This is just something I noticed the other day. So, as some of you may know, science fiction author and linguist Suzette Haden Elgin, who created the experimental feminist conlang Láadan, passed away in 2015. I happened to look on
the other day while browsing Láadan materials, and apparently she had been working on another novel before she died. The last post on her SWFA page says:
to that page. The word lists are reproduced below. They're just Swadesh lists, written in a non-IPA format, so we can't know a ton about the languages just from looking at them, but I thought some people here might be interested in seeing them, if only as a curiosity.
SWADESH [CORE VOCABULARY] LISTS
[Note: /E/ is the vowel sound in "bed"; /e/ is the vowel sound in "break"; /I/ is the vowel sound in "kiss"; /i/ is the vowel sound in "machine"; /ae/ is the vowel sound in "can"; /o/ is the vowel sound in "go"; /u/ is the vowel sound in "soon"; /th/ is the "th" sound in "there"; /TH/ is the "th" sound in "think."]
PANGLISH
all, ash, baby, bark, belly, big, bird, bite, black, blood, blue, bone, breasts, burn, child, claw, cloud, come, cold, die, dog, drink, dry, ear, earth, eat, egg, eye, feather, fire, fish, flesh, fly, foot, full, give, good, grease, green, hair, hand, head, hear, heart, horn, hot, I, kill, kneww, know, leaf, lie, liver, long, make, man, many, mountain, moon, mouth, name, neck, new, night, nose, not, one, path, person, put, rain, red, root, round, sand, say, see, sky, seed, sit, skin, sleep, small, smoke, stand, star, stone, sun, tail, that, this, tongue, tooth, tree, two, walk, water, we, what, white, who, woman, work, yellow, you
THANDI [THAN-di]
all, ban; ash, eba -- /EHba/; baby, gal; bark, fale -- /faLE/; belly, phonaphon; big, zhef -- /zhEf/; bird, shala; bite, gim -- /gIm/; black, fanal -- /faNAL/; blood, mal; blue, funul; bone, rohan -- /ROhan/; breasts, mamali -- /maMAli/; burn, besh -- /bEsh/; child, gala -- /GAla/; claw, less -- /lEs/; cloud, hali -- /HAli/; come, bo; cold, fel -- /fEl/; die, usha -- /Usha/; dog, nep -- /nEp/; drink, hal; dry, pha; ear, owa -- /Owa/; earth, nali -- /NAli/; eat, wal; egg, wo; eye, awa -- /Awa/; feather, pelepah -- /PELEpah/; fire, ebesh -- /EbEsh/; fish, fifil -- /fifil/; flesh, iwa -- /iwa/ [stress on first syllable]; fly, banga -- /BANGa/; foot, pre -- /prE/; full, ol; give, mella -- /mELA/; good, ala -- /ala/ [stress on second syllable]; grease, hefe -- /HEfE/; green, fenal -- /fENAL/; hair, bilish -- /BIlIsh/; hand, pra; head, ezhen -- /EZHEN/; hear, howa -- /HOwa/; heart, ama; horn, gref -- /grEf/; hot, fal; I, o; kill, relh -- /rElh/; knee, bage -- /BAgE/; know, meteg -- /mEtEg/; leaf, lelen -- /lElEn/; lie, haghal; liver, esse -- /EsE/; long, pesha -- /pesha/ [stress on first syllable]; make, freng -- /frEng/; man, bi -- /bI/; many, banna; mountain, geleff -- /gELEFF/; moon, paligal -- /palIgal/; mouth, menne -- /mEnE/; name, shebe -- /shEBE/; neck, fre -- /frE/; new, lem -- /lEm/; night, felena -- /fElEna/ [stress on third syllable]; nose, arah -- [stress on first syllable]; not, wi -- /wI/; one, ah; path, brema -- /brEma/; person, be -- /bE/; put, prin -- /prIn/; rain, ilanila -- /IlanIla/; red, fonol -- /foNOL/; root, pe -- /pE/; round, ho; sand, sheshe -- /shEshE/; say, lo; see, hawa; sky, ilan -- /iLAN/; seed, fren -- /frEn/; sit, bahg; skin, iwan -- /iwan/ [stress on first syllable]; sleep, zhal; small, fezh -- /fEzh/; smoke, hishi -- /hishi/; stand, odan -- /odan/ [stress on first syllable]; star, rali -- /raLI/; stone, mara; sun, pali -- /paLI/; tail, ep -- /Ep/; that, buha -- /buHA/; this, buhe -- /buHE/; tongue, shren -- /shrEn/; tooth, doss; tree, lerren -- /lEREN/; two, aha; walk, breng -- /brEng/; water, la; we, oho; what, aless -- /aLES/; white, fonal -- /foNAL/; who, belel -- /bELEL/; woman, ba; work, habega -- /habEGA/; yellow, finil -- /fiNIL/; you, sho
LENADESS [LEN-a-dEs]
[Note: Stresses not indicated are as in Thandi.]
