Aquan

Special Symbols - the 'Okina and Kahakō

Two symbols appear frequently in Aquan words... the 'Okina and the Kahakō. These two symbols change how words are pronounced.

The 'Okina is the apostrophe mark and is a glottal stop - or a brief break in the word. The break is very fast, and if you're not careful listening you may miss it. As an example, think of the Coiteann oh oh - the small break, or silence, between the first oh and the second oh is the same break you would make if an 'Okina appeared in the word (for example... oh'oh).

The 'Okina is an official consonant - just as any of the other consonants. An 'Okina will appear in front of a vowel, never before another consonant. Additionally, an 'Okina will never be the last letter in a word - but will always appear between letters or at the beginning of the word.

The Kahakō is a stress mark (macron) that can appear over vowels only and serve to make the vowel sound slightly longer. The vowels ā, ē, ī, ō, and ū sound just like their non-stress Aquan vowels with the exception that the sound is held slightly longer.

Missing the 'Okina or Kahakō can greatly change not only the how a word sounds, but also its basic meaning. For example, the word kāne (kaa-nay) means male while the same word without the Kahakō, kane (ka-nay), means skin disease. Likewise the word moa (mo-ah) is a chicken while mo'a (mo ah) means cooked.

Simple Secrets

• Aquan words may start with any letter, vowel or consonant.

• Aquan words will never end with a consonant.

• Syllables in Aquan words are only one or two letters, never longer.

• Syllables must end with a vowel, or can be a single vowel, but can never be a single consonant.

Key to abbreviations:

• sg = singular (said to one person)

• pl = plural (said to more than one person)

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