Long Nguyen: introduction, conclusion
Ryan: Kinship, morphology, syntax
Jeanikra: Kinship
Rich: environment
Janessa: color
Introduction
ʁiʝeŋo is a language invented for a tribe of seafarers and fishermen who live on an icy volcanic island. The syntax and morphology of ʁiʝeŋo is fairly simple. The inhabitants sustain themselves through fishing and farming. ʁiʝeŋo's alphabet is based off of twelve consonants and five vowels.
Kinship
The kinship of the people in ʁiʝeŋo is rather different than that of other cultures. It is not a very formal culture in that there is a relative lack of formal marriages. Women tend to have their children out of wedlock thus forming the family unit. The father’s side of the family is therefore stressed in the language as far as within the recognition of his side of the family. For example, if it is the father’s brother, (the uncle), it is said as ʝoe-kɐem; whereas if it is the mother’s brother it would be said as kɐem. The father’s first name is given as the last name of his children.
The domestic unit in ʁiʝeŋo is the household, but the larger, extended families tend to reside in the same general region. The grandparents and the great-grandparents are the most respected people in their tribal society. Families often work together in these rural fishing communities. The men go out to do the fishing and the whaling for three days at a time and the women stay home tending to the households and the farms. When the catch is brought in the women play a large part in the processing of the fish. The children are required to help in all domestic activities, learning through example of how to participate within their tribal community.
Syntax:
ʁiʝeŋo syntax is fairly unique yet it is simple and easy to learn. There is virtually no conjugation needed to form sentences. For example, take a simple sentence like, “I will go fishing.” Since the ʁiʝeŋo word for “future” is “ro,” the sentence in ʁiʝeŋo would look like, “Yae ro chu-chu,” or, “I future fish.”
Morphology:
All ʁiʝeŋo words must start with a consonant, which is followed immediately by a vowel. Many of the words are monosyllabic, meaning one syllable. If the word is a noun, repeating the syllable changes the word to a verb. For example, by repeating the syllable in “chu”, the ʁiʝeŋo word for “fish” the word becomes “chu-chu” or “fishing.” If the word has more than one syllable you repeat the last one. Many words that share a theme often will share the beginning consonant as well. This makes the terms easier to learn. Past, present, and future are “rae” “ra” and “ro.” Though this is different than the way English words are formed there are similarities as well. The suffix “kai” is much like “ing” in English and it also functions the same way. If you were to add it to the end of “ki” which is ʁiʝeŋo for “go” it makes “ki-kai,” or “going”
ʁiʝeŋo Environment
ʁiʝeŋo is an island located in the North Atlantic, just south of the Artic Circle. ʁiʝeŋo is part of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. The climate is sub polar oceanic, but the warm North Atlantic current ensures generally higher annual temperatures than most places of similar latitude in the world. Despite it’s proximity to the Artic, the island’s coast remain ice free through the winter. The average yearly temperature is approximately forty-five degrees, with the high temperatures reaching the fifty’s and sixty’s in the summer months. The average low temperature is approximately thirty-five degrees, with lows reaching to the low twenty’s and high teens.
Wild mammals of ʁiʝeŋo include the arctic fox, minx, mice, rabbits, and reindeer. The ʁiʝeŋo sheepdog is considered the island’s only native dog. It was brought to ʁiʝeŋo with the ancient settlers. Ancient settlers also brought domesticated animals with them and since then, they have adapted and developed according to the isolated environment. The sheep, horse and cow are rather small, but all are unique in that they have developed many variations of colors. The inhabitants of ʁiʝeŋo engage in small scale farming and hunting, but the main sustenance is through fishing.
The whales (çæθçu) once a great source of food for the inhabitants of ʁiʝeŋo are rarely hunted. The whales have come to be held in high reverence by the inhabitants of ʁiʝeŋo. Whales have come to symbolize the resilient past of ʁiʝeŋo and the vital part whales have played in the survival of the ancient settlers has not been forgotten. The increase in attention to global warming and the environment has spurred a growth in Eco-tours in ʁiʝeŋo. Whaling tours are popular and lucrative for the economy of ʁiʝeŋo.
As a result an annual thanksgiving feast is held in the whale’s honor. Whales will continue to play a chief role in ʁiʝeŋo. The fishing industry is another main contributor to the economy. Many varieties of fish live in the ocean waters surrounding ʁiʝeŋo. Fishing exports are steadily increasing as the world recognizes the superiority and quality of the fishing environment in and around ʁiʝeŋo.
The Plant life in ʁiʝeŋo consists mainly of grass lands. There was a time in which The Plant life in ʁiʝeŋo consists mainly of grass lands. There was a time in which forest of Northern Birch covered much of ʁiʝeŋo. Early human settlement greatly disturbed the isolated ecosystem and as a result deforestation occurred. The planting of new forest has increased the number of trees, but the loss of the native birch tree is almost complete. The inhabitants of ʁiʝeŋo have come to realize and appreciate the unique and beautiful land bestowed upon them. Progress continues in protecting the natural resources and efforts are being made to ensure the beauty and significance of ʁiʝeŋo will endure for generations to come.
Color
The island of ʁiʝeŋo (or whatever we end up calling our island) has an abundance of colors. The people see many different colors and classify them into main color groups. The groups are blue, red, yellow, green, purple, pink, and grey. They have words that differentiate the colors by dark and light. They also use words for black, white, and metallic colors such as silver, gold, and copper. The island is located in the arctic region so there are many months that the sun does not set and also many months where there is no sun. During the times where there is no sun, Auroras (ribbons of light) are visible. These are red, green, and blue.
Conclusion
This project is an interesting study in linguistics and how language can evolve. Many of these rules demonstrate how real languages function and all of the varieties of grammar which can result.
Grandmother: ʎæk Grandfather: mæk Father: kæm Mother: ʎæm Aunt: ʎɐem Uncle: kɐem Cousin: mue Brother: mouk Sister: θæk Nephew: moɐ Son:βouθ Daughter: βæθ Second cousin: mue-mue
