January Pictures

Tlhìkalet Qhìtamet

One of the earliest sketches that Éfhelìnye wrote:

Tlhìkalet Qhìtamet
Dramatis Personæ

The Childru of the Land:

Puey

Puîyus “Enchanting, Perfumed Divine Love,” Khàtamakh Serqheyewítsa Puîye fhwii Pètwiqhe Piîwii Pípo Pìyufhe Piyufhéyon Piyúfhi Píyufho Pìyuta Ptuî Puî Puînxhe Pùkhwei Pyuwéyon Ailínos Engòmle Fhèlenos Fhífho Fhúfho Jhkhalìkekhaun Kàthweja Khèkatos Khláyelakh Khmàqhonies Khomléle Khòmleya Khòmli Khòmlil Khomlìngqe Khyùlwa Khmàneros Khlìnos Saûral Sùthat Takàsyakhar Thaôs Wtsàtakarng Xhèthyo Ojuxauróxha Qernúnos Khajuptáfha Játanikh Khnaûxi Pratlhoîqha Xhlúkh Xhluntakhlaûselar Eîlpar Tsiîkh Tsiîkher Tsiîkheil Tsiîkhiqan Tsiîyeil Tsiikhèrkhmair, a lad, of the færie folk Xhámi, Warrior Caste, Son of Íngìkhmar, Son of Jàkopar, Son of Seputritwítsa, and Son of Khwofheîlya, the Warrior Lad, the Heir to the Warrior Clan Sweqhàngqu. The story takes place upon his eleventh Starday. Hee likes talking to plantimals and wants to become a candy pirate, pilfer some muffins, and save the Starflower Princess (see below). The formal and archaick form of his name is Puîyos, and the diminutivë is Puîye, which is rendered as Puey.

And the Starflower Princess

Éfhelìnye “My Life, My Beloved,” Kháwa Teîrtlhe Eilyorieyána Stèlyarel Eiyuláriye Kòkhafha Kheyòkhporii Khmelitóte Xhèyol Erstélar Asteranása Áxhneyeméxhe Qhòyeil Eiyàsqrii Éfha Qwasáta Tsetseîlwa Paplínat of the Royal House of Pwéru, Pterúlaxhnafhúna, Spring Bride, Qtelúmastélar, Flower Princess, Mondenkind Khreultarífhing, Moon Maiden, Sinípwo, Skyborn, Somúke, Virginborn, a lass, of the færie folk Xhámi, Royal Caste, the Starflower of the Land, Emperor Kàrijoi and Empress Khnoqwísi’s only Child. For hir entire life shee hath been cloistered in hir Father’s Hidden Gardens and hath dreamt about Puîyus (see above). Shee wants to escape the gardens, paint some paintings, compile the Compleat Babel Grammar and Lexicon, write a story book, and elope with Puîyus (again, see above).

The Other Childru:
The Three Sweqhàngqu Sistren

Fhermáta “Shee Beholds With Wonder” Fhrúla Xhmaràqta Árexéxhe Úkiis Púkiis Stèlwa Fhérma Fhwàna Tesélien from the Clan Khatelèstan of the Clan Sweqhàngqu, a lass, of the færie folk Xhámi, Warrior Caste, daughter of Khmalàqlil and Tesélien of Khatelèstan, foster Daughter of honored Sieur Íngìkhmar, the oldest of the Sweqhàngqu Sistren, and betrothed to Puîyus (see above). Shee likes baking pies and wants to find some fierycrackren.

Siêthiyal “the Siêthiyal Flower” Siêthi among the Clan Sweqhàngqu, a lass, of the færie folk Xhámi, Warrior Caste, Daughter of Íngìkhmar and Khwofheîlya. Shee wants to find the Emperor’s lost toys and possibobbly change the entire Winter Empire’s œcenomick system. Shee likes floppy hats. Shee is the middle Sister. Do not call hir Siêthi.

Karuláta “Song of Joy” Khniêma Kàlyakh Wthekhasarauníya Trìwie Fhèsya Jhaûqru Khèkate Khraîtwe Khlís Khlísa Khniêm Khnitsíweyánii Xhàsyi Xhèyol Elísa’ Elìxhya’ Atrùtone Kàrula Akhlísa “Weeping Maiden who weeps for all,” a lass, of the færie folk Xhámi, Warrior Caste, daughter of Khmaryáta among the Clan Tásel and Kàlewa of the Clan Khatelèstan, foster Daughter of honored Sieur Íngìkhmar, the Dream Enchantress, the youngest of the Sweqhàngqu Sistren, and the last child to have e'er been born. Shee wants to save Puîyus and Éfhelìnye from the prophecy of the Princess’ birth. Shee is the very last child of all Creation.

