The Luojai Language (Asuoma)

Some will no doubt say that I’m going overboard by writing down all of this detail about my constructed language. But I’m doing it precisely because I want to make it clear how much time and effort was put in. My intention is that Luojai (or Asuoma, its formal name) will become as well-known as Tolkien’s Sindarin or George R. R. Martin’s High Valyrian. Yes, I know, a tall order.

I have given Asuoma a full alphabet, a rather sizable number of verbs and general vocabulary, and considerable notes on pronunciation and grammar. I was inspired by both Finnish and Sanskrit for the general pronunciation and vocabulary, and by Thai and Tamil for the alphabet. Italian was also a more general influence, especially in terms of verbal conjugation; the forms used here are a somewhat simplified from the Romance languages, using conjugations only for past, present, future, and quantum tenses but not for each of the pronouns, which are thus required to make the subject clear. This places the verbs somewhere in between the simplicity of English and the complexity of the Romance languages. Asuoma has no case system like Slavic languages, e.g., Polish or Hungarian, and there are no declensions of nouns.

The Luojai frequently use telepathy to convey complex ideas as well as the intended subject of a given sentence. This is one of the reasons that Asuoma is a surprisingly simple language. If you are connected with someone’s mind, you do not need to say “you” versus “they” to make the subject clear. Nevertheless, a language is needed in general because using telepathy beyond a merely empathic level is a strain.

Nouns and their articles do not have gender, though pronouns do. The language is partially agglutinative in that verbs are sometimes added together, though hyphenated, and some words are essentially portmanteaus. In transliterated Latin text, the vowels have both strict long forms and short forms and most are spoken as a separate syllable with only a slight diphthong in the case of identical paired vowels (see below for exceptions).

THE LUOJAI ALPHABET (transliterated)

There is an actual alien alphabet, but I’m keeping that under my hat until it’s finalized. This is transliterated into the Latin alphabet with the IPA pronunciation keys underneath.

A ‘AH’ [ɑ]	Ä ‘AAH’ [æː]	Å ‘AW’ [ɑː]	AI ‘eye’ [ɑɪ̯]	B [b]	C or K [k]	D   [d]	E ‘AY’ [e]	Ë ‘EH’ [ɛ]	F [f]
G [g]	Ğ [χ]	H [h]	I ‘EE’ [i]	Í ‘IH’ [ɪ]	J [dʒ]	L   [l]	M [m]	N [n]	O ‘OH’ [o]
OE/Ö ‘OY’ [oe]	P [p]	R [r]	Ŕ (trilled) [r]	S [s]	Ş ‘SH’ [ʃ]	T   [t]	U ‘OOH’ [uˑ]	Ü ‘UH’ [ʊ]	UU (very long) [uː]
V [v]	Z [z]	EI [ɛɪ̯]	CH [tʃ]	AU [ɑʊ̯]

PRONUNCIATION NOTES Ğ = uvular plosive, throat-clearing sound. Ķ = like the ch in the German ich, or the c in cute. Only used before shortened vowels Ä and Ü. There is no separate letter for Ķ in the Luojai alphabet. Context alone informs the reader’s pronunciation. While transliteration into the Latin alphabet uses either a C or K for a hard K sound, but the Ķ is always written with a Ķ. Doubled vowels are always especially long. *EI is the same as E but slightly longer. There is no letter for it. **C always has a hard k sound except when it’s used before an e or ë, in which case it has a CH [tʃ] sound, as in Italian.  ***No letter, represented by the individual letters for A and U. Emphasis tends to be on the first or final syllables in most words. Plural words almost always emphasis the final syllable. Pluralization is achieved by either adding an ai at the end or changing the last letter to an i.

