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Banmek
Banmijk
Region Vanuku
Language family
Jelbo-Tukaric
  • Jelbic
    • Northern Jelbic
Recognised minority language in Vanuku
Language codes
ISO 639-3 bnm

The Banmek language (Banmijk sagad), also known as the Banster language, is a Jelbic language and the most widely spoken language in Vanuku. Owing to Vanuku's cultural isolation from the Jelbosphere until the Jelbic Renaissance, the language was not influenced by the linguistic reforms of the Jelbic Enlightenment that culminated in the creation of Old High Jelbic. This allowed the local Jelbic vernacular to develop its own literary standard, with an orthography based on that of Vanukeaans, Vanuku's official language, and with a closer approximation of the grammar and pronunciation of Vanukean Jelbics. In the 36th century the Jelbic culture of Vanuku received government recognition and support, and as a result Vanuku joined the other Jelbic nations in adopting Old High Jelbic as the classical and formal standard, leading in time to the development of Wrnukaek as the Vanukean variety of Old High Jelbic. Banmek has been gradually marginalized ever since, although unlike other Jelbic vernaculars it remains in use as a literary and spoken language in spite of competition from Old High Jelbic.

Phonology and orthography[]

Banmek has a phonology similar to other Jelbic languages, although Vanukeaans influence is very visible. Banmek uses the Selucian (Latin) script, however by having developed as a literary language in isolation from the Jelbic Enlightenment, Banmek did not adopt the standard Jelbic spelling. Instead Banmek orthography is heavily based on that of Vanukeaans.

Grapheme OHJ equivalent IPA Pronunciation
a a a like u in "cut"
aa á ɑː like ar in "far"
b b b like b in "burn"
ch h x like ch in "Loch"
d d d like d in "dirt"
e e, à ə like a in "Tina"
è e ɛ like e in "bed"
ee e like ay in "play" in Scottish English
ë - - Diaeresis indicates the start of new syllable
f v f like f in "influence".
g g ɣ like g in Dutch "gaan"
h f ɦ like h in "behind" in Received Pronunciation
i i i like i in German "bitte"
ï - - Diaeresis indicates the start of new syllable
ie í like ee in "bee"
ij é ɛi like ij in Dutch "ijs"
j j j like y in "yell"
k k k like k in "kiss"
l l ɫ like l in "milk"
m m m like m in "met"
n n n like n in "burn"
o o like o in Spanish "todo"
ö - - Diaeresis indicates the start of new syllable
oe u u like u in "mural"
p p p like p in "printer". Aspirated if start of word.
r r ɾ like tt in "better" in North American pronunciation
s s s like s in "sit"
sj sh ʃ like sh in "shoe"
t t t like t in "tape"
u y œ, yː like eu in French "jeune"
v v f like f in "influence"
w w v, ʋ like w in German "Werken"
z z z like z in "Zulu"

Grammar[]

Banmek grammar has been heavily simplified when compared to Old High Jelbic. Sentence structure remains SOV, and particles are used to denote case, similarly to Old High Jelbic, although Banmek also relies on word order to indicate case. Notably Banmek does not use the Nominative and Topic markers; as a topic prominent language, the topic of the sentence is almost always the first word.

Particles[]

Predicates: no particle.

Topic: no particle.

Nominative/Subject: no particle.

Ger: Accusative/Object, location of action

Der: "in/to", "due to", indirect object, destination, passive voice agent, condition, instrumental.

Firja: From, Because

Timad: Until, Up to

-ij: Adjective

-ijk: Possessive

Teer: "and", "with", quote marker for direct speech

Meer: "too", "also", "as well"

Gerd: "than/compared to"

Mok: represents "more of"

Gerwè: "but/however"

Demwè: "even if, despite"

Urzaa: exclamation marker

Zi: question marker

Verbs[]

Banmek conjugation is less synthetic than that of Old High Jelbic, relying instead on auxiliary verbs to mark tense, mood, and aspect, although the old Jelbic conjugation retains a vestigial presence in certain set phrases. The two classes of verbs (-jo and -mo) of Old High Jelbic remain in Banmek (as -j verbs and -m verbs).


Verb Form -j jaj Luthori
Present -j jaj "[I] meet (someone)."
Passive -z + ajzoe jaz ajzoe "[I] am met."
Conjunctive -gak jagak "[I] meet/will meet/have met (someone) then..."
Imperative -ach jaach "Meet (someone)!" (an order)
Past -z + prsoj jaz prsoj "[I] met (someone)."
Future -z + trnaj jaz trnaj "[I] will meet (someone)."
Desire -gak + trnaj jagak trnaj "[I] want to meet (someone)."
Negative -j + nur jaj nur "[I] do not met (someone)."
Gerund -gad jagad "Meeting."
Adjective/Participle -z jaz "Approachable/Sociable" (lit., "meeting-like"), "Met"
Adverb -zè jazè "Approachably/Sociably" (lit., "meetingly")


Verb Form -m ijlem Luthori
Present -m ijlem "[I] think (something)."
Passive -ie + ajzoe ijl'ie ajzoe "[I] am thought of."
Conjunctive -lak ijlelak "[I] think (of something) then..."
Imperative -ach ijleach "Think (something)!" (an order)
Past -ie + prsoj ijl'ie prsoj "[I] thought (of something)."
Future -ie + trnaj ijl'ie trnaj "[I] will think (of something)."
Desire -lak + trnaj ijlelak trnaj "[I] want to think (of something)."
Negative -m + nur ijlem nur "[I] do not think (something)."
Gerund -jad ijlejad "Thinking."
Adjective/Participle -ie ijl'ie "Thoughtful." (lit., "Thought-like"), "Thought (of)"
Adverb -jè ijlejè "Thoughtfully." (lit., "Thinkingly")

The verb ajzoe ("to be") has an irregular conjugation. Its indicative form originates from the continuous form of the verb in old Jelbic (OHJ: "ajozuo"), which Banster abandoned for the other verbs. Its participle (jariez) comes from the verb jariej ("to stay").