Other Younglettes:

Xataríyona “Black Xátar Rose” Xeîtei Fhífhien among the Khatelèstan, a rather patient cousin to the Sweqhàngqu childers, and Ìkhnos and Pàlron, older rather dumbcluckish cousins of the Khatelèstan Clan and Eirènwa Fhenelopeîya among the Tásel, a rather peiratical cousin to the Sweqhàngqu childers, and Paloîta Fhloêt Jhworàqta Khwakhtailasàkhna and Khrùkhtii Khráfhi of the family Khróm, two young acolytes under the charge of Grandfather Pátifhar and Princess Ixhúja Tsàlkhat Pípa Fhífha Fhúfha Khmàkha Epóna of the House Pfhaqhaîtsir, the Huntress from the Clockwork Worlds of Khnìntha, the Martian Princess.



The Adults:

The Wizard Priest:

Pápo Pátifhar, Grandfather Pátifhar, “Abracadabra Man,” Thiêfhilos Xàswel Pàswel Tseîrqhus Fhófho Khyenejaróxha Khlámus Pwerpóxiru, a man, of the færie folk Xhámi, Sylvan Caste, wizard khlepìxhopa archsylvan, the Ancient One, the Sorcerer of the Forest, foster Father to Empress Khnoqwísi, former tutor and father·by·marriage to Emperor Kàrijoi, former master to honored Sieur Íngìkhmar, Grandfather to Éfhelìnye the Starflower Princess (see above). Adults call him ‘Thiêfhilos,’ but Íngìkhmar and all childers call him ‘Pátifhar.’ Hee wants to save the Princess from the Emperor’s wrath (see below).

The Librarian Tutor:

Jhakúpa Khrunàlto Khreûyeil Tònxhiin, Great·Nuncle Táto “Doughnuts,” a Tájo Dodo Archæopteryx of the kingdom Khrumaîna, a xhraulairíta scholar, tutor to the Starflower Princess. Hee hath a squamous, violet rainbrella. And hee likes doughnuts. Hee eke wants to save the Princess from the Emperor’s wrath (again, below).

The Concubine of the Sun:

Qtìmine “the Qtìmine Flower” Samájhi among the Otòrfhexes of Pwéru, a woman, of the færie folk Xhámi, Sylvan Caste, Sister to Khwofheîlya, Sister·by·marriage to Sieur Íngìkhmar, dear Auntie to Puîyus and his Sistren, an khuníromu Vestal Virgin of the Sun, one of the Emperor’s concubines.

The Holy Rose Gnight:

Arxhiênakh Sieur Íngìkhmar “Melancholy Blue,” a man, of the færie folk Xhámi, Warrior Caste, Son of Jàkopar Khmàntro the mason and Tàltiin Xhelilamaramaláma, Father of Puîyus and Siêthiyal, foster Father of Fhermáta and Akhlísa, Chieftain of the War Clan Sweqhàngqu, former student to Grandfather Pátifhar, a former reaver, a slayer, a sacker of cities, a killer of wihts, the Sunset·ranger, a trainer of xǒnglóng dinosaurs, gnighted as holy rose gnight by the moonwhite hand of the Empress who gifted him his chryselephantelectrum sword, chief assassin·executioner to most puissant Emperor Kàrijoi. The Father of the Sweqhàngqu, hee wants to ensure the survival of his Clan and his Son’s ascendancy to gnighthood. Don’t call him ‘Íngi.’

The Sun Emperor:

Cælestial Emperor Kàrijoi “the Prodigal One” Kèrjhoye Jhàrlton Púqhi Khyìlyikh Fhìtsarakh, Qhixieqúra, the Winter King, Qhixiêthiin, Lord Winter, Xeîthathiin, Ice Lord, Pyerkèkhqukhaun, Lord of the Pyerkèkhqu tree, Santruqúra, Philosopher King, Khlauselarqúra, Warrior King, Eilaswaqíren, Sun Emperor, Ayanaqíren, Æon King, Tistayókhi who shoots off fierycracker fireworks, august Khniikhaqlaûsa who gives toys to childers, Sómpanaswaqíren, the Dragon Emperor, a man, of the færie folk Xhámi, Royal Caste, Ruler of o'er a starbillion starbillion story worlds of the Dreamtime and an überquadrillion überquadrillion souls, whose reign hath lasted almost one hundred sunmillion years, the Master of Earth and Sea and Sky, the Lord of Prosperity and Health and Life. His only Child is Éfhelìnye. E'er since the death of the Empress hee hath cast his Holy City into qhixiêje, eternal winter, ritual mourning, and nowho but a few slaves have seen him in the last eleven years. Hee hath only seen his Daughter a couple of times. By the Emperor’s leave no new marriages have been celebrated in the last ten years. By the Emperor’s peace no new childers have been born in the last ten years.

