[EclipseMT]

Sunny can be something like sky-bright.

Rain can be water-to fall.

Snow can be something like cold-fall.

 

[calthax]

I have a question, what were the boxes with an x for?

 

[theFIZZYnator]

I have a question, what were the boxes with an x for?

Those are self-explanatory. {Si [x] daoyu [x]} means "It's [x]:[x]."

 

[Coelpts]

Sorry if it doesn't make sense, but it's three in the morning and I had this pop in my head.

The phrase "Your ink is thin" could be considered an insult comparable to being a weakling, because if your ink is too thin you'll have brought a water pistol to a turf war. The only issue with it is that water still splats inklings...
But if that does work out somehow, the opposing 'thick-inked' would be strong and/or confident.

 

[piboy430]

Thought I'd contribute some more vocab now. This time, it's mainly based on the suggestions from theFIZZYnator and Coelpts.

Body Parts (All Nouns)

{ažúka} = Head
{zapížu} = Hair (short for 'zapí nežúzu' - small tentacles)
{saražúka} = Forehead (lit. 'up head')
{binažúka} = Face (lit. 'in front of head')
{dižáe} = Ear (variant of 'dižu' - to hear)
{koágezói} = Nose (Lit. 'koáge' - scent. See below)
{ráho} = Cheek
{biéyu} = Mouth (from suggestion by theFIZZYnator.)
{šitúe} = Tongue
{číha} = Tooth/Teeth
{iyágai} = Chin
{kaibó} = Neck
{žiká} = Shoulder
{sánai} = Arm (from 'šáno' - to reach for. See below)
{kaží} = Elbow
{eyóbu} = Finger
{muóna} = Chest
{íwe} = Stomach
{haíse} = Back
{žikánu} = Hip (shortened from 'žiká pinú' - shoulder below)
{šigú} = Butt
{sánainu} = Leg (shortened from 'sánai pinú' - arm below)
{kažínu} = Knee (shortened from 'kaží pinú' - elbow below)
{eyánu} = Foot (shortened from 'éyatu pinú' - hand below)
{eyónu} = Toe (shortened from 'eyóbu pinú' - finger below)

Basic Weather (Adj. & Nouns)

{haíya} = Sunny (variant of 'haíyo' - sun). Adj.
{žubéya} = Rain (shortened from 'žubóiéyadi' - water fall. See below for 'éyadi'). Noun.
{zapižubéya} = Drizzle (lit. small rain. ♪zapižubéya, zip-a-dee-ay♪ :D). Noun.
{žubéyoi} = Rainy (variant of 'žubéya'). Adj.
{uyežubéyoi} = Drizzly (lit. a little rainy. Yes, I AM using 'uye', not 'uya', as in the PDF. That's a typo.). Adj.
{šumádi} = Snow (shortened from 'šumaéyadi' - cold fall. See below for 'éyadi') Noun.
{šumáda} = Snowy (variant of 'šumádi') Adj.
{fuzíe} = Wind. Noun.
{zapifuzíe} = Breeze. (lit. small wind). Noun.
{fuzói} = Windy. (variant of 'fuzíe'). Adj.
{uyefuzói} = Breezy (lit. a little windy). Adj.

Other Verbs

{koáge} = To Smell
{biéyo} = To Taste
{šáno} = To Reach For
{žubéyu} = To Rain
{šumádu} = To Snow
{táže} = To Visit
{ráiyo} = To Allow (Example: {I ráiyo huró táže iyáezói ŧunigái} I will be allowed to visit the king tomorrow (That IS where you put the 'huró', right?).)

Other Adjectives

{tuáko} = Thick
{hosára} = Thin
{uyóki} = Confident
{utáiya} = Doubtful
{kiyóte} = Strong
{kusá} = Weak

Other Nouns

{koágu} = Scent, Smell
{éyadi} = Fall
{tuáyo} = Confident Person, Hero (shortened from 'thick ink')
{hosáyo} = Weak Person, Weakling (shortened from 'thin ink'. Formal contexts; informal is 'homao')
{kažietu} = Pen/Pencil (lit. 'write tool'. Uses the new proposed suffix 'tu'. See below.)
{hénatu} = Boomerang (lit. 'return tool'. Again, see below)
{rúto} = Elevator (lit. 'ascend tool'.)
{káišotu} = Starting Pistol (lit. 'start tool')

A Proposal

{tu} = Utensil, Equipment, Tool. This is put on the end of a word to get the word of the item (not person or body part, ITEM) that performs that action. This will be a useful way to devise words.

EDIT: Oh, and since these posts of mine usually swamp the forum (so sorry about that, btw ;)), I might as well post some unfortunate pieces of vocab suggested by others that haven't gotten into the PDF (yet).

EclipseMT:

{zi} : Superlative Word Prefix (Example: {zibeόta} = best)
{ayáni} : In Addition
{oyápa} : As I Thought (when starting a sentence, from Japanese 'やっぱり')
{abunái} : Watch Out! (Japanese for "dangerous"; colloquially means "watch out")
{daipíči} : Something really bad is going on! (Colloquial, {píči} is in less severe cases, from Japanese.)
{mímu} : Poison

theFIZZYnator:

{čidóze} : That Over There (equivalent to 'あそこ' in Japanese)

MissingNumbers:

{žéka} : Fire
{kuró} : Air
{kéna} : Earth, Ground

If I've made any mistakes, do tell me!