Phonology
Vowels
Linguo Moka features a simple yet versatile vowel system consisting of five primary monophthongs and four diphthongs. The five primary monophthongs are /a/, /e/, /i/, /o/, and /u/, each representing a clear and distinct vowel sound. Additionally, the schwa (ə) is used for unstressed syllables, providing a neutral and easily pronounced vowel sound that maintains the rhythm and fluency of speech. Complementing these are four diphthongs: /ai/, /au/, /ei/, and /oi/, which allow for more dynamic and expressive vowel sounds within words. This combination of monophthongs and diphthongs ensures a balance between simplicity and expressiveness in vocalization.
Schwa (ə): Used for unstressed syllables.
Consonants
To make things simple, Linguo Moka contains 19 phonemes. Unlike English or French, which have a complex array of sounds, Linguo Moka's streamlined phonetic inventory makes it easier to learn and pronounce. In comparison, many other languages can have a much larger number of phonemes; for instance, English has around 44 phonemes, and languages like Xhosa can have over 50. This simplicity in phonemes helps reduce the learning curve for new speakers, making Linguo Moka accessible and user-friendly.
Aspirated variants [pʰ], [tʰ], [kʰ] occur at the beginning of stressed syllables. The consonant "t" can become a flap [ɾ] between vowels, and a glottal stop may appear between adjacent vowels.
A nasal consonant will assimilate to the place of articulation of the following consonant.
Phonotactics
Inspired by the simplicity of Hawaiian and Japanese, we adopted a syllable structure that makes Linguo Moka easy to learn and pronounce. Both Hawaiian and Japanese languages are known for their straightforward syllable patterns, which contribute to their mellifluous and accessible nature. Similarly, Linguo Moka's syllable structure aims to minimize pronunciation difficulties and enhance the fluidity of speech.
Syllable Structure: (C)V(N)
Heavy Syllables: Long vowels or ending in a nasal consonant (CVV, CVN)
Light Syllables: Short vowels (CV, V)
Consonant Clusters: No consonant clusters are allowed
Orthography
Linguo Moka adopts the Latin script, with each phoneme having a unique symbol. For example, ʃ (sh) and ʒ (zh). The only exception is the schwa, which is written the same as "e" [e], but only occurs in unstressed syllables when no other vowel sound is present. This makes the orthography straightforward and consistent, reducing ambiguity and aiding in pronunciation and spelling.
Core Vocabulary (Examples)
The core vocab of Lingo Moka contains around 120 words. The full dictionary will be updated soon.
Pronouns
- He: si
- She: li
- They: vi
- Ze: zi
- E: yi
Nouns
- Sun (so)
- Moon (luna)
- Tree (abo)
- Rain (pluvo)
- Snow (nejo)
- Child (infano)
Verbs
- Sleep (dorme)
- Read (lege)
- Write (sripe)
- Study (studie)
- Teach (instrue)
Adjectives
- Old (antike)
- Happy (felice)
- Sad (malfelice)
- Beautiful (bele)
- Ugly (malebele)
Adverbs
- Today (hodie)
- Yesterday (hieri)
- Tomorrow (morga)
- Now (nune)
- Always (chiam)
Prepositions and Conjunctions
- Under (sub)
- Before (antau)
- After (poste)
- With (kun)
- Without (sen)
Word Construction
Inspired by Toki Pona, although Linguo Moka has a limited number of core vocabularies, the aim is to create a highly expressive and versatile language. By combining these core words in innovative ways, speakers can convey a wide range of concepts and ideas. This approach encourages creativity and simplicity, making linguistic expression both efficient and rich in meaning.
Compound Words
- Treehouse: arbo domo
- Library: libro domo
- Sunlight: so lumo
Verbal Forms
- Drinking water: bev wata
- Eating food: man kama
Descriptive Phrases
- Good person: bone tapo
- Big house: grande domo
- New book: nove libro
Possessive Phrases
- My house: mi domo
- Your book: ti libro
Grammar
The grammar of Linguo Moka is inspired by the simplicity and efficiency found in languages such as Turkish and Quechua. Both Turkish and Quechua utilize consistent morphological markers and an agglutinative structure, which Linguo Moka adopts to facilitate straightforward sentence construction and comprehension. Additionally, Linguo Moka's Subject-Object-Verb (SOV) word order is similar to that of Persian and Korean, which provides a clear and predictable syntax. This design ensures that the language is both logical and easy to learn, making it accessible for new speakers while maintaining expressive capabilities.
Syntax
Subject-Object-Verb (SOV)
Nouns
Structure: Root - sub/obj marker - plural marker
- Subject Marker: -ri
- Object Marker: -ro
- Plural Marker: -na
Verbs
Tenses and Moods:
- Present: no suffix
- Past: -ta
- Future: -ma
- Imperative: -ka
- Conditional: -ra
Adjectives
Adjectives precede the nouns they modify.
Negation
Formed by adding “ne” before the verb.
Questions
Formed by adding “ka” at the end of the sentence.
Phrases and Sentences
Simple Phrases
- Good person: bone tapo /ˈbo.ne ˈta.po/
- Big house: grande domo /ˈgran.de ˈdo.mo/
- New book: nove libro /ˈno.ve ˈli.bo/
- My house: mi domo /mi ˈdo.mo/
- Your book: ti libro /ti ˈli.bro/
Sample Sentences
- I see the cat: mi katoro vide /mi ˈka.to.ro ˈvi.de/
- You will eat food: ti kamaro manema /ti ˈka.ma.ro maˈne.ma/
- She writes a book: li liboro sripe /li ˈli.bo.ro ˈri.pe/
- The big dogs run quickly: grande hunonari rapide ire /ˈgɾan.de ˈhu.no.na.ri ˈra.pi.de ˈi.re/
- Is it raining?: luvo ese-ka? /ˈlu.vo ˈe.se-ka/
- I do not see the cat: mi katoro ne-vide /mi ˈka.to.ro ne-ˈvi.de/
- You will not eat food: ti kamaro ne-manema /ti ˈka.ma.ro ne-maˈne.ma/
- She does not write a book: li liboro ne-sripe /li ˈli.bo.ro ne-ˈsri.pe/
- Do you see the cat?: ti katoro vide-ka? /ti ˈka.to.ro ˈvi.de-ka/
- Will you eat food?: ti kamaro manema-ka? /ti ˈka.ma.ro maˈne.ma-ka/
- Is she writing a book?: li liboro sripe-ka? /li ˈli.bo.ro ˈsri.pe-ka/
- We are happy: ni felice ese /ni fe.li.se ˈe.se/
- They like the music: vei muzikoro shate /vei ˈmu.zi.ko.ro ˈʃa.te/
- The child reads the new book: infano libororo nove lege /inˈfa.no ˈli.bo.ro.ro ˈno.ve ˈle.ge/