And Don’t Forget:

The Moon Empress:

Khnoqwísi “Flutter Light” Euláriya Tsetseîlwa Xhefhiênil Teîl Khmàkhura Xhráqa Khlála Fhufhìnye Fhlóra Khnukeîya Khraîyeil Pìpra Khaliláma Kàlafhen, Qwasiêla, the Moon Empress, of happy and whimsicoracal memory, blessed and creativë be hir name, the Virgin Empress whom no man may name. Shee passed away at the end of Ánger, the Golden Age, at the end of Aláxe, the Great Peace, in the concluding battlen of Tsanyuxòpwe, the Great War, forthwith after shee gave birth to the Starflower Princess. Within days the Emperor disappeared and hath not been seen yet. ‘Tis forbidden to mention the Empress, of happy and whimsicoracal memory, blessed and creativë be hir name.


The Dinosaur:

Stitlhàrkhlo “Boucephalos, Cow Head” a fell xéqrori velociraptor yfeathered quetzal dinosaur, lrináxhe destrier, for Sieur Íngìkhmar. Stitlhàrkhlo likes to eat people.

The Toys:

Tét Xhmaîlaot “Tét the Acceptibobble,” ør “the Acceptibobble Tét” a plush khlèqoi toy pluŝurso icrafted by the hand of the Emperor lóng ago in the days whhen hee made toys for all the good childers of the story worlds. Tét was originally ygiven unto Íngìkhmar in his ladhood, but now hee is the common property of all the Sweqhàngqu Childru, Fhermáta, Puîyus, Siêthiyal, and Akhlísa, although now hee mostly spendeth his tyme with Akhlísa. Hee looks a little like a squid bear, ør a coyotl, ør mayhap a wee dinosaŭrling, ør e’en a platypous.

Tetratríxe Khniqhátui and Qwatríxe Khniqhátui the demented wind up toys who just want to sing and dance for the Starflower Princess (see above) and skin alive anywhom who may take hir attention away from them.

Guest Stars:

Two Rather In-mal-competant Candy Pirates:

Qlèfhus Tsàpel Fhèrke Fhèrkifher of the Family Sonátus, a man, of the færie folk Xhámi, Merchant Caste, an illustrious sky pirate, one tyme initiate into the Sylvan Caste, a former student of Grandfather Pátifhar. And: Xherìngport Khwèntel Ál Xheîmas Qlóxha Qèlreqakh Xhèri Xhnófhe Xhnófho, gamma, of the Qhóng folk, Qhíng Warrior Caste, an illustrious sky pirate, an exile from his people, a Warrior of the Qhóng. Aside from piracy they are eke employed as conartists, flimflam men, huckstren, hustlren, snake oil salesmen, as well as being minions, cronies, lackeys, goons, and henchmen of Oîkhan the Candy Mafiosa. Ek they have managed to offend some ninja spies, some Kháfha magistrates, and somehow taken the wildered Syìplet gold. They work for a mysterious Patron from dreamlands beyond. They’re trying to repay the Candy Mafia er that they’re caught and executed by the Emperor’s decree. They eke have a really, really cheap chariot to sell. What? These are stolen goods? I promise you, ‘tis not how it looks. Wee’ve got to go.

The Ridiculous Runagate Traîkhiim Slaves:

Fhólus Fholúxha of the Clan Xayúkhta Khoyúkhta who was sent by the Tushed Eldren to find a new Empress, and Aîya Àsya, a Child of the Dead.

And the Even More Ridiculous Authority Figures:

The Twin Tùrkhaka Duchesses among the Aûm, Pereluyàsqa and Khnosyaràsqa, formed of Clockwork and Flowers. Qìtien the Acolyte and the Pirate Captain Euqliîna Jórkh who is always hyper and likes to juggle rooster raptors.

