The Keid Language
The Keid alphabet and language is one of the mildly complex ones of Riiga. Though simple in construction -- and, in essence, pronounciation -- the letters and place names are perhaps more difficult to grasp or even to read. They use 24 letters, each based on a specific sound, and words combine a minimal amount of letters with a moderate amount of syllables.
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To the left is the entire basic Keid alphabet. When carved into wood or stone, the curved semicircles present in each letter are interchangeable with a simple two-line point, though it's not uncommon to use the point instead of the semicircle when writing on parchment or similar.
Below are the abbreviated vowel components, explained further down.
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Unless a vowel sits on its own as a syllable (as in Shup-tax-i-A), the vowel is abbreviated and combined with the corresponding consonant to create a syllable. In a word like Buroba, three letters are written, and three syllables are pronounced (bu-ro-ba), even though the English transliteration contains six letters. A large dot is placed between words instead of leaving a 'space'.
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| Above, the word 'Buroba' written in Keid. The first letter is 'b' with an abbreviated 'u', the second letter is 'r' and 'o' and the third letter is 'b' and 'a'. |
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| The position of the abbreviated vowel determines how the word is pronounced. The left-most letter is a 'u' above a 'b', therefore, it is pronounced as 'ub'. The second letter is reverse, thus, 'bu'. The third letter depicts a whole 'b' and a whole 'u', acting as independant syllables. Here, there is a syllabic pause between the letters; 'b-u'. |
Even though letters are generally based on syllables, this isn't always the case. The first syllable of Shuptaxia (shup) is written as two letters even though it is a single syllable. This is because consonants are never combined. It is the position of the vowels that generally determines where the syllables are placed, though it is usually logic. Keid avoid writing vertically. If they must, all letters are rotated 90 degress clockwise, so that they are 'rolling forward'. This is so that abbreviated vowels do not get confused with their positions relative to consonants.
Shuptalxia, (also Shuptaxia, minus the L), means "safe home" shupta=powerful, xia=haven. And just for fun:
Genxren gen=divine, xren=stone
Ankxarl ank=ocean, xarl=distant
Pzentelka pzen=mountain, telka=watcher
Xitala xi/xu=village, tala=bird
Emuxutalfa emu=water, xu/xi= village, talfa=south
Daarbang daar=guarding, bang=edge
a=short a, as in pass, glass, charm
aa=double syllable of a, first syllable is unaccented (uh- ahh)
e=short e, as in pet, fell
ea=double syllable, short e and short a
i=unaccented vowel, as in bargin
o=long o, as in roll
u=short u, as in bull, full