all, ban; ash, eba; baby, gad; bark, fade -- /fadE/; belly, phonaphon; big, zhef -- /zhEf/; bird, shada; bite, gimi -- /gImI/; black -- /faNAD/; blood, mad; blue, funud -- /fuNUD/; bone, rohana -- /ROhana/; breasts, mamadi -- /maMAdi/; burn, besh -- /bEsh/; child, gada -- /GAda/; claw, dess -- /dEs/; cloud, hadi -- /HAdi/; come, bo; cold, fed -- /fEd/; die, usha -- /Usha/; dog, nep -- /nEp/; drink, had; dry, pha; ear, owa; earth, nadi -- /nadi/; eat, wad; egg, wo; eye, awa; feather, pedepah; fire, ebesh /EbEsh/; fish, fifid -- /fifid/; flesh, iwa -- /iwa/; fly, banga; foot, pre -- /prE/; full, od; give, medda -- /mEDA/; good, ada; grease, hefe -- /hEfE/; green, fenad -- /fENAD/; hair, bidish -- /BIDIsh/; hand, pra; head, ezhen -- /EZHEN/; hear, howa -- /HOwa/; heart, ama; horn, gref -- /grEf/; hot, fal; I, o; kill, relh -- /rElh/; knee, bage -- /BAgE/; know, meteg -- /mEtEg/; leaf, deden -- /lElEn/; lie, haghad; liver, esse -- /EsE/; long, pesha -- /pesha/; make, frengana -- /frEngana/; man, bi -- /bI/; many, bana; mountain, gedeff -- /gEDEF/; moon, padigadi -- /padIgadI/; mouth, menne -- /mEnE/; name, shebe -- /shEBE/; neck, fre -- /frE/; new, leme -- /lEmE/; night, fedena -- /fEdEna/; nose, arah; not, wi -- /wI/; one, ah; path, brema -- /brEma/; person, be -- /bE/; put, prini -- /prInI/; rain, idanida -- /IdanIda/; red, fonod -- /foNOD/; root, pe -- /pE/; round, ho -- /ho/; sand, sheshe -- /shEshE/; say, do; see, hawa; sky, idana -- /iDANa/; seed, frene -- /frEnE/; sit, bahg; skin, iwana -- /iwana/ [stress on first syllable]; sleep, zhad; small, fezh -- /fEzh/; smoke, hishi -- /hishi/; stand, odana -- /odana/ [stress on first syllable; star, radi -- /raDI/; stone, mara; sun, padina -- /padina/ [stress on second syllable]; tail, ep -- /Ep/; that, buha -- /buHA/; this, buhe -- /buHE/; tongue, shrene -- /shrEnE/; tooth, doss; tree, derren -- /dEREN/; two, aha; walk, brenge -- /brEngE/; water, da; we, oho; what, adess -- /aDES/; white, fonad -- /foNAD/; who, beled -- /bELED/; woman, ba; work, habega -- /habEGA/; yellow, finid -- /fiNID/; you, sho
AUBRE [O-bre; stress on first syllable]
