Anczica

Anczica is a very common language on Ahjri and nearby worlds.

Note: This is very much a work in progress!

Orthography

The Anczica alphabet is known as "dodziol" (featuring D, Dz, and O as the first three letters). Anczica does not include the letters B, Q, F, or X, (they are substituted by P, K/Kw, V, and K/Ks, respectively) and tends to use M, H, and T sparingly. Note that B is sometimes used in certain dialects that have been influenced by outside languages, such as in the name Szsaviabri (SHWAA-vee-AA-bree).

Certain letter combinations are not pronounced as they are spelled. Cz carries a hissed Z sound. Sz is more like Sh, and Szsa is akin to Shwaa. The J is pronounced as Ai (rhymes with eye) when preceded by an H, as in Ahjri (AI-ree).

Rolling of R (technically a lateral apical postalveolar flap) is fairly common and depends on the word in particular, as there are no diacritics accompanying the letters to indicate pronunciation variables.

Native anczicaphones have trouble pronouncing the G-L combination, so they often add an A in between. As an example, English becomes Eengaleesh.

Syntax

Word order

Anczica is a verb-subject-object language. For example, "I love you" is subject-verb-object, which would become "Love I you." To lessen confusion, that could equate to "Love is what I feel for you."

Grammar

Nouns are gender-neutral. Plural endings are formed with the '-or' suffix. Anczica has past, present, and future tenses of verbs. The verb "to be" does not include other variants like "is", "am", or "are". For instance, saying "I am Human" would become "A chr Hyoomin" (Be I Human; pronounced ah churr HYOO-min).

Verbs can be made past tense by adding the suffix '-r', present participle with '-ila' (the equivalent of '-ing'), and future tense with '-ra'. Future perfect tense (e.g. "will have done") is achieved by adding the prefix 'ka-' along with the future suffix '-ra.' Past perfect (e.g. "had been done") uses the prefix 'sy-' (pronounced as sigh) along with the past suffix '-r.' Present perfect (e.g. "has been done/have done") uses the prefix 'sho-' without an accompanying suffix. 3rd person present singular (the equivalent of '-s') is formed with suffix '-ku.' Possessive is formed with the suffix '-li.'

The pronouns are: Chr (I/Me), Shr (You), Jr/Vr (He/She), Tr (We), and Risr (They/Them). Note that the first R of "risr" is rolled.

Speaking in Anczica

The following is written in the format of English to Anczica.

Greetings

Good day! | Zosi varucia!
Hello! | Zinczasi! (zen-SZAH-see)
Hello, how are you? | Zinczasi, a shr ozki? (hello, be you how?)
Very good. | Yadzi zosi.
What is your name? | A shrli pziacogi zai? (be your name what?)
Who are you? | A shr hjv? (be you who?) Pronounced like "I've"
My name is... | A chrli pziacogi...
Thank you! | Owidz itsiazi! (much gratitude)
You're welcome. | A shr zinerosi. (be you welcome)
Hey you! | Wai shr!
I am a friend! | A chr ni harzo/jatikszi! (be I a friend/associate!)
What do you want? | Yici shr zai? (want you what?)
Why are you here? | Zudza a shr jagsu? (why be you here?)
What is your occupation? | A shrli egawaszika zai? (be your occupation what?); alternatively: A shrli rizavza zai? (be your work what?)
Where are you going? | A owagsila shr zajigza? (be going/leaving you where?)
Are you talking to me? | A yanokila shr dra chr? (be talking you to me?)
Are you talking about me? | A yanokila shr kio chr? (be talking you about me?)
Goodbye! | Zosia!

Common words and phrases

A | Ni
Yes | Kir
No | Lir
Please? | Razicu?
Sorry | Wazcik (waaz-seek)
And | Da
But | Er
Or | Ei
Be/Being/Been/Will be | A/Aila/Ar/Ara (aila is pronounced ah-IH-lah)
Have/Having/Had/Will have | Yaci/Yacila/Yacir/Yacira
Go/Going/Went/Will go | Owags/Owagsila/Owagsr/Owagsra
Do/Doing/Did/Will do | Adiz/Adizila/Adizr/Adizra
Before | Regakt
Now | Ranyi
Who | Hjv (pronounced like I've)
What | Zai
When | Gelru
Where | Zajigza
Why | Zudza
How | Ozki
Then | Plicza
On | Se
The | Vali
It | Yia
Near/Close | Pegri
With | Pogri
For | Jisi
To/At | Dra
Very | Yadzi
Through | Yilurni
Here/There | Jagsu/Jagsa
This/That | Nidriz/Nodroz
More/Less | Kalavo/Dzakud
Most/Least | Kalavlo/Dzadakud
Full/Empty | Opevo/Orudan
Many/Much | Kalvak/Owidz
Over/Under | Tizash/Vorvu
Good/Better/Best | Zosi/Kosi/Losi
Than | Sapo
Another | Dirzi
Late | Plevi
Back | Eriso
Buy | Lalci
Give | Wolci
Take | Kilci
Allow | Dagori

