> About the language of the Trolls (most of which live in Antarctica, but a few
> do help humans, for good or evil).
>
> PHONOLOGY
>
> Stops: p t k
> Fricatives: s h
> Nasals: m n
> Continuants: w l y (= IPA j)
> Vowels: a e i u (u is unrounded: IPA "inverted-m")
> Tones: high, low, falling (long or geminate vowels/diphthongs only)
> Syllable struction: CVC (plus some CV and VC)
>
> There are numerous homophones, whose meaning is modified by a gesture. Body
> language is inseparably linked to spoken language.
>
> MORPHOLOGY
>
> The language is completely isolating, with no bound morphemes. Every word
> can
> be used independently and one-word sentences are frequent. (These usually
> convey an existential meaning, such as "there is a dog" expressed simply by
> "dog". Pointing to the object, the dog in this case, indicates an implied
> demonstrative.) Technically, there is no distinction of parts of speech: the
> same word is used for "last", "final", "finally", "to follow" and "after".
>
> SYNTAX
>
> Word order is fixed at SOV, but the subject is usually expressed by a gesture
> rather than a word. In fact, there are no "pronouns" as we know. (Pointing
> to
> someone and saying "hell go" means "go to hell". You'll see trolls doing
> that
> to humans a lot.)
>
> VOCABULARY
>
> Almost entirely native. Borrowed terms are called by a more "primitive"
> idiom.
> A computer (and for that matter a calculator or even an abacus!) is often
> called "it counts". Even Antarctica, the land of exiles shared by Orcs and
> Trolls, is called "land cold" (again, "cold" can mean "it is cold" or "be
> cold".)
>
> Spoken vocabulary is very limited, since gestures are used to express
> secondary
> meanings.
>
> Again, anyone can take up this cause.
>
> DaW. ¶¦¬þ
>
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