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HyǽlimVersion II © Ceresz

1. Phonology
1.1. Vowels
There are ten vowels in Hyǽlim. All vowels can be either long or short, except for
the mid central vowel.
Vowels
i ɨ u
e ə o
ɛ ɞ
a ɑ~ɒ1
1/ɑ/ and /ɒ/ occur in free variation. Northern dialects tend to favor /ɒ/ while

southern dialects tend to favor /ɑ/.

Diphthongs
ai au iu ou ɨə əu

Long vowels and diphthongs may only occur in open stressed syllables, while short
vowels in both open and closed stressed syllables and open and closed unstressed
syllables (i.e. everywhere).

1.2 Consonants
There are twenty pure consonants in Hyǽlim, not counting the allophones.
Consonants
Labial Dental Alveolar Palatal Velar Glottal
Nasal m n

Plosive aspirated
pʰ tʰ cʰ kʰ
plain p t c k
Fricative ɸ θ s ç x h

Approximant j

Trill r
Tap ɾ
Lateral l
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1.2.1. Consonant allophony

1. Palatalization occurs when a consonant precedes a front vowel. Most of these
consonants are realized as [Cʲ], but there are a few exceptions:
 [nʲ] → [ɲ]
 [hʲ] → [ç]
 [kʰʲ] → [cʰ]
 [kʲ] → [c]
 [jʲ] → [j]
 [sʲ] → [ɕ]
2. /n/ is realized as [ɲ] and [ŋ] when preceding a palatal or velar consonant
respectively.
3. /x/ and /ɸ/ are realized as [ɣ] and [β] when following a nasal or when word-final.
4. When a consonant meets another consonant of the same type in a medial cluster
they are geminated, but when a plosive meets another plosive of the same type
(plain or aspirated) they are pre-aspirated. For example:
 /n/ + /n/ → [n:]
 /p/ + /p/ → [ʰp]

1.3. Syllable structure

(C1)V2(C)

1 Stands for any consonant.

2 Stands for any vowel or diphthong.

The allowed medial clusters are:

Nasal + Any consonant
Plosive + Fricative, approximant, lateral, trill or tap
Fricative + Plosive, lateral, trill or tap

Words may only end in a nasal, fricative, lateral, trill or tap.

1.4. Stress
Stress falls on either the penultimate syllable or the syllable containing the long vowel,
if there is any.

1.5. Vowel deletion

Vowel deletion occurs when a noun utilizes both the singulative infix and a definite case
suffix that ends in a consonant + vowel combination. For example:
 /’iu:lɘnejɞ/ → [‘iu:lɘɲɞ]
 /’niçɘnajɞ/ → [‘nʲiçɘɲɞ]
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1.6. Root structure

There are no regularities regarding the Hyǽlim root structure, other than verbs having
the tendency to end in a dental nasal in the infinitive.

2. Orthography
2.1. Vowels
Hyǽlim’s orthography is phonemic; therefore each letter stands for a separate
sound.
Vowels
i í u
e É o
æ ǽ
a á

Diphthongs
ai au iu ou íé éu

Long vowels are not marked orthographically.

1.2 Consonants
Geminated consonants are indicated by doubling in the orthography, unless a single
sound is marked using a grapheme.
Consonants
Labial Dental Alveolar Palatal Velar Glottal
Nasal m n

Plosive aspirated p t ky k
plain b d gy g
Fricative f th s hy gh h

Approximant y

Trill r
Tap rh
Lateral l
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3. Morphology
3.1. Nouns
Hyǽlim nouns are declined for gender, number (which is marked by an infix),
case and definitiveness (which are marked by a suffix).

3.1.1. Gender
Hyǽlim nouns are grouped in two genders: the animate and the
inanimate. Animate nouns are typically nouns which describe living,
natural things, while inanimate nouns basically describe anything
man-made or dead. There is also a third gender which is known as
the abstract. Technically this isn’t a separate gender since it declines
according to either the animate or inanimate declension patterns.
These nouns are more often referred to as irregular nouns.

3.1.2. Number
The standard number of a Hyǽlim noun is the collective. The opposite
of the collective number is the singulative.

The singulative is formed by the insertion of an infix after the final

vowel of a root. The infix for animate nouns is –én–, while the infix or
inanimate nouns is –iy–. For example:

 Suna + én (rice) → Sunéna (a grain of rice)

 Hogo + iy (a fleet; several boats) → Hogiyo (a boat)

3.1.3. Case
There are five grammatical cases in Hyǽlim:
The direct case: The direct case marks the subject and the
direct object of a sentence. Because they share the same case
ending, word order is used to distinguish them from each other.
The genitive case: The genitive case marks the possession of
another noun.
The dative case: The dative case marks the indirect object of a
sentence as well as motion.
The causal case: The causal case is used to mark the cause of
something.
The locative case: The locative case is used to mark the
location of a noun.

The indefinite is the standard form, while the definite requires the
usage of unique suffixes.

The declension patterns are shown on the next page.

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These are the suffixes used for animate nouns.

Animate nouns
Indefinite Definite
Direct -Ø -yǽ
Genitive -é -égh
Dative -in -ina
Causal -el -eli
Locative -arh -aru

And these are the suffixes used for inanimate nouns.

Animate nouns
Indefinite Definite
Direct -Ø -æ
Genitive -í -ígh
Dative -egye -egyé
Causal -ai -ais
Locative -á -án

3.1.4. Demonstratives
Demonstratives precede the noun they are modifying and have to
agree in both gender and number. These demonstratives also cause a
softening of the following nouns initial consonant.

