Astaryuu at 22:28, 10 November 2026

2026-11-10T22:28:59Z

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	\| Used when the addressee is included. Sometimes seen as a little informal; it can be used alongside {{roka-terml\|tékuha\|}} to make it more formal.		\| Used when the addressee is included. Sometimes seen as a little informal; it can be used alongside {{roka-terml\|tékuha\|}} to make it more formal.
	\|-		\|-
	\| {{roka\|~~~~}} ''~~kayari~~''		\| {{roka\|}} ''ryu''
	\| 2		\| 2
	\| singular		\| singular

Astaryuu: I hate everything

2026-11-09T08:05:21Z

I hate everything

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'''Rokadong pronouns''' are a rather large class of nouns in the [[Rokadong]] language, compared to many other languages. Pronouns are often seen as an open class in modern Rokadong, since more pronouns are loaned into or crafted in Rokadong than for any other language on [[Spectradom]].

==History of Rokadong pronouns==
Having many pronouns is a rather common feature of [[Nentan languages]] broadly. However, Rokadong has several characteristics that cause it to have a particularly large range of pronouns.

Firstly, the so-called "Rokaselan pronoun rotation" occurred in late Middle Rokadong, around the end of the [[astaryuu:Empire of Karan|Empire of Karan]]. Between {{roka-calendar|1950}} and {{roka-calendar|2100}}, there were massive swings in the relative incidence of the pronouns ''nahata, nata, aya, pacun, zena, arha, lan,'' and ''lanil''. These generally resulted in one pronoun becoming more popular, while another became less popular. In modern Rokadong, ''nahata, pacun, arha,'' and ''lan'' are considered archaic, with the last two seeing the least use. A similar pronoun rotation occurred in [[astaryuu:Kairitelan|Kairitelan]] the preceding century, albeit with ''ngata'' supplanting ''bukak'' instead of ''pezhok'' (Rokadong ''bokah, pioka''). As an example, Kairitelan's own ''ngahat'' sees virtually no use in 25th century Kairitelan, while about 1.2% of Rokadong speakers have heard someone use ''nahata''; the reverse is true of ''lan''.

Secondly, Rokadong is currently the most widely-spoken Nentan language. Reflexes of Imperial Karanesa fell off massively after the fall of the Empire of Karan, but they retain some use of pronouns from neighboring languages, and Rokadong has also picked up on a similar trend. In particular, the first-person and second-person familiar pronouns ''nyu, ryu'' are loaned pronouns from the native langauges of the Lastile Islands. However, the dialects of Rokadong spoken there are the only ones that regularly use them.

Thirdly, the mid- to late-[[Rokaselan calendar|24th century]] saw the rise of [[astaryuu:Debaz|Debazi]] communications technology, and the later surge in support for non-normative identities mirrors a similar effect of the Internet in the real world, including in the development of "neopronouns" (Rokadong ''rasósomya''). This is the ultimate reason why pronouns are sometimes described as an open class in Rokadong, as most of Rokadong's loaned pronouns are lumped in as ''rasósomya''.

