Enksh

Enksh – a sister tongue to Modern English

Both evolved from Middle English on two different paths

Want to learn Enksh? Start here

Originally hosted here.

Alternate Earth & Why A Sibling of English Uses A Syllabary

The Basic Idea

The story here plays loose and fast with a historical context, which is why I must stress the idea of this being an alternate earth/history.

Imagine an group of Englishmen around the 12th century (speaking Middle English) who rejected Christianity and attempted to return to a generic Indo-European religion. They began a cult of their sun goddess Estrite (the “Eastern Rite,” i.e. a sacred sun, which rises in the east), which shaped how their small religion grew.

Dissatisfied with the culture around them and likely persecuted, this small group set sail to find a new home. However, they get caught in a magical storm which lands them in 1520 off the coast of the New World, right in the middle of the Spanish-Aztec War.

Language Evolution and Writing System

Eventually, this small group of people was able to find refuge with the Spanish, where much of the language evolved in an environment heavily influenced by the Spanish of the time. This includes sound changes that moved the language towards a 5 vowel system, replacement of Norman French words with their Spanish equivalent, and the acquisition of many new loan words and some grammatical features.

Due to widespread English literacy only beginning in the 1500s, the Enksh, as they had come to call themselves, began as mostly illiterate, but soon took on a subset of the Aztec writing system, which they evolved into a syllabary they could use to write things down.

The Unimportance of What I Just Told You

Really, I just wanted to make a language akin to Scots, but with Spanish as an influence as opposed to Gaelic. The story and writing system and everything like that was made after the fact to justify the decisions I had made. I really just wanted to make an interesting language that happened to be very closely related to Modern English. In fact, if I were to make a story that used this language, I probably wouldn’t mention its evolution or the alternate history at all, and would just use it as is within a fantasy world.

Pronunciation And Writing

How to Write Enksh

There are several ways to write out the words of Ensh. You can use its writing system, you can use its romanization, or you can use the IPA to represent the pronunciation directly. In this section I’ll go through each.

Phonology

First up, we’ll state all the consonant sounds used in the language using an IPA chart.

	Labial	Alveolar	Post Alveolar	Palatal	Velar	Glottal
Nasal	m	n			ŋ
Stops	p b	t d			k g	h
Fricative	f v	s z	ʃ ʒ		x
Affricate			t͡ʃ d͡ʒ
Approx	w	ɾ l		j

For the vowels, we essentially have a five vowel system – /a e i o u/, but /i/ goes to /ɪ/ and the rest to /ə/ when unstressed.

Romanization

A romanization is a way of representing a language more-or-less phonetically, using the Latin alphabet (hence romanization), without the need for special characters like those in the IPA and without the need for understanding the writing system of the language. It makes it easy to type and talk about the language, and for that reason, nearly everything is written in the romanization for ease of learning.

The romanization is fairly straightforward, if an IPA symbol can be typed with a standard US keyboard, then that’s symbol used for it, so the letters p, b, t, d, k, g, m, n, f, v, s, z, x, h, w, l, and j all represent themselves.

After that, the following substitutions are made:

• sh is used for /ʃ/, zh is used for the very rare /ʒ/
• Naturally, tsh is for /tʃ/ and dzh is for rare /dʒ/
• ng is used for /ŋ/
• r is used for /ɾ/

The other thing to note is that this language uses a contraction whenever a contraction may be used. Any time a word ends with a vowel and the next word begins with a vowel, the first word’s vowel is replaced with an apostrophe, and the two words are contracted.

For instance, to say “the earth,” you wouldn’t say “de ert,” you’d say “d’ert”

Writing System

The official writing system of Enksh is a syllabary. Here are the symbols used:

You may notice an issue there’s no way to represent consonant clusters or syllables that end in consonants. For these, knowledge of the language and context are combined with repeating the previous vowel sound (or following vowel sound, but only if there is no previous vowel sound).
For example, take the word “alwes” /’al.wəs/. This is actually written down using the symbols for a la we se, and perceived as al(a)wes(e).

As far as punctuation goes, the language more or less follows that of English. Commas are written with two open circles placed like a colon :, periods are essentially a colon, exclamation points are an open circle above a closed circle, and a question mark is a closed circle over an open circle.
It should also be noted that whenever there is a contraction, a dot is placed between the words, but no symbols are dropped.

Grammar

Nouns

Nouns are pretty straightforward. They are marked for plural and unmarked for singular and that’s it. There’s no cases, not even a genitive. To express possession, one must always form of-structures as in “the cat of Maria,” not “Maria’s cat.”

