Sounds and names

[Scott Alexander]

This isn't official, nor should it be taken to imply I know what I'm talking about. It's just a list of sounds I'm using in the Galisyin language (which is a lot like Hyperborean, but with some evolution).

Because I don't really understand IPA, I'm leaving most things in the English alphabet for now and only giving IPA equivalents for things that really need them. And those IPA equivalents may be wrong.

CONSONANTS: b, d, g, j, k, l, m, n, p, ph (f/pʰ), q (tʃ/ch), r, s, t, v, x (sd), y (h), yy (whistle, s͎), z
VOWELS: a (as in 'car'), e (as in 'men'), i (as in 'bee'), o, u, ae (as in 'bat'), ai (as in 'sigh'), ei (as in 'way'), oi
DIGRAPHS: th (θ), ty (ð), sy (ɕ), sh (ʃ), sj (ʒ), ch (x), rh(r̥)

Moving on to names. Galisyin names have a lot of different structures; usually one structure came from one area, and then they all got mixed about during various apocalypses. All naming systems involve a first name and a last name.

First name is either NAME or NAME+ARTICLE where article is "i" for men and "e" for women.

Last name is NAME, NAME+ion, NAME+(VOWEL)n, ku(NAME), or (qname).

The Raikothlin from whom the Galisyin claim descent had most names in the structure of FIRSTNAME+ARTICLE LASTNAME+ion; by the age of Drachumve, this had degenerated to FIRSTNAME(+/-)article LASTNAME+(VOWEL)n among everyone but the very traditional or very snooty; the first names that kept the article were usually because they were very old names and people mistook the article for part of the name.

Among Greendiver communities in Galinomai, last names mostly indicated where someone was originally from; hence "ku" or "q" (accent difference only), which really means "and" but in this case took on the idiomatic meaning "from" (possibly from contraction of a statement like "I'm Nehan and from Arborvine".)

Last name can either be a place of origin, a parent's name, a distinguishing characteristic, or something freely chosen. Children do not always share their parents' last names, although this is becoming more common.

TEN COMMON MALE GALISYIN FIRST NAMES (probably total about 30% of men)
1. Omi ("wolf" in old Raikothin, name of first Autokrator)
2. Atern (corruption of "Oitherion", also homage to first Autokrator; deified Autokrator is "Aternomai")
3. Eith (origin unknown, possibly "spring". Historic Drachumvelin leader)
4. Gatr (origin unknown, possibly "boy". Historic High Priest)
5. Sjani ("golden eagle", common in mountains where eagles are visible and majestic)
6. Aedan ("gift" or "true gift")
7. Lisyin (related to "Galisyin". Sometimes "Lisylin" or "Lisyi")
8. Liuj ("dragon" or "snake". Historic first Abbot of Raknumve)
9. Yyej (probably derives from Raikothin "Yyiji", "bee/wasp")
10. Neyan (from Nehani Kalirion, mythical bear-guardian)

TEN COMMON FEMALE GALISYIN FIRST NAMES (probably total about 25% of men)
1. Kaye (from Kahe Kalirion, Raikothin heroine)
2. Kire ("star", also after the goddess Kirenomai, "Star of the Sea")
3. Melotye (from "mel" meaning "first", presumably something like "firstborn")
4. Kerite (probably "Kire" through another route)
5. Anlis (maybe from "inlis", "island", along the same routes as names like "River" or "Rose")
6. Syuphin (probably from "syuph", "cloud")
7. Maph ("amber")
8. Taira ("green", "greenery")
9. Lisav (from "lissi", meaning "girl")
10. Peregil ("beautiful rain", also name of the first female monk in Raknumve)

All of these names can fit either name pattern: for example, in a family that has traditionally included the article in names (and this sort of thing does run in families), Liuj might become Liuji; in a family that has traditionally excluded it, Kerite might become Kerit. Sometimes names change a bit in gaining or losing articles: Melotye might become Meloth.