all, bish -- /bIsh/; ash, tima -- /tIma/; baby, pa; bark, assa; belly, gara; big, kral; bird, tenten -- /tEntEn/; bite, blan; black, huth -- /huTH/; blood, ul; blue, fecha -- /fecha/; bone, kath -- /kaTH/; breasts, shtanen -- /shtanEn/; burn, stara; child, pak; claw, pith -- /pIth/; cloud, karaba; come, mihan -- /mIhan/; cold, lenar -- /lEnar/; die, felb -- /fElb/; dog, loroth -- /loroTH/; drink, tasha; dry, chenam -- /chEnam/; ear, chek -- /chEk/; earth, kren -- /krEn/; eat, otho -- /otho/; egg, kleraf -- /klEraf/; eye, no; feather, linrilin -- /lInrIlIn/; fire, gandi -- /gandI/; fish, pikpik -- /pIkpIk/; flesh, brek -- /brEk/; fly, plesh -- /plEsh/; foot, chal; full, nom; give, herrad -- /hErad/; good, amar; grease, olon; green, mesalin -- /mesalin/; hair, chezh -- /chezh/; hand, lash; head, azha; hear, fiti -- /fiti/; heart, bazhahan; horn, hepel -- /hEpEl/; hot, hub; I, li -- /li/; kill, nuf; knee, aketin -- /akEtIn/; know, ashtan; leaf, mamin -- /MAmin/; lie, robdan; liver, hulun; long, dorashi -- /dorashI/; make, holod; man, fash; many, echa -- /echa/ [stress on first syllable]; mountain, kepelen -- /kEpElEn/; moon, tahkah; mouth, daga; name, hafish -- /hafish/; neck, prepeh -- /prEpEh/; new, traba; night, berisa -- /BErIsa/; nose, thach -- /THach/; not, im -- /Im/; one, dol; path, alerana -- /aLErana/; person, breshel -- /brEshEl/; put, oso; rain, lek -- /lEk/; red, suk; root, inim -- /InIm/; round, sopa; sand, sese -- /sEsE/; say, glo; see, ferel -- /fErEl/; sky, chul; seed, hok; sit, fend -- /fEnd/; skin, indul -- /Indul/; sleep, genesh -- /gEnEsh/; small, ep -- /Ep/; smoke, shibi -- /shIbI/; stand, cheran -- /chEran/; star, zha; stone, klep -- /klEp/; sun, henne -- /hEnE/; tail, aber -- /abEr/; that, me -- /mE/; this, ma; tongue, hassel -- /hasEL/; tooth, feth -- /fETH/; tree, anbess -- /anbEs/; two, ta; walk, minmin -- /mInmIn/; water, pehl -- /pEhl/; we, elfe -- /ElfE/; what, oyo; white, katahl; who, ayo; woman, afash; work, bipa -- /bIpa/; yellow, fenath -- /fEnaTH/; you, wod
NANGDI [NANG-di]
[Note: For the tones, 1=high, 2=low, 3=falling.]