The Trickster:

Raven, an Immortal, the Trickster, Jhàsqewa Uréfha, Xhiyèngathiin, the Mythlord, Xèmoir Uîtlhu Uîxu, the Darksome One, Xeqàmathiin, the Darksome Lord, Xám, the Darkleness, Tròmlekhi, the Nightmare, Tùqnu, the Phœnix, Xhnìxhmut, the Obscure One,Tyùkhura, Sleep, Qtúng, Dream, Fhteî, Dreamer, Khlùxasun, Sleeper, Xhnàfhti, the Stormlord, Khnáma, Òrawin, Kúng, Òsqen, Òqhun, Alqòrapa, Koránikos, Íkol, Khanúqhator, Kòxikhos, Qhòlanukh, Kòrwus, Ùqha, Kòraxa, Qweqwaxáwe, Khexemàsqe, Tqànxhem, Khwèqyet, Khnangqilèsyas, Khyèkhla, Fhlórus, Sùngpu, Khlér, Khléri, Raven, Lord Raven, Heart Raven, My Lord Raven, myne heart Raven. Raven’s thoughts are dreams. Hee hath a special interest in the Starflower Princess. Hee eke likes to chase heavenly nymphs, well·zoned sylphs, and various loverly sprites.

And of course:

Jeûr the Qlùfhim Aûm, and the Tánin Automata ,and many Lords and Ladies, and Officren, and Māccuahuitl weilding soldiren, and Æronauts, and Messengren, and Attendants, and Sylvan Priests, and Real People of many different sort, the Emlalàqta, and the Pèrithe, and the Xeriîqe, and the Xhàkhmat, and the Qhíng, and the Kháfha, and the Khlitsaîyart, and the Khmàfhlort, and the Qája, and the Qriî, and the Traîkhiim, and the Ptètqiikh, and the Qlùfhem Aûm, and the Fhlóla, and the Kajúju, and the Xhùqhenoin, and the Xhnatàsti, and the Tlhiqimíkhe, and the Xelòrkhta, and the Jòrfha, and the Fhétha, and the Wthòrthna, and the Khnèrthem, and the Àrkelor Über·Qhíng, and the Fhliî, and the Khòjhwa, and the Sòjhwa, and Pokhexháqa, and the Jongèrya, and the Xhrùmpum, and the Squîsar, and the Sufhàltii, and the Xaxhestàriqhe, and the Qrìkhasat, and the Xhmàsqor, and the Kurkuîlo, and the Fhlùltekh, and the Xhmaûmumum, and the Khnenyènwa, and the Lwàlyas, and the Thùlwu Aûm, and the Jhèngqekh, and the Xhlaûxher, and the Tájo, and the Xhyaîqtekh, and the Syìplet, and many othren, the Seven Castes, as well as various merchants, various princesses needing to be rescued, khmeîlwi chorus girls, sepáto eunuchs, Jhwèsta the Imperial Mad Scientist, and Jhkhaîxhor the Warlord, the Khan from beyond the Quarentine, the Blessed and Creativë Immortals, both Lords of Song and Lords of Noise, the endless Spirits, Wraiths and Ancestors, Raven’s starbillion crystalline Dreams, as well as Kúngapakh the Coryphæus leader of the xhwó hula quire of ravens among othren.

Language:

Khlìjha, Babel, the primal language of the Immortals
The Divine Dialect, Khniîxhwa, of the Prophet.

Scene:

The Glossopoeia, the starbillion starbillion universes of story, of all mythe, ritual, and dream, that encompass all tyme and energy and memory and space ocean, whose mortal dreamlands are ruled by Emperor Kàrijoi. Puîyus and his Clan come from Jaràqtu, a land of gardens, and journey unto Khniîqhekh in the Heart of Winter, to the continent of Khatlhàntikh even unto the festal City Eilasaîyanor and Twiêkes, the Ice Palace.


Tyme:

The Seven Hours of the Day
Upon the First Day of Autumn
The joint Starday for Puîyus and Fhermáta
The Day the Princess escapeth from the Hidden Gardens

All the events in the First Chapter take place
In a single hour
The first hour of dayspring
On the First Day of Autumn
In the day the War of Heaven began
In the Darkness before the Dawn

One a different page, in Puîyus’ fair handwriting:

Khnosòrxhnuxing Jarqtàyejikh Xhrónemat kae
Battle Cry of the Pious Jaràqtun Warrior

Óng xhmir Swaqírenat!
Lruîkh xhmir Ptòtei!
Jhá xhmir Sàfhwe!
Honor to the Emperor!
Filial piety to our Ancestors!
Death to the Barbarians!


