![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif?v=91.7){kind=small}
Angelic Gender
I'm adding a 4th (5th if you count neutral) and hopefully final gender to FairyLang. It came about for two reasons:
First, because I was wonder what gender words like "angel," "heaven," and "god" would be. They obviously wouldn't be demonic, nor would they be human. The fae would likely consider themselves closer to the heavenly realm than humans, but it's still a separate realm, so I don't think they would equate themselves with it (Humans might make the mistake of equating the two, but the fae themselves would know better).
Second, I have a thing for symmetry in my languages. Imagine if you will a cross, with the angelic gender on top, the demonic gender on the bottom, and the fairy and human genders on either side, with neutral in the middle. This balance appeals to me.
I haven't coined any words in this gender yet, and there probably won't be many, but I like having it there in case I need it.
* * *
The characteristic vowel of the angelic gender is œ (open-mid front rounded). Consonants are the same as fairy gender except the f is wh (unvoiced bilabial fricative) and v is bh (voiced bilabial fricative, appears only in mutations).
First, because I was wonder what gender words like "angel," "heaven," and "god" would be. They obviously wouldn't be demonic, nor would they be human. The fae would likely consider themselves closer to the heavenly realm than humans, but it's still a separate realm, so I don't think they would equate themselves with it (Humans might make the mistake of equating the two, but the fae themselves would know better).
Second, I have a thing for symmetry in my languages. Imagine if you will a cross, with the angelic gender on top, the demonic gender on the bottom, and the fairy and human genders on either side, with neutral in the middle. This balance appeals to me.
I haven't coined any words in this gender yet, and there probably won't be many, but I like having it there in case I need it.
* * *
The characteristic vowel of the angelic gender is œ (open-mid front rounded). Consonants are the same as fairy gender except the f is wh (unvoiced bilabial fricative) and v is bh (voiced bilabial fricative, appears only in mutations).
such as - one language classes cassowaries in the "human" instead of with birds.
--
that aside, I really like the work you're doing on this conlanguage. keep up the good effort.
I don't have any wrong-gendered words, but it might be a good idea to have a few, for the sake of naturalism.
What I do have is a lot of words that get their gender because the fae associate the concept with one realm or another, even if it's pretty universal. For example, "wisdom" is fairy gendered, but "knowledge" is human.
And thank you. :-)
the cassowary bit, if i recall, meant that, if a man killed a cassowary, he was given the same punishment as if he had killed a man.
>are flightless,
makes me curious how Maori classed kiwi and moa.
>to have a few
well, it's a good idea to have a rough idea what the categories are first (which you're doing)
>because the fae associate the concept with one realm or another,
perfect logic base...maybe if the fae have fears, that object gets classed with demons (or humans)...like if your fae are afraid of iron...
iron deposit (in the ground or unprocessed)...human class
iron weapon (or smelted)...demon class (unless fae fear humans more, in which case switch the classes)
--
and welcome.
In my concept, the fae aren't afraid of humans so much as they look down on them, see them as brutish and uncultured. Words for technology will be human too though.