Troll Languages

 

The Consonants

The consonant set of trollish languages is limited to approximately 14-16. There are only two voiced consonants, the complex B and the voiced aveolar stop /d/. The phonology follows (orthography when it differs from the IPA):
• β (B)¹ • x (ch) • ʧ (tch) • d • h • k • n • ʁ/ɹ² (r) • s • ʃ (sh) • t • θ (th) • w • j (y, i) • ʘ¹ • ! (')³ • ʔ (')³ •

  All consonants can be rendered aspirated or ejective.   The following consonantal blends are possible:
ch' chk chr cht chw chy
tch' tchk tchr tchw tchy
d' dh dhr dhw dhy dh' dr dn dth dw dy
h' hk hn hr hw hy
k' kh ktch kn ks ksh kt kth kw kj
nd ntch ndh nsh nt nth nw ny
sn st str sth sw sy
shk shkr shkw shn shr sht shtr shtw shw shy
t' tk tkr tkw tky tn tr ts tw ty
thk thn thr thw thy
  (1: B represents a unique feature of the trollish languages in that it is a simultaneous blend of a bilabial click /ʘ/, the voiced bilabial fricative /β/, and causes the immediate consonant to be itself followed by /e/; the only position where that vowel can exist.)
(2:r can be rendered as // or /ɹ/; they exist in free variation although the former is more common, preferred.)
(3: ' the click /!/ and the glottal stop /ʔ/ can be co-articulated, or used interchangeably. They can be in free variation.)
 

The Vowels

The troll languages have a very limited pool of vowels compared to many of the human languages. Also dissimilar to the human languages, particularly those originating in Gruthe, troll languages does not have distinguish vowel length, although the troll e can be clipped compared to other vowels.   The vowels are as follows:
/ɑ e¹ ɛ ə i (o²)/
  (1: /e/ only exists after a consonant preceded by B, in the formation of BC → /ᵝʘCe/. E.g. the most common particle, Bkr → /ᵝʘkeʁ/, or Bdha /ᵝʘdʰeɑ/.)
(2: Southern trolls also have the additional vowel /o/ which can replace /ɛ/ or /ə/ and occasionally occurs in northern dialects.)
  Only two R-coloured vowels exist:
/eʁ / and /əʁ/ (although both can be rendered with /ɹ/ rather than /ʁ/: /eɹ/ and /ɚ/. With an additional form /oʁ/, /oɹ/ in the southern dialects).
     

Trollish adjective are affixes, and attach to the noun modified. The affixes are usually suffixes, but words of size, hyperbole, and intensifiers are prefixes.