Ven’na [文話] is the language of the elves of Halvanai, also known as the Tianyuan Continent (天元大陸). It is spoken by elvenkind in East Aseron in the material plane, as well as the equivalent regions of the twilight realm, east of the Kunnuu Mountains (崐峿山). The eastern continents of the two planes have a long, intertwined history, stretching back to before the continents split, and the teachings of the Great Jin, experiences long since forgotten to recorded history. Thus Ven’na has a layer of loan vocabulary from the common language of East Aseron, as well as using a version of its ancient characters as its own refined script.
天元大陸靈族之言者，雖異於凡間，同承古字，與人類古篆、龍家金爪竝，因有所似所異。其假於人文，亦假於人音，故有讀者謂訓謂假。訓者本音，假者燕音，可見古二界所交交也矣。
Version: 5.0b
Ven’na syllables are of the form (consonant)-(glide)-vowel-(final), and words are multisyllabic.
Initials are
y can be its own initial
We shall use the text 《靈間一綫天》 from 《神海閑談》 and its parallel in ven’na to explain the grammar. Every sentence is glossed with the literal translation and endings, with [square brackets] used to group word ideas where they are two words in english.
話說靈間南海千里外，有一疆焉，謂之南凱，
Amar, Alennya’a’nandur’i myes shen’in, jisun maes, Nankai’che se hendun. [They say], [Elven realm][poss][southern sea][loc] [away] [thousand][li], [land][to be], [Nankai][quote] [it-h] [to be named].
-a- between nouns: possessive or attributive, similar to japanese の. -i after a noun phrase: location particle. -che after a phrase, indicates the end of a direct quote, similar to japanese と. se (h)/sa (d): generic third person pronoun, venna does not split by gender or animicity.
nandur, shen-in, nankai are all Yan loan words. All multi-syllabic loan words can be split into their individual syllables / characters. Amar is an “established phrase” (it cannot be analysed further)
五行模糊，天地不清，虛實不分。
Fusun’o jefyin’ai, altanan’o voken’ai, kochir’in’akkun’o tochan’ai. [five elements][subj-h] [to be split][not], [the world][to be clear][not], [emptiness][and][solidness] [to be separate][not].
-o (h)/-a (d) after a noun or a noun-phrase (later grammar construction): subject/topic markers (venna makes no difference). Note. se/sa do not take a subject marker, but are instead se/saa -ai after a verb: negation marker. -in- between nouns: “and” or “with”, groups nouns together, only works between nouns.
Fusun is a Yan loan word.
此處天地分為二，上為陽，下為陰，其交罡風烈烈，人難存身。
Unna hal’in’dai’o ni evayen, ala’o kan, aba’o kin, se’a’jachiaaran’i kannankachen maji’aji, imis’a evak vachan. [here] [heaven][and][earth][subj-h] [two] [to split], [up][subj-h] [Yang], [down][subj-h] [Yin], [it-h][poss][intersection][loc] [heavenly wind] [roaring][redup.], [people][subj-d] [difficult] [to be alive].
ni, kan, kin are Yan loan words.
靈人稱之一綫天。
Alynnin’a Chisanten’che se hendun. [Elven people][subj-d] [One line sky][quote] [it-h] [to be named].
又說穿一綫天而至太陽之國，
Itemar, Chisanten tujin’ka taikan’a’kurun ishin, [They also say], [One line sky] [to traverse][cont] [Great yang][poss][country] [reach],
taikan is a loan. itemar is an established phrase.
五日耀耀，永常春夏。
fu cheres’o ashan’shan, jeraachi entenai. [five] [sun][subj-h] [shining][redup.], [summer][eternal]
太陽之國與一綫天之間又有一國，其王神龍海蛟也，
Taikan’a’kurun’su Chisanten’san avas kurun ita maes, seja’haan’a akaa’en’savalka, namun’saval ie! [Great yang][poss][country][from] [One line sky][to] [between] [country] [also] [to be], [it-h-poss][king][subj-d] [divine][adj][dragon], [ocean][wyrm] [excl.]
seja (h)/saja (d) is a contraction of se-a- and sa-a-, the possessive “it’s”. -en- between adjective and noun: modfication marker, c.f. japanese な. (See 6) -su “from” -san “to” are location particles describing a range, c.f Japanese から and まで, which can be used in isolation or together. They can be followed by a range describer such as “between” or “outside of”.
天劫之化身，萬物之師，與仙不上下。
tungchenkaavaas’a’yujan, unsyunche’a’amun, valaaka achan’en’o nijenni. [heavenly tribulation][poss][incarnation], [all things][poss][master], [celestial] [to compete][concept][subj-h] [equal]
史傳謂之守門者，太安陀。
Sadukchan’o saa Siumenshaa’che, Taiantor’che hendun. [histories][subj-h] [it-d] [Gatekeeper][quote], [Tiantor][quote] [to be named]
Romanisation:
Amar, Alennya’a’nandur’i myes shen’in, jisun maes, Nankai’che se hendun. Fusun’o jefyin’ai, altanan’o voken’ai, kochir’in’akkun’o tochan’ai. Unna hal’in’dai’o ni evayen, ala’o kan, aba’o kin, se’a’jachiaaran’i kannankachen maji’aji, imis’a evak vachan. Alynnin’a Chisanten’che se hendun.
Itemar, Chisanten tujin’ka taikan’a’kurun ishin, fu cheres’o ashan’shan, jeraachi entenai. Taikan’a’kurun’su Chisanten’san avas kurun ita maes, seja’haan’a akaa’en’savalka, namun’saval ie! Tungchenkaavaas’a’yujan, unsyunche’a’amun, valaaka achan’en’o nijenni. Sadukchan’o saa Siumenshaa’che, Taiantor’che hendun.
In hybrid Han notation (a notation using han characters where Venna would use them, and japanese kana for grammatical particles in place of native script — the kana correspond but do not exactly represent the Venna sound. Complex punctuation is not used.):
話。靈間あ南海い去千里。疆有。南凱ち祺名。五行お理あぃ。天地お明あぃ。無いん實お隔あぃ。此處天いん地お二分。上お陽。下お陰。祺あ交い罡風烈烈。人あ難生。靈人あ一線天ち名。
又話。一線天穿か太陽あ國至。五日お耀耀。夏恆。太陽あ國す一線天さん間國又有。祺之王あ神えん龍。洋蛟矣。天劫あ化身。萬物あ師。仙比えんお平。史あ其守門者ち太安陀ち名。