GENERAL VOCABULARY

A
A/Ah	Is (The ‘h’ is added whenever the word is followed by a word that starts with a vowel.)
Aașiwa	Water
Aiya	Also
Ainavalunar	Exclamation. Roughly, “Great blessings of the Ainar!” Often indicates surprise or great happiness. Sometimes used in formal ritualistic greeting with the meaning of “We welcome you” but more emphatic.
Amaga	Maybe, perhaps, let’s hope, “God willing” (similar to “magari” in Italian)
Aman	It is so / it is to be / it was.
Antoma	Nature
Antoman Antomanai	Animal Animals
Applu Appluși	Sad Sadly
Arrenkkosat	Daytime, literally “sunshine time”
Arrenko	Sun
Arrenmet	A year, literally “sun’s passing”
Asin Asinai	Rebel Rebels
Asuoma	The name of the Luojai language (Usuoma in some dialects). Literally means “we speak.”
Ath	Made
Ath-Kai	Made-Born, i.e. an entirely new creature made through genetic engineering
Atlu Atluai	Day Days
Atluaimet	Week, literally “days passing”
Atluun	Today
Aurenkko** Aurenkkai	Star Stars
Aurenkkosat	Nighttime, literally “star time”
B
Baata Baatași	Happy Happily
Banat	Always
Banno	All
C
Cíth	Child
Cíthși	Easy
Cëronno	Peace
Corelan Corelanai	Unit of measurement representing approximately 451 kilometers.
D
Dano	Very
Dëvno	Must
Dinaa	Tomorrow
Dono	Can
Duna	Many
Duuma	Much
E
Eënta	Ever
Eëntanam	Forever/Eternity
El	Here
Ela	There
Elläme	Life
F
Falos	Compassion
Faloșan	Justice
G
Ğaima Ğaimași	Guilt Guilty
Ğaiya	Hope
Giiși	Yesterday
Gor	First, more specifically, before all else
H
Hulle	Transformation, different form of “move.”
Hullemuuși	The semi-intelligent hydrostatic gel which performs the genetic transformations. Literally, “thoughtful transformation.”
Humana Humanai	Human Humans
I
Io	Because
Iilu Iiluai	Person (general) People
J
Ja	Young
Jauna	That
Jaunu	This
K
Ka	Born
Kadaneita	Penitent
Kai	Those who are born, pluralized form
Ka-iilu	Species, race
Kanar Kanarai	Strand, thread, band, weave Strands, bands
Kanareläme	DNA
Kano?	How?
Kapsa Kapso	Son Daughter
Kua?	When?
Ķult	Gold, the element with atomic number 79
Ķültain	Something beyond reach, empyrean, “golden” in a poetic sense
Ķultaiset Ķultaisetși	Wisdom (particularly spiritual) Wise
Ķultasena	Precious, like gold, adj.
Kuma	Hard, difficult
Kuu	Moon
Kuumat	Lack / lacking
Kuunterä	Ceremonial knife made of a metal found on Alku’s moon.
L
Lan	Unit of measurement representing approximately 5.71 kilometers, 1/79 of a corelan. This word comes from an older term for one of the basic units of time, the Laan, roughly the same as two Earth hours, because that was how far an average Luojai could walk in that time.
Leeri	True sentience, self-awareness
Lëri	Consciousness/Awareness
Liëm	How long? (time)
Lonu	Food
Luo	To create
Luoja	Female creator, any female Luojai, singular, plural Luojaia
Luojai	Creators, genderless, plural
Luojan	Male creator, any male Luojai, singular, plural Luojanai.
Luona Luonai	Creation Creations
M
Malla	House
Mapero	Sacred
Mu Muai	Thought Thoughts
Muuși	Thoughtful
Muutaiset Muutaisetși	Knowledge Knowledgeable
N
Naio?	Why?
Neenya	Never
Nenat	Often
Nenya	Seldom
Noro?	Where?
Nuan	Old
O
Ona?	What?
Oro?	Who?
P
Poelam or Pölam	Light
R
Ra -Ra	Next / Upcoming, as in next week, added onto the end of the modified word with a hyphen.
Rametsat	(The) Future
S
Saiket	Revenge
San Şan	Distance, pronounced șan in older dialects, usually the ș is substituted when the word is added to the end of another word.
Sanmuuși	Meditation, literally “distant thoughts,” figuratively “beyond thoughts.”
Sat	Time
Sata Satai	Time (occasion) Times
Set Setși	Skill Skillful
Sika Sík	No Not
Suan	Although / though
T
Ta -Ta	Last / Previously, as in last week, added onto the end of the modified word with a hyphen.
Tametsat	(The) Past
U
Ukan Ukanai	Death, killing, murder Mass murder
Unu Unur	Good Well
Ununa	Health
V
Vasu	Earth, as in ground or dirt, but in a living sense
Vasudai	The ecosystem.
Vasudaiukanai, The	The destruction of the Luojai planet Alku, caused by the war with the Cithleeri that made their world largely uninhabitable.
Vati	Yes
W
Wasoe or Wasö	Sky
Wasoeșan or Wasöșan	Heaven