Do you understand? | Adiz shr rigziva?
Got it? | Yaci yia? (have it?)
Do you speak English/Anczica? | Yiniksi shr Eengaleesh/Anczica? (speak you...?)
I do not speak Anczica. | Yiniksi chr lir Anczica. (speak I no Anczica)
I want a... | Yici chr ni... (want I a...)
Come here. | Erilep jagsu.
Leave me alone. | Owags shr chr temrzh. (go you me alone/go away from me)
What is that? | A nodroz zai? (be that what?)
Take it easy. | Lir duzk. (no stress; leer DOOSK)
When will this happen? | Akurora nidriz gelru? (happen-future this when?) When spoken quickly, "nidriz gelru" sounds like "nidri-skelru." You can also pronounce the whole thing as "Akurornidri'skel" if you want to sound like youngster (or a drunk).
I don't know. | Rigzuva chr lir. (know I no) Not to be confused with similar "rigziva".

Expressions - positive

I love you! | Peszia chr shr! (love I you!)
God grant you life! | Mrana thai! (God life!) Note: the 'th' in "thai" is soft, like "the," not "thick."
Sweethearts | Peszia-kuzkaor (literally: love-hearts; usually retains plurality since Ahjrics have two hearts)

Expressions - negative

You fail at life. | Kenra shr thai. (fail you life)
Go die. | Owags ual. Pronounced "wall."
You will die. | Ualra shr. (die-future you)
I will crush you. | Chovigra chr shr. (crush-future me you)
Stupid coward! | Shalogo dzakzi!
Scumbag | Juvzo
Punk | Kodio (also means "juvenile")
You are not very intelligent. | No palado dzakud sapo ni opevo ecoag. (literally: One brick less than a full load.)
- "Orudan sokdza" is similar, meaning "empty head."
You are insane (a lunatic). | A shr shoshgi (ni shoshagi).

Business

Let's make a deal. | Chalvo tr ni taczudo. (make we a deal)
It's a deal. | A yia ni taczudo.
No deal. | Lir taczudo.
Good bargain. | Zosi udarma.
This is a nice item. | A nidriz ni zosgo iwinza.
This is a poor/bad item. | A nidriz ni varadig/pratir iwinza.
What? No it isn't, you lunatic. | Zai? A yia lir, shr shoshagi.
Is it authentic? | A yia risigazuk?
I want to buy this. | Yici dra lalci chr nidriz. (Want to buy I this.)
How much is it? | A ozki owidz yia? (Be how much it?)
What is the price? | A zai vali siversh? (be what the price?)
Too expensive! | Kioni wiszmak!
I am too poor. | A chr kioni varadig.
I have money. | Yaci chr vlormi.
I have many jucals. | Yaci chr kalvak jucalor.
I need a better offer. | Tazok chr ni kosi kadohjd. (KAH-doh-eye'd)
Is that offer solid? | A nodroz kadohjd koija? (koh-EE-jah)
Are you going to pay for that? | Atetru shr chr jisi nodroz? (pay you me for that?)
Is there a warranty? | A jagsa ni hestrad?
I want a receipt. | Yici chr ni evodikza.

Applied business

Give me your jucals. | Wolci shr chr shrli jucalor. (give you me your jucals)
You have failed me. | Shokenra shr chr.
You owe me money. Pay now. | Yako shr chr vlormi. Atetru ranyi.

Holidays

Happy New Year! | Ni jeczur rigiya salczat jisi shr! (A happy new year for you!)

Counting

Zero | Kui (literally: Nothing; KOO-ee)
One | No
Two | Pav
Three | Kan
Four | Vol
Five | Ped
Six | Zud
Seven | Nag
Eight | Tee
Nine | Szayo (SHAY-oh)
Ten | Yekuj
Eleven | Yekujno (literally: Ten-one)
Twenty | Yetuj
Twenty-one | Yetujno
Thirty | Yelai
Forty | Yevud
Fifty | Yevai
Sixty | Yeski
Seventy | Yedzo
Eighty | Yeshog
Ninety | Yeshak
Hundred | Roovi
Thousand | Girsil
Ten thousand | Yekujgirsil
Hundred thousand | Roovigirsil
Million | Noshaszogirsil (loosely: First tier above the thousands; can also be said as "no noshaszogirsil" for "one million")
Billion | Pavshaszogirsil (loosely: Second tier above the thousands; "two billion" would be "pav pavshaszogirsil")
Trillion | Kanshaszogirsil
Quadrillion | Volshaszogirsil
Quintillion | Pedshaszogirsil