Khnosòrxhnuxing Lrafhaîtejikh Xóswajelínge Sweqhàngqu kae
Battle Cry of the Bellipotent Clan Sweqhàngqu

Qhàtiya fhaên xhroe qhùnarn sir fhlá –
Qhìkhrei qhìkhrei qhí pi
Xhnoike wtsí wtsíyaîpoit
Fhieltiqiyàswaor púxing! –

The First Turkey said
– I’m very, very green.
But I’ll be color’d

For Hallowe’en! –

Two More Conlang Christmas Cards

The next card that I have received on both of our behalves is resplendent in cuneiform runes. At first I was a little puzzled by it, for I am not at all sure about the sounds of this language. I think that in trying to hear the sounds and dreams of the Void that all that one can do is guess. For instance, this card only seems to use two different vowels, and it seems that this speech may even be capable of pronouncing a laryngeal click. In Babel we do have the sound Qh which is oft pronounced as a purr, a laryngeal, pharyngeal, or epiglottal trill, but Qh is quite distinct to X, our click. Moreover I do think that as with other cards that I have found that we do not quite receive the musical pitch value for the vowels.
So, this is the best that I can manage as the transcription.

Méé tòò mé[1]
Téé mòò
Kh’ò moon kh’é
Teen èè pe
Yè méé tòòpoo
Tó mé

And this I interpret as:

Ás qrunáqeyusqrunasqronàmpel!
Koaqing qàmaqa Thyúng
Pajeqyèkhren qárngènukhul
pus poel quwejúwertlhèrtlha qthewoithniyòlkha
Qwùngta’ ei xhmújo
Tlhiijhwekhmátu xhroe yapti
Tlhùntu jàruyu pfhu túxhmi’ ó.
Be there a great and long and good solstice!
In the Sun’s today
We many persons
Who are of the household of the qthewoîthni oaks
Think that it’s good that
One wishes a warm solstice,
A feast, a tea party unto you!

And in the above I use the words jàruyu which means parties, mead tea parties, celebraciouns, kō̃mos, comißatio and qàmaqa today, Þis day, anduiriu and the impersonal participle qárng that is persons, wihts; some/any one, somewho, anywho and qrùqe, qrunáqe we already know as a word for solstice, and qthewoîthni, a tree like Þe oak tree, perkwu, twok, orschibuz, astryra and quwejúwèrtlha, quwejúwertlhèrtlha* one’s households, family membren, kin, kith; tho who are related to a clan, household and qwùngta those who are goodly, vando, jalungurru, manaith, aλin and qyèkhren, qyèkhrema those who think someone or something, meno, tandak, mera, alfi and Thyúng, another name for Eîl the Sun and Tlhiijhwekhmátu you already know as Dancing Days and tlhún, tlhùntu feasts, meßianick feasts, banquets, ‘uQ’a’ and xhmújo those who wish, want someone or something, mau, n’ok

The next item that I received was a fish. I thought at first that this was another prank from Fhólus and Aîya whose sense of humor I have yet to understand, but then I realized that it was in fact a vase in the shape of a piscine, and enscribed upon it, as far as I could read, is the following:

Pa-‘ imem’ yem’am[2]
M’ekum wa-‘ imlam n’ets’ q’yet
Xh’up’xh’em’élat

This I believe to mean:

Fhórèsya fhroetòjhwa xhnoe
Fhújo xhnoe’ àmpeku toaqe xhmeîxoa
Xhrèpu’ unalikhelìsti khnerújòyaloi’
Alúlefhèlatser pejor fhín úyaning.
One sets out to wish kisses of peace and
Health and an household of many children
During the harvest, the thanksgiving, the gratitude
In the context of wishes and fishes.

And the above makes use of the words alúlefhel wishes, dreams, velleity and àmpeku wealth, largeneß, moveababel property, household of many childers, baŝītum and fhín a rather generick word for flying fish, ghotifishes, generick term, dǵhuH, dag, paprax, tilon, ien, lagprat, skēv, ēagracān, d̀abu, guya, iqaluk and fhórèsya those who wish, will someone or something, n’ok and fhroêt peace, kiß of peace, ubogta, láirakh, ahaman, bungbung, gåp, mač’a, ŋ̃und̀al and fhújo health, power, collumac and khnerújo gratitude, thanks and the composite adposition qir xhmeîxoa X xhroe for the sake of, on behalf of X and unalikhelìsti Thanksgiving, harvest, Meßidor, spaviz, koseča and xhrèpu harvests, Meßidor, spaviz, koseča.