PRONOUNS

Vimo Vima Vimi	I/Me (applied according to gender: female, male, non-binary)
Ka	You (singular)
So Sa Sí	She He Xe (third-person female, male, and non-binary genders)
Vímko Vímka Vímki	We (female, male, and non-binary genders), Vímki is used most of the time for obvious reasons, but in non-mixed company, e.g. all female, all male, or all non-binary company, it is considered polite to apply the correct pronoun. If there is any uncertainty, Vímki is used.
Kai	You (plural), which is tangentially connected to the word for ‘born.’ See above.
Koloro or Kolor	They
Lí Lím	It, only used to refer to inanimate objects It, used to refer to abstractions
Conjunctions
O/Ok (k is added when followed by a vowel)	But
Ika Ikar	And With
Amar	If, same as future tense of “to be.”
Sanmeta	Until
Tameta	Before
Meta	While / during
Rameta	After
Um Ulím	In, of In the, of the
Articles
Kan	Feminine
Kon	Masculine
Kin	Non-binary
Ğín	Exalted
Li	Non-living

** It was this word that intrigued human linguists, leading many to believe that an ancient visit by the Luojai to Earth created or greatly influenced the Uralic languages of Finland and Estonia. However, most of the remainder of Luojai words are greatly divergent. In fact, what the linguists of Earth didn’t know and couldn’t have known is that the actual visitors were Cíthleeri, who visited the Scandinavian region around 6000 BCE. Mostly, the influence came in the form of numbers, and the words for ‘star’, ‘gold’, ‘creator’, and ‘moon’ could have been some of the few words that stuck around because they were considered more important.

Adverbs and adjectives are usually made by adding -și to the end of another word, e.g. Ķultaiset (wisdom) becomes Ķultaisetși (wise), or Set (Skill) becomes Setși (Skillful), or Baata (Happy) becomes Baatași (Happily).

Verbal conjugation is dependent on use of pronouns for clarity. For the present tense, you add either an -ro or an -aro, depending on whether in its infinitive form the verb ends with the vowel or a consonant. For past tense, you add either a -t or an -at. For the future tense, you add either an -r or an -ar. The Luojai have a neutral tense which is intended to express that which is unknown, i.e. connected to their religion and the Ainar, something which may be or may not be in the past, present, or future, or all three at once, much as in quantum determinacy. This form is indicated by a -ğ or a -ağ at the end of the verb. It is used in their spiritual rituals mainly, but it creeps into philosophical speech.

VERBS AND THEIR CONJUGATIONS

Verb	Present	Past	Future	Quantum	Meaning
Ama	Amaro	Amat	Amar	Amağ	To be
Tannu	Tannuro	Tannut	Tannur	Tannuğ	To eat
Kuundin	Kuundinro	Kuudinat	Kuudinar	Kuundinağ	To take
Doma	Domaro	Domat	Domar	Domarağ	To sleep
Lavvo	Lavvoro	Lavvot	Lavvar	Lavvarağ	To have
Cena	Cenaro	Cenat	Cenar	Cenarağ	To be able to/Can
Luo	Luoro	Luorat	Luovar	Luovarağ	To create
Moar	Moaro	Moarat	Moaŕar	Moarağ	To work
Meta	Metaro	Metat	Metar	Metarağ	To pass
Voala	Voalaro	Voalat	Voalar	Voalarağ	To feel
Aikom	Aikomaro	Aikomat	Aikomar	Aikomarağ	To help
Nator	Natoŕaro	Natorat	Natoŕar	Natorağ	To survive
Bumi	Bumiaro	Bumiat	Bumiar	Bumiağ	To know
Muu	Muaro	Muat	Muar	Muağ	To think
Buuma	Buumaro	Buumat	Buumar	Buumağ	To believe
Ğaiya	Ğaiyaro	Ğaiyat	Ğaiyar	Ğaiyağ	To hope
Solom	Solomaro	Solomat	Solomar	Solomağ	To practice / To perform
Volam	Volamaro	Volamat	Volamar	Volamağ	To go / leave
Atha	Atharo	Athat	Athar	Athağ	To make
Vemlo	Vemloro	Vemlot	Vemlor	Vemloğ	To see
Varlo	Varloro	Varlot	Varlor	Varloğ	To look
Reen	Reenaro	Reenat	Reenar	Reenağ	To stay
Kallo	Kalloro	Kallorat	Kalloŕar	Kallorağ	To fly
Simmu	Simmuaro	Simmuat	Simmuar	Simmuağ	To walk
Follan	Follanaro	Follanat	Follanar	Follanağ	To keep
Hollu	Holluaro	Holluat	Holluar	Holluağ	To move
Nenyar	Nenyaro	Nenyat	Nenyar	Nenyağ	To cry
Firo	Fiŕoro	Firot	Fiŕor	Firoğ	To return

Sentence Structure: Subject-Verb-Object. However, when one verb modifies another, such as with the verb “to be,” it is added onto the end of the verb it modifies with a hyphen, e.g. “voalar-amar” meaning “will feel.” “Voalar” means “to feel” in the future tense. “Amar” means “to be” in the future tense. Adjectives usually come after nouns. Qualifiers tends to come at the very beginning of the sentence, such as specifying a specific time for an event. Pronouns are always capitalized. Sometimes, when the object is indicated by a pronoun and the verb following starts with a vowel, the last vowel of the pronoun is dropped and the two are conjoined by a hyphen.