To make the plural is a bit different than in English. In English, there are three cases for pluraling nouns: s’s, the rest of the consonants, and vowels. For consonants and vowels, you simply add an s, but if the word already ends in an s, then you’ll add “es.” This is not the case in Enksh. In Enksh, for vowels you simply add an s, but all consonants get the “es” ending.

Adjectives are marked to match the number of their noun, but as there aren’t classes, and there aren’t cases, this means they too are only marked plural or unmarked.

Verbs

Naturally, there are some irregular verbs that must be learned, but for regular verbs there are three types. English has two types, strong and weak, as do many Germanic languages, including Enksh. However, in Enksh there were various sound changes that resulted in the splitting of the weak verbs into Complex Weak verbs, which mark for person, number, and Past/Non-Past, and Simple Weak verbs which mark for person and number, but only mark for Past/Non-Past in certain situations. There’s also a few different aspects, a future tense, and a handful of other things, but first, I’ll point out the conjugations.

For Complex Weak verbs we have the following:

And for an example of the conjugations, I have the verb “to live” which in Enksh is “to liv”

Another thing to notice is that some verbs may alter their form in order to have matching consonant sounds in the cluster. When making a cluster, the cluster will default to unvoiced.

Moving on. Simple conjugation:

And the example is the verb “to corrupt” – “to koropt”

And the final conjugation to talk about is strong verb conjugation.

Now, this poses a problem. Strong verbs are, essentially, irregular. They’re not that irregular, but they are irregular. A strong verb will have a present form and a past form where the vowel changes. Take the verb “mage” which means “to be able to” (cognate with our “may”). It’s past form is “mege.” That said, there are a set of endings for strong verbs which are regular:

So yeah, that’s the conjugations. There’s a few more things to note:

• By using the verb for “to have” and a verb in the gerund form, you get the perfect aspect
• By using the verb for “to be” and a verb in the gerund form, you get the progressive aspect
• By using the prefix “je-” and a present tense ending, you get the future tense
• By using the prefix “je-” and a past tense ending, you get the future perfect
• By using the prefix “je-” and a past subjuntive ending, you get the equivalent of “would”

And then I guess I should note that adverbs are either their own word or they’re adjectives with the suffix “-like” attached.

Examples

Now, I would’ve put vocab first, but since it’s so large, it just needs to be at the end. Instead, I’m putting all these examples first, even though there’s been no mention of actual words yet 🙂

I’m gonna list the smallest examples first and then a few longer ones

Basic Sentences

So now let’s get some basic sentences!

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.

I de ge, Dios krearte de prisos i d’ert. No d’ert was tut shap’empti, derkse was or de fas’of de dep, i D’espirt’of Dios was horeng’or de watshes.

/i de ge, ˈdi.əs kɾə.ˈaɾ.tə de ˈpɾi.səs i deɾt. no deɾt was tut ˈʃa.p ˈemp.ti, ˈdeɾk.sə was oɾ de ˈfas.of de dep, i də.ˈspiɾ.tof ˈdi.əs was ˈhoɾ.əŋ.oɾ de ˈwatʃ.əs/

in the beginning God create-3SG.PST the heaven-PL and the-earth now the-earth was without shape-and-empty darkness was over the face of the deep and the-spirit of God be.3SG.PST hover-GER over the water-PL

Embarrassingly, my letters come out funny.

Strerlike, de letras of ex k’ut stranges.

/ˈstɾeɾ.lɪ.kə de ˈle.tɾəs of ex kut ˈstraŋ.ə/

embarrass.INF-ADV the letter-PL of I come-3PL.PRS-out strange-PL

Here is the girl who started drawing a lion.

Here bed de mad ho gede dr’eng’a lo.

/’heɾ.ə bed de mad ho ‘ge.də ‘dreŋ.a lo/

here be.3SG.PRS the girl who begin-3SG.PST draw.PRS-GER-a lion

The trader and his wife are killing themselves, constantly smoking cigarettes.

De trader i de wif of he bed tekelenge por konstantelike smokenge skarejos. 

/de ‘tɾa.dɚ i de wif of he bed tə.’kel.əŋ.ə poɾ cən.’stan.tə.lɪ.kə ‘smok.əŋ.ə skə.’ɾe.jəs/ 

the trader and the wife of he be.3SG.PST them-kill-GER by constant-ADV smoke-GER cigarette-PL

Ahh, this is always breaking on me.

Ax, tes bed alwes brekeng’ex. 

/ax ‘tes bed ‘al.wəs ‘bɾek.əŋ.əx/

ah this be.3SG.PRS always break-GER-on-I

“I’m Billy, and this is Ryan. Where are we?” – Infinity Train

“Ex a Bili, i tes bed Rai. We be wer?” – Enito Lokomotora

/ex a ‘bi.lɪ ‘tes bed ‘ɾaʔ.ɪ we be weɾ ə.’ni.tə lə.kə.mə.’to.ɾə/

I be.1SG.PRS Billy and this be.3SG.PRS Ryan. we be.1PL.PRS where infinity train

I gazed into her eyes and saw them twinkle.

