Analysis swap: Abaniscen

[Flavia]

Bi Araias niestel? Ni — they gesture at their face — Etiam niestel.

Spoiler:

Ok, so bi is some sort of second person pronoun and ni is first person? And niestel has something to do with names, it seems.

"Ni Araias niestel," I say. I gesture at Trailsend, saying, "mmm Trailsend niestel."

I Tileysen niestel?

I nod my head ─ wait, I highly doubt that means "yes" here ─ what's some way of saying "yes" universally ─ "I Tileysen niestel, ni Araias niestel, bi Etiam niestel?" I say.

As tia i mino — they reply, nodding back.

[GoshDiggityDangit]

Cielnas i tumellile ihtel? — they say to themself, it seems. They turn in your direction, and say: Bey, i le niestel?

Ni Gabi niestel. Bi as bey?

Spoiler:

I hope that I'm saying something like "are you well?," under the assumption that novi might mean day.

[Flavia]

Cielnas i tumellile ihtel? — they say to themself, it seems. They turn in your direction, and say: Bey, i le niestel?

Ni Gabi niestel. Bi as bey?

Spoiler:

I hope that I'm saying something like "are you well?," under the assumption that novi might mean day.

...bi as bey? — They click their tongue disapprovingly. — As tia i taran.

[GoshDiggityDangit]

darn.

[Trailsend]

darn.

(Figuring out what something isn't is as much a prize as figuring out what something is! Also, you found As tia i taran!! Look at the symmetry with As tia i mino!)

Spoiler:

So far I've got:

1) As le?
that? what
What is that?

2) Bey novi!
(A greeting?)

3) Bey novinemor.
(A greeting in reply? Gosh had the idea that maybe -nemor is a politeness marker, or a "you too" somehow)

4) Bi le niestel?
2 what name
What is your name?

5) Ni Etiam niestel.
1 Etiam niestel
My name is Etiam.

6) Cielnas i tumellile ihtel?
???

7) Bey, i le niestel?
hey? 3 what name
Hey, what's their name? (I'm not sure who Etiam was talking to here, but i seems to be a 3rd-person pronoun elsewhere...)

8) I Tileysen niestel.
3 Trailsend name
Their name is Trailsend.

9) As tia i mino
that? ?? 3 ??
??? ("That is correct", maybe?)

10) As tia i taran.
that? ?? 3 ??
??? ("That is incorrect", maybe?)

I've been pretty quiet so far—I speak fully two words of Abaniscen, so most everything I hear from my hosts goes over my head. But we always have to start at the beginning.

I bring to Etiam an old bow one of the villagers gave me, so I could try—rather unsuccessfully—to help on a hunt. I place it carefully on a tree stump between us

"As le?" I ask.

[Flavia]

As? — they ask, pointing to the bow. When you confirm, they say— as, is navieras, with a rise in intonation after the first syllable.

[Trailsend]

I nod, then carefully pick the bow up from the stump.

"As, is navieras...hmmm." As I hum, I clutch the bow to my chest.

Then I point at the bow slung over Etiam's back.

"As, is navieras...hmmm." This time as I hum, I point at Etiam.

[Flavia]

Ay! As navieras i bi — pointing to your bow — as navieras i ni — pointing to theirs.

[Arayaz]

Ay! As navieras i bi — pointing to your bow — as navieras i ni — pointing to theirs.

I point at Trailsend's bow. "As navieras i i?" I ask.

[Trailsend]

(oooooh, nice!!)

[Flavia]

Ay! As navieras i bi — pointing to your bow — as navieras i ni — pointing to theirs.

I point at Trailsend's bow. "As navieras i i?" I ask.

Bi is canasirnehay i may: as navieras i.

[Arayaz]

Ay! As navieras i bi — pointing to your bow — as navieras i ni — pointing to theirs.

I point at Trailsend's bow. "As navieras i i?" I ask.

Bi is canasirnehay i may: as navieras i.

Spoiler:

Okay, so we have pronouns ni for 1, bi for 2, and i for 3 ─ but the possessive particle i gets absorbed into i. And we also see bi ─ "you" ─ in the first part of the phrase, which from its form feels akin to as tia i mino and as tia i taran. They're probably saying "that's close," or something of the sort, but I don't think I can break it down easily yet.

[GoshDiggityDangit]

I grab a clod of earth from where I was buried.
As le? I say, pointing to the handful of dirt.

[Flavia]

I grab a clod of earth from where I was buried.
As le? I say, pointing to the handful of dirt.

As, is livis.

[GoshDiggityDangit]

Livis is mino i cielnas?

[Flavia]

Livis is mino i cielnas?

you see them go like wtf

Ni... vanehay? — they say, completely bewildered by what you just said. — Cielnas i minore? Ni is iescarnehay... Is beynemor is esciom le?

[Solarius]

Bey novi! Ni Solarius niestel.

I point to a cat nearby. As le?

[Flavia]

Bey novi! Ni Solarius niestel.

I point to a cat nearby. As le?

there shouldn't be cats here but I guess somebody brought one from Earth lol

As... — they try to recall the word — is catus?

[GoshDiggityDangit]

I pick up the cat and point to dirt caught between its toes.
As le?

Spoiler:

I'm trying to ascertain if there are many words for kinds of soil.

[Flavia]

I pick up the cat and point to dirt caught between its toes.
As le?

Spoiler:

I'm trying to ascertain if there are many words for kinds of soil.

As livis, ni is tiana.