EXAMPLE SENTENCES

Giiși, Ka tannut unur?	Yesterday, you ate well?
Aurenkkosat-ta, So domat unur.	Last night, she slept well.
Banat, Sa lavvar-amar ununa unur.	Always, he will have good health.
Atluaimet-ra, Koloro moaŕar-amar kuma ik metar.*	Next week, they will work hard, but it will pass.
Banat, Vimki voalar-amar ğaimași.	Always, we will feel guilty.
Amar ka-iilu Humanai aikomar, vimki natoŕar.	If the human race helps us, we will survive.
Ka-iilu Humanai aikom, amağ?	Will the human race help us? Literally: “The human race helps us, possibly (they) will?”
Vati, Vimo buumaro, (Kolor-)aikomar. Vati, Vimo buumaro, Kolor-amar.	Yes, I (female) believe (they) will help. Yes, I (female) believe they will.
Vimi ğaiyaro.	I (non-binary) hope so.
Vima ğaiyaro Kolor-amar aiya.	I (male) hope they will also.
Vimo muaro-aman (Kolor-)amar.	I think (emphasized) (they) will.
Kano Kolor-aikomar-amar?	How will they help us?
Ikar lonu ika aașiwa, amaga.	With food and water, perhaps.
O kano dono Kolor-aikomar suan sika lovvoro kuumat?	But how can they help when (they) do not have enough? Literally: But how can they help when they have lacking?
Dinaa, Sa solomar-amar sa-sanmuuși, amağ?	Tomorrow, will he practice his meditation?
Sika, Vima muaro sík S’aman.	No, I do not think he will.
Sa salomat lím baatași, duna satai ulim tametsat.	He performed it happily, many times in the past.
Vímki lavvoro atluai vuuși tameta devno volam.	We have five days before we must leave.
Banat, Vímki buuma-amar um ğín Ainar.	We will always believe in the Ainar.

ADDITIONAL NOTES

The word “aman” has a special meaning. It is used to indicate “it is so” or “will be so” or “it was so” and is conjoined to the end of a verb by a hyphen. It is used as emphasis, meaning that the speaker has a strong belief.

The quantum form of the verb “to be” (amağ), however, is commonly used to indicate uncertainty and to ask a question by adding it to the end of the sentence (see below). Related to the term “amağ” is the term “amaga,” which is reverential term meant to pay homage to the Ainar. The precise meaning is difficult to translate but it means that whatever is being referred to may be in the past, in the present, or in the future. I could be being woven right now by the Ainar, or the Ainar could change it so that it becomes true in the past, or it could happen in the future through their will.

Roughly, it might be compared to the English phrases: “it’s in God’s hands” or “God willing” or “from your lips to God’s ears,” but even those phrases are only partially comparable. It is an acknowledgement that the issue may be in a state of quantum determinacy, which the Ainar may or may not flip in the speaker’s favor.

So, a simple conversation using these terms might be as follows:

“Kin Saikeet firo-amar eenta el, amağ?” (Will the Saiket ever return here?)

“Amaga.” (??)

“Amar-aman.” (I am certain they will.)

LUOJAI NUMBERS

Goro (0), Suo (1), Aatu (2), Enu (3), Nelna (4), Vuuși (5), Kiiși (6), Seitma (7), Deksan (8), Uksan (9), Kumun (10)

KumunSuo (11), KumunAatu (12), KumunEnu (13), KumunNelna (14), KumunVuuși (15), KumunKiiși (16), KumunSeitma (17), KumunDeksan (18), KumunUksan (19)

AatuKu (20), AatuKuSuo (21), AatuKuAatu (22), AatuKuEnu (23), AatuKuNelna (24), AatuKuVuuși (25), AatuKuKiiși (26), AatuKuSeitma (27), AatuKuDeksan (28), AatuKuUksan (29)

EnuKu (30), NelnaKu (40), VuușiKu (50), KiișiKu (60), SeitmaKu (70), DeksanKu (80), UksanKu (90), Maperi (100), Kuușan (1,000), KumunKuușan (10,000), Kuușansa (1,000,000)

Kuu = moon, and the number Kuușan (literally “moon distance”) was chosen because it represents the distance of the Alku moon from the planet’s surface in the ancient units of measurement used by the Luojai, a corelan, e.g. 1000 corelanai = 1 Kuușan, which in distance equals 451,000 kilometers, the distance from Alku to its moon.