==Table of pronouns==
The following table includes ''all'' pronouns used in ''any'' significant Rokadong dialect around 2430-2450 MK in ''any'' context. Most archaic pronouns from the Rokaselan pronoun rotation are still used in storytelling during that time, and so they are included.
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! Pronoun
! Person
! Number
! Formality
! Other classifiers
! Notes
|-
| {{roka-terml|ká|}}
| 0<ref name="zero-person">On this page, 0th person refers to an "implied" or "dummy" person.</ref>
| singular
| neutral
|
| Whenever the agent and object of the verb are the same, ''ká'' replaces the second one. Its use has broadened significantly, however, including as an affix for detransitivizing transitive verbs, as well as replacing ''nata''/''aya'' in several situations:
* When talking to oneself.
* When relating a story that happened to the speaker; in such case, ''ká'' may be used for both its original purpose and this purpose.
* When used by a collective/system, to refer to the currently active voice; in such case, it contrasts with ''nata''/''aya'', usually instead of ''ayazal'' or ''ayaci''.
|-
| {{roka|}} ''nyu''
| 1
| singular
| very informal
|
| Used in most Oceanic Rokadong dialects when talking with an intimate partner. Has the genitive clitic {{roka-terml|-nya|}}.
|-
| {{roka|}} ''aya''
| 1
| singular
| informal
|
| Standard informal pronoun, though sometimes it's used generically like ''nata''. Has the genitive clitic {{roka-terml|-nya|}}.
|-
| {{roka|}} ''zahal''
| 1
| singular
| informal
|
| Standard informal pronoun; literally means "friend". Has the genitive clitic {{roka-terml|-nya|}}.
|-
| {{roka-terml|cán|}}
| 1
| singular
| informal
|
| Used only in Puram Rokadong and most Continental Rokadong dialects, in which some speakers supplant one or both of ''aya'' and ''zahal'' with it. Has the genitive clitic {{roka-terml|-can|}}.
|-
| {{roka|}} ''nata''
| 1
| singular
| neutral
|
| Standard semi-formal pronoun. Has mostly supplanted ''nahata'', though most dialects still use ''nata'' outside of contexts that would demand formality.
|-
| {{roka|}} ''nahata''
| 1
| singular
| formal
|
| Older formal pronoun. Has mostly been supplanted by ''nata''.
|-
| {{roka|}} ''pacun''
| 1
| singular
| very formal
|
| Archaic formal pronoun supplanted by ''nata'' and ''pioka''; signified that the addressee was of higher nobility than the speaker. Since 2350 MK, it's almost never used outside of fiction, but depending on the genre of story, it may be used almost universally in place of ''pioka''.
|-
| {{roka|}} ''pioka''
| 1
| singular
| formal
|
| Standard formal pronoun; literally means "servant". Although it's almost always expected to be used when the speaker is of lower rank than the addressee (such as when a civilian talks to a nobleperson), what "lower rank" means is culturally dependent. In many Rokadong-speaking areas, the staff who are selling wares or handling customer concerns in a market or business meeting situation will use ''pioka'', and in some areas (generally those that don't consider ''nata'' to be formal), the host of an event may also use ''pioka''.
|-
| {{roka|}} ''bokah''
| 1
| singular
| very formal
|
| Definitionally similar to the so-called "royal we", it signifies that the speaker is of higher rank than the addressee. However, it is considered impolite to use ''bokah'' unless you are noble, especially if one is in a workplace where the addressee is using ''pioka''.
|-
| {{roka|}} ''kinah''
| 1
| plural
| neutral
| exclusive
| Used when the addressee is not included. Sometimes seen as a little informal; it can be used after a formal first person pronoun to make it more formal.
|-
| {{roka|}} ''kayari''
| 1
| plural
| neutral
| inclusive
| Used when the addressee is included. Sometimes seen as a little informal; it can be used alongside {{roka-terml|tékuha|}} to make it more formal.
|-
| {{roka|}} ''kayari''
| 2
| singular
| very informal
|
| Used in most Oceanic Rokadong dialects when talking with an intimate partner. Has the genitive clitic {{roka-terml|-za|}} or {{roka-terml|-ra|}}.
|-
| {{roka|}} ''zena''
| 2
| singular
| informal
|
| Standard informal pronoun, but seen as too similar to ''zenaz''. While few teachers so far have proscribed ''zena'', it's not as commonly used as either neuter alternative. Has the genitive clitic {{roka-terml|-zo|}}.
|-
| {{roka|}} ''zeda''
| 2
| singular
| informal
| masculine
| Standard informal pronoun formed as ''zena'' + {{roka|}}. Has the genitive clitic {{roka-terml|-zo|}} ''daren''.
|-
| {{roka|}} ''zenaz''
| 2
| singular
| informal
| feminine
| Standard informal pronoun formed as ''zena'' + {{roka|}}. Has the genitive clitic {{roka-terml|-zo|}} ''nazren''.
|-
| {{roka|}} ''zerav''
| 2
| singular
| informal
| neuter animate
| ''Rasósomya'' first popularized around 2385 MK to replace both ''zena'' and ''zehan'', formed as ''zena'' + {{roka|}}. Has the genitive clitic {{roka-terml|-zo|}} ''ravien'' like its relatives. As of 2439 MK, it's most common among (progressive) middle-aged speakers, but even with them, ''zehan'' is still common.
|-
| {{roka|}} ''zehan''
| 2
| singular
| informal
| neuter
