Mavean language

Mavean
Mavan, Mavanese
Maavamuqtun
Pronunciation	[ˈmaːʋamʊqtʊn]
Native to	Mava
Region	Mavean islands
Ethnicity	Mavean people
Native speakers	around 70 thousand. (2018)
Language family	Mavic Mavean
Writing system	Latin script
Language codes
ISO 639-3	–

Mavean (Mavean: Maavamuqtun, [ˈmaːʋamʊqtʊn]), also known as Mavan or Mavanese, is a Mavic language spoken in Mava. It is the most spoken Mavic language and official language of the country of Mava. Mavean has a moderately small consonant and vowel inventory, and distinguishe velar and uvular plosives.

Phonology

Consonants

Mavean distinguishesh 16 consonant sounds:

		Labial	Coronal	Palatal	Velar	Uvular
Nasal		m ⟨m⟩	n ⟨n⟩		ŋ ⟨ng⟩
Plosive		p ⟨p⟩	t ⟨t⟩		k ⟨k⟩	q ⟨q⟩
Fricative	Plain		ð ⟨d⟩		ɣ~ʁ ⟨g⟩	x~χ ⟨h⟩
	Sibilant		s ⟨s⟩	ʃ ⟨ch⟩
Rhotic			r ⟨r⟩
Approximant		ʋ ⟨v⟩	l ⟨l⟩	j ⟨y⟩

• The plosive sounds can be realised as voiced allophonically.
• The dorsal fricatives can vary between velar and uvular allophonically.
• The labial approximant /ʋ/ can vary between [ʋ], [v] or [w] depending on dialect and/or speaker.
• The rhotic /r/ can be realised as [ɾ], [r] or [ɻ] depending on dialect and/or speaker.
• The palatal sibilant /ʃ/ can be realised as [ʃ]~[ɕ] or [t͡ʃ]~[t͡ɕ] depending on dialect and/or speaker.

Vowels

Mavean has a five vowel system and distinguishes lenght in three of the base vowels:

	Front		back
	short	long	short	long
Close	i ⟨i⟩	iː ⟨ii⟩	u ⟨u⟩	uː ⟨uu⟩
Mid	e ⟨e⟩		o ⟨o⟩
Open	a ⟨a⟩	aː ⟨aa⟩

Grammar

Mavean is characterised by a rich morphological system, with a succession of different morphemes being added to a root word to denote what would otherwise be expressed in several words. A root morphene begins all words, with other morphemes added as suffixes. This system has become highly standardised and regular through the work of linguists and the sponsorship of the government.

• "Republic" → "Yak" (noun root; "Land") + "ii" (noun suffix; area) + "Naigaal" (noun suffix; "Person") + "u" (grammatical number suffix; "People") = Yakiinaigaalu ("People Country")
• "Parliament" → "Isak" (noun root; "Law") + "kav" (verb suffix; to make) + "aagit" (noun suffix; group doing this thing) = Isakavagit (Lawmakers)
• "Government" → "Kiq" (verb root: "Steer") + "Isak" (noun suffix; "Law") + "aagit" (noun suffix; group doing this thing) + Kiqisaktaagit (Law Steerers)

See also

• Politics of Mava
• Culture of Mava