Ex gas’i d’es of sh’i tesede twenkenge.

/ex ‘ga.si des of ʃi tə.’se.də ‘twenk.əŋ.ə/

I gaze-1SG-into the.eye-PL of she-and itself-see-1SG.PST twinkle-GER

Perfection is achieved, not when there is nothing more to add, but when there is nothing left to take away. 

Fektoje not bed logarenge wa der bed not a kosa to ad, bot wa der bed not a kosa to tak awe. 

/fək.’to.jə not bed lə.’ga.ɾəŋ.ə wa deɾ bed not a ‘ko.sə to ad, bot wa deɾ bed not a ‘ko.sə to tak ə.’we/

perfect-NMLZ not be.3SG.PRS achieve-GER when there be.3SG.PRS not a thing to add but whe there be.3SG.PRS not a thing to take away

As he was so weak, when he was dragging the metal, he fell into the river.

As he was vere wek, wa he was dragenge de tal, he falde i de rever.

/as he was ‘ve.ɾə wek wa he was ‘dɾa.gəŋ.ə de tal he ‘fal.də i de ‘ɾe.və/

as he be.3SG.PST very weak when he be.3SG.PST drag-GET the metal he fell-3SG.PST in the rive

Only a cow can call a cow a cow, you cow. 

Olik’a ku mages to kal a ku a ku, do ku. 

/’o.lɪ.ka ku ‘ma.gəs to kal a ku a ku do ku/

one-ADV-a cow may.PRS-3SG to call a cow a cow you cow

I used to be able to swim, but now I can’t.

Ex was magenge to swe, bot no ex not mege.

/ex was ‘ma.gəŋ.ə to swe bot no ex not ‘me.gə/

I be.1SG.PST may-GER to swim but now I not may.PRS-1SG

In those days, if you didn’t work, you would starve. 

I tares dones, ef do not werkts, tons jesterfte.

/i ‘ta.ɾəs ‘do.nəs ef do not weɾkts tons jə.steɾf.tə/

in that-PL day-PL if you not work-2SG.PST then FUT-starve-SG.SBJV.PST

Sometimes at night, as Mr. Grinling lay sleeping in his warm bed, the ships would toot to tell him that his light was shining brightly and clearly out to sea.

Sometempos i next, as Mest (Mt?) Grinli lede slepeng’i de warm bed of he, de shepes jetute to se to he ke de lext of he was twenkenge brextlik’i klerlik’ut to se.

/sə.mə.’tem.pi next as mest gɾin.lɪ ‘le.də ‘slep.əŋ.i de waɾm bed of he de ʃe.pəs jə.’tu.tə to se to he ke de lext of he was ‘twenk.əŋ.ə ‘bɾext.lɪ.ki ‘kleɾ.lɪ.kut to se/

Sometime-PL in night as Mister Grinling lay-3SG.PST sleep-GER-in the warm bed of he the shape-PL FUT-toot-SG.SBJV.PST to say to he that the light of he be.3SG.PST twinkle-GER bright-ADV-and clear-ADV-out to sea.

I am interested in your opinion.

Ex a grepenge por de v’of do.

/ex a ‘gɾe.pəŋ.e poɾ de vof do/

I be.1SG.PRS grip-GER* by the view-of you

* Past and present particples and gerunds have merged in Enksh

I am afraid, they might expose us to the fire.

Ex hav’a fer ke de meg’e to w’ekspo to de fir.

/ex ‘ha.va feɾ ke de ‘me.gə to ‘wek.spə to de fiɾ/

I have.1SG.PRS-a fear that they may.PST-PL

There’s a typo in the text that I’m too lazy to fix. It’s E instead of the character for a vowel. See previous example for what ex should look like.

I’m Not Okay Cover in Enksh

There are some mistakes made in the text and singing of the video unfortunately, but the following is what it should be.

The Lord’s Prayer

Note that the original Greek was used to translate the Enksh as I thought it would give slightly different results to basing it on an English translation, but the ESV of the bible was used for the English as that’s what I like to use for scripture. It really didn’t end up being all that different.