Verb Form ajzoe Luthori
Present ajzoe "[I] am."
Conjunctive ajzoek "[I] am then..."
Imperative ajzoech "Be!"
Past jariez prsoj "[I] was."
Future jariez trnaj "[I] will be."
Desire ajzoek trnaj "[I] want to be."
Negative ajzoe nur "[I] am not."
Gerund ajad "Existing."
Adjective/Participle jariez "Been"
Adverb jariezè "Existingly"

Adjectives and adverbs[]

Adjectives in Banmek always precede their head noun. Just like in the other Jelbic languages, Banmek adjectives fall into three classes: "true" adjectives, which can be used as is, nominal adjectives - adjectives derived from nouns with the addition of the adjectival suffix -ij (which is also the suffix used to form adverbs from nouns, the distinction being based on context), and verbal adjectives - derived from verbs by replacing the -j or -m ending with -z and -ie, respectively. Both adjectives and adverbs are negated with the suffix -nur.

Personal pronouns[]

Personal pronouns
singular plural
first person kaè (I) isrè (we)
second person chië (you) trzijchië (you)
third
person
masculine (he) zrè (they)
feminine rië (she)
neuter or
epicene
techè (it, s/he)

Numerals[]

Banmek Numbers
Numeral Ordinal Cardinal Luthori
0-9
0 Noeza Noeba "Zeroth"/"Zero"
1 Isre Isreba "First"/"One"
2 Zewiek Zwieba "Second"/"Two"
3 Torze Torba "Third"/"Three"
4 Kenze Kenba "Fourth"/"Four"
5 Senze Senba "Fifth"/"Five"
6 Cheze Cheba "Sixth"/"Six"
7 Naaze Naaba "Seventh"/"Seven"
8 Uze Uba "Eighth"/"Eight"
9 Kuze Kuba "Ninth"/"Nine"
10-19
10 Deze Deba "Tenth"/"Ten"
11 Deïsreze Deïsreba "Eleventh"/Eleven"
12 Dezwiekoze Dezwba "Twelth"/"Twelth"
13 Detorze Detorba "Thirteenth"/"Thirteen"
14 Dekenze Dekenba "Fourteenth"/"Fourteen"
15 Desenze Desba "Fifteenth"/"Fifteen"
16 Decheze Decheba "Sixteenth"/"Sixteen"
17 Denaze Denaba "Seventeenth"/"Seventeen"
18 Deuze Deuba "Eighteenth"/"Eighteen"
19 Dekuze Dekuba "Ninteenth"/"Nineteen"
20-100,000
20 Zwiekodeze Zwikodeba "Twentieth"/"Twenty"
30 Tordeze Tordeba "Thirtieth"/"Thirty"
40 Kendeze Kendeba "Fourtieth"/"Forty"
50 Sendeze Sendeba "Fiftieth"/"Fifty"
60 Chedeze Chedeba "Sixtieth"/"Sixty"
70 Naadeze Naadeba "Seventieth"/"Seventy"
80 Udeze Udeba "Eightieth"/"Eighty"
90 Kudeze Kudeba "Nintieth"/"Ninety"
100 Seze Setbie "Hundreth"/"Hundred"
200 Zwiekoseze Zwisetbie "Two Hundreth"/"Two Hundred"
300 Torseze Torsetbie "Three Hundreth"/"Three Hundred"
400 Kenseze Kensetbie "Four Hundreth"/"Four Hundred"
500 Senseze Sensetbie "Five Hundreth"/"Five Hundred"
600 Cheseze Chesetbie "Six Hundreth"/"Six Hundred"
700 Naaseze Naasetbie "Seven Hundreth"/"Seven Hundred"
800 Useze Usetbie "Eight Hundreth"/"Eight Hundred"
900 Kuseze Kusetbie "Nine Hundreth"/"Nine Hundred"
1,000 Moze Motbie "Thousandth"/"Thousand"
10,000 Zalze Zalbie "Ten Thousandth"/"Ten Thousand"
100,000 Kutze Kutbie "Hundred Thousandth"/"Hundred Thousand"
Multiples of 100,000
Jukze Jukbie "Ten Billionth"/"Ten Billion"
Wakze Wakbie "Quadrillionth"/"Quadrillionth"
Zrnze Zrntbie "Hundred Quintillionth"/"Hundred Quintillion"

Vocabulary[]

Due to centuries of coexistence, Banmek borrowed a very large amount of vocabulary from Vanukeaans, in addition to some influence from Kalopian, Augustan, or Majatran. The core vocabulary of Banmek remains clearly Jelbic, however. Banmek influenced Wrnukaek in turn, which borrowed much vocabulary from the local vernacular to replace loanwards used in other varieties of Old High Jelbic.

Meaning Banmek OHJ
Father hrt frto
Mother checha hàha
Son srmk srmko
Man kai kai
Girl kuz kyz
Person chik hiko
Blood eestihloez estifluz
Head kaach káhe
Hair chakam hekam
Eye mu mye
Hand chnd hnd
Horse hers fers
Cattle kroe kru
Dog dnoe dnu
Fish sehk sàfk
House oejo ujoj
Fire hrij frj
Ash hrijsrl frjsrl
Water chudwaa hydwas
Sun zol hyéon
Cloud koed kud
Star strchoesie strhosí
Earth soekr sukr
Hill hok hok
Tree/Wood trk trk
New swadij suadja
White nrl nrl
Black grak grak
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