I take the above poem to be a betrothal present, especially since it invokes the idea of àmpeku which can mean property in the sense of having many children. Perhaps the piscator nation of Jheutèrpei has thanksgiving customs of giving ichythian vases unto newly betrothed couples.
[1] From a Christmas Card from Jorge Cristino
[2] From a Christmas Card from Mia Soderquist

Euxujóqeîxing xhrir soên qlalaTusùrthir Puîyos kae yontet Éfhelìnye

Euxujóqeîxing
xhrir soên qlalaTusùrthir
Puîyos kae yontet Éfhelìnye
Writ of Introduction
From the Sisteren of the Royal and Divine Twyndyllyngs
Puîyos and Éfhelìnye

Oh our dear and beloved children,

Greetings.

This even, this twilight the Emperor and Empress passed away into the protection of the Ancestors. We who are part of their family knew that their time was drawing nigh and were with them at the end. Empress Éfhelìnye was reading aloud of her book even this morn, and Emperor Puîyos was playing the harp an hour before his passing. All of the children, grandchildren, great·grandchildren, and the little great·great·grandprince were present, as well as we their Sisters and our families. Our dear Brother and Sister kiss’d us each before they lay down to sleep in the light of the Ancestors. Already the rituals are begun for the new xhreyána, the apotheosis and coronation of the new Emperor and Empress, and the next generation prepares for the world that Puîyos and Éfhelìnye created together, they who lived a long life, full of years and love.
Even though Puîyos and Éfhelìnye always retained the full authority of the Crystalline Throne and the Starburst Crown, in fact, and those in the goverance knew this, they granted the power of ruling to their Sisters and kith and then later the children and grandchildren who were born in the millennia to come. However our dear Brother and Sister remained important symbols even though they did not always sit upon the throne, for they were the ones who defeated the old regime, who restored both life and language, who ended Winter eternal, and created the new Suns and Moons of Glossopoeia, the Land of Story. And so, even though they may no longer be with us within these life·giving dreamlands, we know that the safety of future generations will remain secure because of them, and that those to come will not endure such a War as came unto us born of the Oânthekhon at the end of the age.

So now that rites are begun for the interring of Puîyos and Éfhelìnye, we, Fhermáta and Siêthiyal and Karuláta, who are Sisteren unto Puîyos, and I, Ixhúja, Sister unto Éfhelìnye, are happy to present unto the public the famous Book. This is the story that Empress Éfhelìnye began writing even as a young girl, the story which she wrote in several different versions, whereon she inkled and painted anew, the story that she took apart several times and wove again into different dreams, the story which in her life she only shared with her family, but which, when she was younger, she always intended to let the rest of the Real People of the Land read one day. The composition of the Story is quite convoluted indeed, and in this last year our Sister gave us permission to do whatever we wished with the story, to change or edit it in any way that suited us. We have decided not to change it in the least but rather to let the versions and words remain as surely she must have dreamed of it. There are some sections where we have had to amend the order, and we have debated about the inclusion of digressions and monologues, and have had to make many minor changes for consistency, for our Sister experimented as much with language as she did with breathing the plot into life, but we are certain that she would approve of these alterations.
As all children know, Empress Éfhelìnye is famous for two main accomplishments. The first is the myth of her life story, how she was born in the old Dreamtime of the old Sun Emperor and Moon Empress, and how she and Puîyos met each other and found themselves in a vast and brewing War which was inevitable from the very alchemy that had created the Land, and yet the two of them managed to survive and create a new world in peace. However, she is equally famed for the creation of the Babel Language, or Khlìjha as she oft called it in her notes. She wrote a vast Encyclopædia available in this age in every temple, abbey, and intimate bookstore, a series known as Empress Éfhelìnye’s Compleate Babel Grammar and Lexicon. Several different versions of this work are now available, from the comprehensive multivolume set which she originally wrote, to shorten’d condensed versions, and later on the holy Sylvanhood began producing volumes of her Lexicon just by itself. The Compleate Grammar and Lexicon she revised many times in her life as continued she to refine her ideas on language and unify it as it had never been before. The Lexicon itself she was able greatly to expand throughout her reign as she collected words from all of the species, castes, and timelines of the Empire. It may be difficult for the younger generations to imagine, but there was a tide before language was understood. When we were children there were many grammar books and dictionaries, but they were often contradictory unto each other, and no one had even conceived the idea of somehow making sense out of all of the words. We know, for we were there at the beginning, that Éfhelìnye was creating language even as a young child, she used to spend her days fashioning new writing systems and improving on declensions and trying to understand valence; of course the rest of us were not at all interested in that, but looking back on it we realize that we miss her little lectures on the pronunciation of one word and the history of another. Younger generations also may take it for granted that the Empress created language for them; such an idea should seem as natural to them as it ended up being surprising for us. How difficult it is for us to tell our children just how her grammar changed all the worlds. It brought order unto the endless kindreds of the Real People, it gave voice to every tree and hill and petal and branch, it gave us all the same song, it gave us all the same exaulted myth. And so it is that in the tides to come, children will know the names of beasts because Puîyos thus hight them, and children will know how participles, personal pronouns, relative pronouns, and affixes dance the ballet of syntax. But of course, how and why Éfhelìnye ended up creating language is revealed in the story that she wrote, for Éfhelìnye’s language and story are one..

