Eldiad: My First Conlang
Information
Eldiad is an unfinished conlang inspired by various Western- and Northern-European languages.
It’s worth noting that Eldiad was created before I started my linguistics studies at university.
The project was built purely from online resources and about 1.5 weeks of independent research.
While unfinished, you can check out the documentation — though it’s more of a working file than formal documentation.
Features
Sound Inventory
Eldiad has a partially developed sound system, based on the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA), with a chart linking IPA to Eldiad’s orthography.
Consonants
| (Bi)labial | Dental | Alveolar-Central | Alveolar-Lateral | Retroflex | Post-alveolar | Velar | Uvular | Glottal | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stop | p, b | — | t, d | — | — | — | k | — | — |
| Fricative | — | f, v | s, z | — | — | ʑ | ɣ | — | h |
| Affricative | — | — | — | — | ɕ | — | — | — | — |
| Nasal | m | — | n | — | — | — | ŋ | — | — |
| Liquid* | — | — | — | l | — | j | w | ʀ | — |
- *The label “liquid” is used here informally to simplify categories.
Vowels
| Front-Unrounded | Front-Rounded | Central-Unrounded | Central-Rounded | Back-Unrounded | Back-Rounded | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Close | i, i: | y | — | — | — | u, u: |
| Mid | e, ɛ(:) | ø, œ | — | — | — | o, o: |
| Open | — | — | a, a: | — | ɑ | — |
- Diphthong ɛj can also appear in certain words but isn’t placed in the main chart.
Syntax
Eldiad follows a verb–subject–object structure with optional adjectives ([V(A)S(A)O]). This order is rare, used by only about 9% of natural languages (e.g. Classical Arabic, Biblical Hebrew, Celtic languages).
| Verb | (Adjective) | Subject | (Adjective) | Object |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| sees | big | (the) person | big | (the) animal |
| seheura-e’j | bra’ach | ju peuri | bra’ach | ju dacha |
- “ju” is the only article in Eldiad.
Grammar
Tenses
Eldiad uses five tenses, all formed by suffixation.
| Tense | IPA Suffix | Written Suffix | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| Infinitive | (base) | (base) | lo’f |
| Present | + êj | + e’j | lo’f-e’j |
| Close Past | + sôa | + so’a | lo’f-so’a |
| Far Past | + jø | + jeu | lo’f-jeu |
| Future | + ɣô | + cho’ | lo’f-cho’ |
Plurality
Plural is formed simply by adding the suffix -ra.
| Word | Suffix | Plural |
|---|---|---|
| dacha | -ra | dacha-ra |
| animal | -s | animals |
Work in Progress (?)
Status: Currently Discontinued
This was my first attempt at creating a constructed language — more of an experiment than a complete system. Since then, I’ve begun studying linguistics more formally. Who knows? Maybe I’ll return to conlanging with new insights.
Possible Future Changes
Lore
Adding narrative context brings a conlang to life. One idea: long vowels in Eldiad may derive from an earlier Proto-Language, tentatively named Andetísian, which evolved into modern Eldiad.
Vocabulary
Currently, Eldiad has only about 18 words. Expanding the lexicon would enable real sentence formation.
Grammar
I appreciate the current simplicity, but I might consider adding more grammatical constructions later.
Sharecode: https://myrdin.cx/projects/eldiad