Animate demonstratives
Proximal Distal
Collective rho raki
Singulative rhéno rakéni

Inanimate demonstratives
Proximal Distal
Collective ha hasu
Singulative hiya hasiyu

The softening that occurs is as follows:

1. Aspirated plosives are unaspirated.

kínnéne (a fish) → rhéno gínnéne (this fish)
2. Plain plosives are lowered to their fricative counterparts.
b→f
d → th
gy → hy
g → gh
3. Fricatives are unchanged, except for /h/ which is deleted.
4. Trills are softened to [ɾ ].
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3.1.5. Pronouns
There are three types of pronouns: direct, genitive and DCL pronouns
(dative, causal and locative). Direct pronouns are rarely used when
describing the subject unless you want to emphasize something, since
verbs are marked for person.

Direct pronouns
Collective Singulative
1 So Síno
2 Gau Gínau
3 Anarh
1 Anínarh
32 Anu Anínu
1 Stands for animate third person.
2 Stands for inanimate third person.

Genitive pronouns
Collective Singulative
1 Son Sanon
2 Gán Ganán
3 Enarh
1 Enanarh
32 Enon Enanon

DCL pronouns
Collective Singulative
1 Mo Mæno
2 Ago Agæno
31 Anorh Anænorh
32 Ano Anæno
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3.2. Abstract nouns or adjectives

Abstract nouns act as adjectives in Hyǽlim. They are made into adjectives by
adding a suffix to the root of the noun. Adjectives have to agree with nouns in
both gender and number but not case.

3.2.1. From noun to adjective

The suffix –i is placed on abstract nouns to make them into adjectives.

 kirha (rediness) → kirhi (red)

 bárun (greeniness) → báruni (green)

3.2.2. Number and gender

Just like with nouns, a special infix is inserted after the last vowel of
the adjective to mark gender and number.

 kirhi næsu (red fires) → kirhíni næsénu (a red fire)

 báruni gotha (green skies) → báruneyi gothiya (a
green sky)

3.2.3. Attributive vs. predicative

Attribute is shown by simply placing the adjective in front of the noun
it describes, while predicative is shown by adding –s to both the
adjective and the noun. If the noun ends in a consonant it is replaced
by the –s suffix. This is the non-past predicative (which could be
translated to both present and future tense). The past predicative is
marked using the –n suffix.

 kirhi næsu (red fires) → kirhis næsus (fires are red)

 kirheyi gothiyæ (the red sky) → kirheyis gothiyæs (the
sky is red)
 kirheyi gothiyæ (the red sky) → kirheyin gothiyæn (the
sky was red)

3.2.4. Comparative and superlative

Comparatives and superlatives are regular in Hyǽlim. They are shown
by using the comparative or superlative circumfixes and a particle
which marks gender. The comparative circumfix is a–ADJECTIVE NOUN–
r and the superlative cicumfix is o– ADJECTIVE NOUN–gh. When more
than one adjective is listed the first part of the circumfix is placed on
all of the adjectives.

The animate particle is ma and the inanimate particle is gyo.

 kiríni næsényǽ (the red fire) → akiríni ma næsényǽr

(the reddest fire)
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 kirheyi gothiyæ (the red sky) → okirheyi gyo

gothiyægh (the reddest sky)

When predicative is used with this form (demonstrative required),

only the first part of the circumfix is used.
 kirínis næsényǽs (the fire is red) → akirínis ma rhéno
næsényǽs (this is the reddest fire)
 kirheyis gothiyæs (the sky is red) → okirheyi gyo hiya
ghothiyæs (this is the reddest sky)

3.3. Verbs
Hyǽlim verbs are conjugated for tense, mood, aspect, person and gender. Verb
conjugation relies heavily on suffixing. Verbs in the infinitive end in a nasal and
are therefore easily distinguishable from nouns (which tend to end in vowels or
other consonants) and other word classes.

3.3.1. Non-past tense

There are two grammatical tenses in Hyǽlim: the non-past tense and
the past tense. There are four grammatical moods: indicative,
potential, imperative and interrogative. All of these moods occur in
both the non-past and past tense, except for the imperative which
only occurs in a non-past form.

3.3.1.1. Indicative
The indicative is the standard mood.

Active
Animate Inanimate
1 -Ø -e
2 -o -u
3 -a -á

Passive
Animate Inanimate
1 -i -el
2 -ol -ul
3 -al -ál

The verb agrees with the subject in gender when in the

active voice and the object in gender when in the passive.

Examples:
 Iulényǽ harona nisiyæ (The dog eats the bread)
 Iulényǽ haroná nisiyæ (The bread is eaten by the
dog)
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3.3.1.2. Potential
Potential is usually used to mark ability. It only exists in the
active voice.

Active
Animate Inanimate
1 -ir -er
2 -or -ur
3 -ar -ár

Passive
Animate Inanimate
1 - -
2 - -
3 - -

Examples:
 Iulényǽ haronar nisiyæ (The dog can eat the bread)

3.3.1.3. Imperative
The imperative only exist in the non-past tense, and once again
only in the active voice.

Active
Animate Inanimate
1 - -
2 -os -usi
3 - -

Passive
Animate Inanimate
1 - -
2 - -
3 - -

When there is no subject in a sentence, the verb agrees in

gender with the object.

Examples:
 Haronusi nisiyæ! (Eat the bread)
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3.3.1.4. Interrogative
The interrogative mood is used for asking questions. It
exists in both the non-past and the past tense.

Active
Animate Inanimate
1 -igu -egu
2 -ogi -ugi
3 -age -áge

Passive
Animate Inanimate
1 -ilu -elu
2 -oli -uli
3 -ale -ále

Examples:
 Iulényǽ haronage nisiyæ? (Is the dog eating the
bread?)
 Iulényǽ haronáge nisiyæ? (Is the bread being eaten
by the dog)