So famous as Éfhelìnye’s Grammar and Lexicon are become, so private ek was the Story that she was writing. As she grew older she began to consider her story to be a bit too personal for those outside of her family, and especially she thought so when the Wise began to teach of her grammar texts and use examples of her own life to explain the correct use of Langauge. Primarly the Book that she was writing was the Love Story that explained how she and Puîyos met each other in the last day of Winter. This Book she wrote primarly in little volumes that Puîyos used to bind himself for her; he used to spend hours cutting the pages and measuring the leather and sewing it together, and whatever Éfhelìnye wrote he would read several times and paint comments around the words or upon the sides. This story, whereon she was working all of her life even until a few hours ago, was a grand adventure filled with all manner of family lore and history, mythology and monsters, candy pirates, ninja spies, laughing scaramouches, deranged clockwork automata, aliens of all and every sort, imperial mad scientists, crashing chariots, clockwork trains and trolleys, chases through street and rainbow cannal and upon rooftop, the most terrible War that has e'er been fought, blue unicorns and cloud·gathering Dragons, and chivalry and hugs and affection, and the kiss of true love. We, her Sisters, find ourselves in the story quite a bit, although if any of us had written it we would have focused upon other areas, our own adventures and quests, but we leave the story as it is, as she experienced it and remembered it. Indeed, it was not just her story, though. The only one we know for certain to have read all of the pages in all of their versions was Puîyos himself, and we have found his changes and annotations throughout her books. Many of these changes she herself recopied in a fair hand in later versions, othertimes she just wrote a note to herself to include what he had written, and so as we present the book to you we do include a fair amount of what he experienced. He helped a great deal with the battle scenes and also scenes that involved plantimals, for he so loved them all the days of his life. In addition, I, Fhermáta, did help Éfhelìnye in writing many of the scenes involving the Sweqhàngqu and other members of her husband’s family. I, Siêthiyal, helped her with some of the peiratical scenes. I, Akhlísa, probably read almost as much as Puîyos did, and I did end up repainting large portions of her book, not to mention it was I who copied out her entire Grammar Encyclopædia, even though I don’t get much credit for it. And I, Ixhúja, helped my Sister write about the Clockwork Heresy as well as some of the places where she did not visit. And of course Éfhelìnye’s children and nieces and nephews and grandchildren read many portions of the book, and had much of it read aloud to them as bedtime stories, and the questions that they asked ended up creating scenes and adding characters that the Empress did not originally think had to be included.

As our Sister composed her Book it began to take upon itself a structure of its own. The entire Book essentially takes place in a single Day which is divided into the Seven Hours of the Day. However the story meanders unto legends, dreams of what were, and tales, so that time itself became Éfhelìnye’s plaything, and the Hours of the Day take upon themselves a bit more of a fluidic meaning. In the first Hour of the Day we are introduced to Princess Éfhelìnye and learn about her and about Puîyus’ family, and we gain a glimpse of the Empire as it was in the old times when Winter all things ensorcelled. In the second Hour the War begins upon the horizon frontier. By the middle of the day the War is come unto Jaràqtu, that was Puîyus’ and our homeland. By the end of the Day Puîyus has been made Crown Prince Puîyos, and he and Éfhelìnye end the War and save the Land. Some of the scholars in our family have begun to view The Compleate Grammar and Lexicon as the eighth Hour of the Day, for the language itself is a coda of peace and creativity and gives form to the world. In her writings, tended she to use language in a far more complex and playful way than we can; our writ of prologue is crafted in a simple manner, but she was unafraid to shift language all the while.