| ''Rasósomya'' first popularized around 2376 MK to replace ''zena'', formed as ''zena'' + ''an''. Initially, it fell out of favor compared to ''zerav'' as ''an'' is inanimate, but if ''zehan'' ever had a specified animacy, as of 2439 MK, particularly younger speakers use this pronoun regardless of animacy, supplanting ''zerav''; ''zehan'' is also more popular in this demographic than it and ''zerav'' combined in older ones. Has the genitive clitic {{roka-terml|-zo|}} like its relatives.
|-
| {{roka|󴀄}} ''tau''
| 2
| singular
| formal
|
| Standard semi-formal pronoun. Some see it as slightly less formal than ''talah'' since ''tau'' is a clipping of it, but this is not universal, and usually either is fine.
|-
| {{roka|}} ''talah''
| 2
| singular
| formal
|
| Standard semi-formal pronoun. Some see it as slightly more formal than ''tau'' since it's a clipping of ''talah'', but this is not universal, and usually either is fine.
|-
| {{roka|}} ''ludi''
| 2
| singular
| formal
| masculine
| Technically an honorific, much like English "sir". However, among young speakers it is sometimes, in Lerabtelah, Pahang, and Ahotelah dialects, used in non-vocative contexts.
|-
| {{roka|}} ''lunu''
| 2
| singular
| formal
| feminine
| Technically an honorific, much like English "ma(d)am". However, among young speakers it is sometimes, in Lerabtelah, Pahang, and Ahotelah dialects, used in non-vocative contexts.
|-
| {{roka|}} ''luvi''
| 2
| singular
| formal
| neuter
| It was coined alongside ''zerav'' as its honorific. However, among young speakers it is sometimes, in Lerabtelah, Pahang, and Ahotelah dialects, used in non-vocative contexts, and thus is a ''rasósomya''.
|-
| {{roka|}} ''javital''
| 2
| singular
| very formal
|
| Irregular formation roughly glossable as ''javi''{{sc|-2sg.for.gen}}. It's archaic now, but used in much the same way as ''pacun''.
|-
| {{roka|}} ''kantunya''
| 2
| singular
| very formal
|
| Literally "my lord"<ref>Irregularly uses the -nya suffix, which is necessarily informal, perhaps as a humbling measure.</ref>, it is used in place of ''talah'' or the ''ludi'' family in very formal situations when addressing a government official and/or a nobleperson.
|-
| ''<equivalent singular pronoun>'' + {{roka|}} ''-yaci''
| 2
| singular
| informal
|
| Apply to any informal 2nd person singular pronoun to pluralize it. Any such pronoun uses the genitive clitic {{roka-terml|-zoi|󴀀}}. Special notes apply when applied to certain pronouns:
* ''zena'' + ''-yaci'' merge to make {{roka|}} ''zenyaci''.
* It can be applied irregularly to ''tau'', making {{roka|󴀄}} ''tauyaci''. ''Tauyaci'' is a ''rasósomya'' popularized in the business space as a way to refer to staff that is less "rigid-sounding" than ''tau tékuha''.
|-
| ''<equivalent singular pronoun>'' + {{roka|}} ''tékuha''
| 2
| singular
| formal
|
| Apply to any formal 2nd person singular pronoun to pluralize it. It's deemed a clarification measure, and thus not strictly necessary.
|-
| {{roka|}} ''lanil''
| 3
| singular
| any
|
| Originally simply {{roka-term|lan|}}, ''lanil'' is a backformation from ''lanil razil''. It is used for both the epicene and the neuter, much as ''zehan'' is in younger speakers.
|-
| {{roka|}} ''an''
| 3
| singular
| any
| inanimate
| Only inanimate among older speakers. However, among younger speakers, it's falling out of fashion compared to ''lanil''.<ref>In both cases, animacy distinction is being lost. However, ''zena'' is seeing rising proscription, while ''an'' is not, leaving ''an'' and ''lanil'' in more free variation than ''zehan'' and ''zena''.</ref>
|-
| {{roka-terml|lanil razil| }}
| 3
| plural
| informal
|
| Originally simply {{roka-term|lan razil| }}, the first word was changed to ''lanil'' to sound like ''razil'' in pseudo-rhyming reduplication.
|-
| {{roka|}} ''kamusha''
| 3
| plural
| formal
|
| Sometimes paired with {{roka|󴀀}} ''ibi''.
|-
| {{roka|}} ''ayazal''<br>{{roka|}} ''ayaci''
| 1
| singular
| neutral
| collective<ref name="collective">Use of "collective" here is to not confuse plural identity with grammatical plurality.</ref>
| ''Rasósomya'' first popularized around 2410 MK, formed as either ''aya (ta) zahal'' or ''aya'' + ''-yaci''. Used exclusively by spiritspeakers and other such plural people to refer to their entire collective/system rather than just the identity that is speaking. Compare ''ká''.
|-
| {{roka|}} ''zenzal''<br>{{roka|}} ''zenyaci''
| 2
| singular
| neutral
| collective<ref name="collective"/>
| 2nd person equivalent to ''ayazal'', formed as either ''zena (ta) zahal'' or ''zena'' + ''-yaci''. Like that pronoun, used to refer to the addressee's entire collective/system, rather than just the currently-active identity. Compared to ''ayaci'' and ''lanyaci'', ''zenyaci'' is slightly rarer since it's homonymous with an existing 2nd person plural pronoun.
|-
| {{roka|}} ''lanizal''<br>{{roka|}} ''lanilyaci''
| 3
| singular
| neutral
| collective<ref name="collective"/>
| 3rd person equivalent to ''ayazal'', formed as either ''lanil (ta) zahal'' or ''lanil'' + ''-yaci''; the former is occasionally written with the coda l from ''lanil''. Like ''ayazal'', used to refer to the addressee's entire collective/system, rather than just the currently-active identity.
|}
<references />

Rokadong pronouns - Revision history

Astaryuu at 22:28, 10 November 2026

Astaryuu: I hate everything