i language

To see the ancient author I, seeＩ.

The i language is a minimalist conlang intended to create a manner of communication that involves very little complexity, whether that be phonological, grammatical, semantic, or pragmatic. The intent is to make it easy and intuitive to learn from any linguistic background.

Words do not take on the parts of speech (noun, verb, etc.) or grammatical roles (subject, object, etc.) typical of natural languages. The syntactic structure is based purely on the relationships of emphasized words, unemphasized words, and pauses.

Etymology

The name "i language" comes from its word for small, "i".

Vocabulary

1. small: i
   • can be used to describe small size, quantity, height, social position, etc.
2. big: no
   • can be used to describe large size, quantity, height, social position, etc.
3. move: to
   • can be used to describe living things, fluids, motion, etc.
4. stay: ka
   • can be used to describe unmoving things, solids, the ground, some locations, etc.
5. subject: a (subject of discussion, not gramamtical subject)
6. not: ri

Syntax

u = unemphasized word; E = emphasized word

• uE: u performs as a topic, E performs as a comment modifying the topic.
• Eu: E performs as a novel topic, u performs as a comment modifying the novel topic.
• u₁u₁: marks plurality
• E₁E₁: marks emphasis
• u₁u₂/E₁E₂: marks addition or comparison depending on context
• Lack of pauses indicate a continuous idea.
• Brief pauses (marked with commas) indicate the beginning of a new idea related to the previous one.
• Medial pauses (marked with periods ) indicate the beginning of a new idea related to the multiple previous ideas. Which previous ideas they are is left up to context.
• Long pauses (marked with elipses) indicate the beginning of an idea unrelates to the previous ones.

Expressions

• Ownership is expressed with "e ON e KI", translating to "This is big and/but that is small." This can also be used to compare sizes or quantities of "this" and "that", depending on context.
  • "a NO I" translates to "This is big and small."
  • "a no a i" translates to "This, a big thing, that, and a small thing."
  • "a NO A I" translates to "This is big, the other thing, and small."
  • "a NO, a I" translates to "This is big, meanwhile that is small." This is more often used for comparison of the sizes between "this" and "that".
  • "a NO. a I" translates to "...and this is big. Additionally, that is small."
  • "A no, a I" translates to "As for this, this is big, and/but that is small."
  • "A no a I" translates to "As for this, this is big and the other thing. There is also a small thing."