Wellerman Lyrics

Origin Myth (work in progress)

Dictionary

Nouns, Adjectives, Adverbs, and More

all – al

again – aje

although – altux

also – aso

always – alwe

and – i

around – rund

as – as

-ate – -at

away – awe

back – berk

bed – bed

beginning – ge

being – bee

bow (ship) – bo

boyfriend – noveo

bread – bred

bright – bexte

brother – brot

bull – bole

but – bot

by – por

child – tsheko

chocolate – tshokolate

choice – elkso

cigarette – skarejo

clear – kler

complete – kompla

constant – konstante

corrupt – koropt

cow – ku

daughter – duxt

day – done

darkness – derkse

death – mut

debt – dode

deep – dep

dirty (foul) – ful

down – du

dusk – oskri

each – etsh

east – est

earth – ert

embarrassing – strer

empty – empti

English – English

Enksh – Enksh

evil – evle

eye – e

face – fase

father – fadre

fear – fer

few – fo

final – fenal

fire – fir

first – ferme

floor – flor

foot – fot

for – for

forefather – forf

Friday – Donofra

from – fro

full – fol

God – Dios

good – god

girl – mad

gut – gote

he – he

heaven – priso

here – here

holy – holi

honesty – kandor

horse – hors

husband – esposo

I – ex

if – ef

in – i

independent – dente

infinity – enito

-ion – -e

-ization – -esate

-ize – -es

kingdom – reke

land – lond

leave – leve

letter – letra

life – lif

like – like

light – lext

look – lok

-ly – -like

lion – lo

man – ma

metal – tal

Monday – Donofmo

moon – mo

more – more

most – most

mother – mod

mouse – mus

name – na

never – nev

night – next

now – no

not – not

of – of

-ology – olgi

on – i

once – ens

one – o

only – olike

or – or

other – otre

out – ut

over – or

passive – pas

perfect – fekto

perfection – fektoje

passivization – pasesate

photograph – losto

play – ple

playful – plefol

result – soltado

right – rext

rite – rite

river – rever

room – ru

rum – stro

Saturday – Donofalku

sea – se

second – sgundo

shape – shape

she – she

ship – shep

sky – ski

snail – snal

so – so

some – some

sometime – sometempo

soon – sone

spawn – spa

spirit – espirto

strange – strange

strong – stonge

sugar – asuk

sun – sone

Sunday – Donofstrete

tea – tsha

temptation – tashon

that (grammatical) – ke

that (non-gram.) – tare

the – de

then – tons

these – teses

there – der

they – de

thing – kosa

this – tes

those – tares

though – tux

through – torx

Thursday – Donoftor

time – tempo

to – to

together – ged

trader – trader

train – locomotora

true – sut

Tuesday – Donoftju

twin – tu

two – two

type – tepe

typology – tepolgi

up – op

very – vere

warm – warm

water – watsh

way – we

we – we

weak – wek

Wednesday – Donofma

Wellerman – Supplyship of Weller Bros. – Welershep

when – wa

where – wer

who – ho

whole – hol

wife – wif

will – wele

wind – wind

with – wet

without – tut

y’all – jo

you – do

Regular Verbs

achieve – logar (complex)

add – ad (simple)

arrange – are (complex)

ask – ask (complex)

be able to – mage (strong – mage, mege)

become alive – etaklif (complex)

begin – ge (complex)

birth – bert (simple)

blow – blu (strong – blu, ble)

break – brek (complex)

breathe – bret (simple)

bring – breng (strong – breng, brot)

buy – bog (simple)

call – kal (complex)

care – kar (complex)

chase – kasar (complex)

come – ko (complex)

corrupt – koropt (simple)

create – kreart (simple)

dash – dash (complex)

drag – drag (simple)

draw – dra (strong – dra, dru)

expulse – pols (simple)

expose – ekspo (complex)

fall – fal (complex)

forgive – forjev (complex)

form – for (complex)

gaze – gas (simple)

give – jev (complex)

go down – bax (strong – bax, bex)

grow – gru (strong – gru, gre)

hate – hat (simple)

hover – hor (complex)

impregnate – empnar (complex)

jump – jomp (simple)

kill – kel (complex)

lay – le (complex)

lead – eled (simple)

let – let (simple)

live – liv (complex)

maintain – mantre (complex)

make – mak (strong – mak, mek)

meet – met (simple)

name – na (complex)

put – pot (simple)

raise – res (complex)

remember – cordare (complex)

save – salvar (complex)

say – se (complex)

see – se (complex)

sleep – slep (complex)

smoke – smok (simple)

starve – sterv (complex)

swim – swe (strong – swe, swa)

take – tak (complex)

take control – etak (complex)

take from – fortak (complex)

trade – trade (complex)

toot – tut (simple)

twinkle – twenk (complex)

want – want (simple)

watch – watsh (simple)

wear – wer (complex)

work – werk (complex)

Irregular Verbs

Note that some of these may be incomplete as I create the irregular forms as I go