all, fang -- /fang[3]/; ash, ekhawa -- /e-kha[1]-wa/; baby, sham[3]; bark, taeshiba -- /tae-shi[3]-ba/; belly, la-la[1]-ba; big, fang[1]; bird, hanidem -- /ha[3]-nI-dEm/; bite, beshoda -- /bE-sho[1]-da/; black, halana -- /ha-la[1]-na[1]/; blood, fohlida' -- /foh-li-da'/; blue, hoyloynoy -- /hoy-loy[1]-noy[1]/; bone, shoba -- /sho[1]-ba/; breasts, loloba -- /lo-lo[1]-ba/; burn, khadawa -- /kha[1]-da-wa/; child, shamash -- /sha[3]-mash/; claw, thada' -- /THa-da'/; cloud, meth -- /mETH[1]/; come, neninaq -- /nE-ni[1]-naq/; cold, pashoy -- /pa[3]-shoy[3]/; die, foynala -- /foy[1]-na-la/; dog, shabadem -- /sha[1]-ba-dEm/; drink, lolidaq -- /lo[1]-lI-daq/; dry, feshefesh -- /fe[1]-she-fesh/; ear, shebanad -- /shE[1]-ba-nad/; earth, prezha -- /pre-zha[1]/; eat, lalidaq -- /la[1]-li-daq/; egg, mash; eye, shobanad -- /sho[1]-ba-nad/; feather, hanid -- /ha[3]-nId/; fire, khawa -- /kha[1]-wa/; fish, fohlidem -- /foh[3]-li-dEm/; flesh, shiba -- /shi[3]-ba/; fly, nesenan -- /nE-sE-nan[1]/; foot, sheba -- /shE[1]-ba/; full, fango -- /fang[3]-o/; give, fangota -- /fang[3]-o-ta/; good, tatina -- /ta-ti-na/; grease, we -- /we[3]/; green, holono -- /ho-lo[1]-no[1]/; hair, shaba -- /sha[1]-ba/; hand, shiba -- /shi[1]-ba/; head, shaban -- /sha[1]-ban/; hear, sheban -- /shE[1]-ban/; heart, mame' -- /ma-mE'/; horn, fada'; hot, shoy -- /shoy[3]/; I, lo -- /lo[3]/; kill, nehahoy -- /nE-ha[3]-hoy/; knee, shoba -- /sho[3]-ba/; know, amaba -- /a[1]-ma-ba/; leaf, breq -- /brEq/; lie, hamana -- /ha-ma[3]-na/; liver, sheba -- /shE[1]-ba/; long, simasa -- /si-ma-sa[1]/; make, weseda' -- /we-se-da[1]/; man, bada'; many, tetemon -- /te[1]-te-mon/; mountain, afatho -- /a-fa[1]-THo/; moon, gren -- /grEn/; mouth, shuban -- /shu[1]-ban/; name, woyo -- /wo[1]-yo/; neck, shaeban -- /shae[1]-ban/; new, filara -- /fi-la[3]-ra/; night, nangdi -- /nang-di/; nose, shoyban -- /shoy[1]-ban/; not, pa -- /pa[3]/; one, te -- /te[1]/; path, barresh -- /bar-rEsh/; person, da'; put, perinan -- /pe[1]-ri-nan/; rain, lilinin -- /lI[1]-lI-nIn/; red, hilini -- /hI-li[1]-ni[1]/; root, kha'; round, lalasa -- /la-la[1]-sa/; sand, prezhan -- /pre-zhan[1]/; say, dothada -- /doth-a[1]-da/; see, shobano -- /sho[1]-ba-no/; sky, metha -- /me-THa/; seed, thade -- /THa-de[1]/; sit, hemena -- /he-me[3]-na/; skin, sheba -- /shE[3]-ba/; sleep, aqana -- /a-qa[1]-na/; small, pafang -- /pa[3]-fang[1]/; smoke, begheda -- /bE-ghe[3]-da/; stand, homana -- /ho-ma[3]-na/; star, tandan; stone, so -- /so[3]/; sun, shess -- /shE[2]ss/; tail, totah -- /to[1]-tah/; that, ha -- /ha[3]/; this, ho -- /ho[3]/; tongue, wessina -- /wE-si[1]-na/; tooth, epass -- /e-pas[3]/; tree, taetae -- /tae[2]-tae[2]/; two, tete -- /te[1]-te/; walk, nesena -- /nE-se[1]-na/; water, fohli -- /foh[3]-li/; we, la -- /la[3]/; what, weri -- /we-ri[1]/; white, helene -- /he-le[1]-ne[1]/; who, wera -- /we-ra[1]/; woman, abada'; work, yiwa -- /yi-wa[1]/; yellow, hulunu -- /hu-lu[1]-nu[1]/; you, lu -- /lu[3]/
Copyright © 2009 by Suzette Haden Elgin