We who are Sisters to the Empress paint this writ of introduction not just to inform the generations to come and tell them a little about what our Sister was like, but also because we believe that this Book will end up being invaluable to the historians of the future who will wonder about the myths that have formed about the Child Emperor and Child Empress. We wish for those to come to know that Puîyos, or Puey as we his Siblings called him, was a very kind and gentle wiht, and that no one was more loyal and loving than Éfhelìnye, and even after they became the Emperor and Empress they did not change save perhaps to become more kind and more loving not just to their family but unto all in need. In sooth, not only did Éfhelìnye never write an introduction to her Book in all of the versions that she wrote, but she seemed to have been blithely ignorant as to its importance for future generations. For instance, we have found written on the back of one cover this little noteling:

On the occasion of mine hundredth Starday, oh my Dearest Puey I have painted out for you a new version of the story, our Story together. I find it quite fitting that now that we are permitted to live in our own household and no longer with my parents, that we should have a new copy of our life, our story, &c. Many aspects of the story I hope you will help me rewrite. Details about your family. Dreamlands we visited together. Certain mythopoeias. Some parts I find very funny but others sad, too sad. Must work together. In years to come when we have children of our own hope to share the story with them. Silly nonsense story, I know, but ‘tis surely entertaining.

In another book we find this, painted out in a fair hand:

All my kisses and love unto thee, on the tide of the one thousandth anniversary of our marriage and coronation, oh my Sweetest Puey. I have written a new version of the book for you and incorporated your changes, added many new scenes, tried to find better places for the background material. Karuláta Akhlísa has provided me with histories of our entire family and helped me to paint some of the pages.
In rereading this I find that the biggest change in this version is in the portrayal of the adults. Now that thou and I are parents, I find myself having a different perspective on some of the hijinx of our youth, and I gain’d admiration for the patience that Auntie Qtìmine and Great·Uncle Táto and Grandfather Pátifhar had in dealing with us. I was very sad last year when my Parents became part of the Heavens. Even though thou and I were already adults and had children of our own, when my Parents announced that they would be dwelling with the Stars, the part of me that remembers the Forbidden Gardens felt as if I were being abandoned once again. But now I understand some of the difficulties that they faced in the old times and cannot fault them for what they did or failed to do.
Puey, I still can’t think of a name for the story. But I suppose it matters not, since the only ones who would be interested are those in our own family, who just call it My Book or My Story or something like that.
Love,

Éfha

We, the Sisters of the Empress, have written a brief summarizing of the first canto of the first chapter of the book. We have had to interpret some scenes, and the readers should be aware that the following is strictly our opinion and not perhaps what Éfhelìnye intended. The plot of this portion, in so far as one can reduce her dreams unto a plot, we believe to be as follows:

Ól Oaqiyòjhwan Xhwóxing Jhasqewàyuqei
There Entereth the Quire of Ravens:

In the Dreamtime, in Glossopoeia, the Land of Story, where language is alive, the Caelestial Emperor Kàrijoi and Empress Khnoqwísi have ruled in peace the endless quadrillion, quadrillion souls of the Winter Empire for almost one hundred million years. The Sun Emperor and the Moon Empress were the source of all life and energy and brought fertility to the land. It was the Golden Age, a time of peace and plenty. The only blemish upon this paradise was that the Emperor and Empress were childless and the Dreamtime without an heir.
Upon the first day of spring, at the end of the Golden Age, their only child was born to them, a Princess they named Éfhelìnye. When the sylvan priests drew up the birth auguries for her they learned that she was destined to destroy her Father the Emperor and all the Winter Empire of the Dreamtime. Try as they may, the will of the Immortals was implacable. The deathless Ása bade the Emperor to slay his newly born child. He considered. The Emperor, rather than obey the Immortals, slew all the priests who knew of the prophecy save for his Father by marriage, Grandfather Pátifhar, and knew that his doom was nigh.
Shortly thereafter the Great War began and changed all the Winter Empire. Endless years of peace came to an end, and a generation was lost upon the crimson sands and ice of Tsànyun. The Emperor’s chief Holy Rose Knight and Assassin·Executioner Sieur Íngìkhmar fought valiantly for his liege. But it was not enough. The war was a font of endless sorrows. The Empress mysteriously passed away. The Winter Empire survived, but just barely. Nothing was the same. When the Empress died, the Emperor cursed the land, and no new children could be born, nor could any new marriages be celebrated. For the Empress was no more. At the end of the Great War the Emperor had all the folk of Tsànyun slaughtered, except for three princes he saved for a special purpose. Then he returned to his Holy City and slaughtered most of the servants in his Ice Palace, maid and eunuch and guard alike. The last action the Emperor did before he disappeared was to bade Sieur Íngìkhmar, his faithful servant, to return to the Holy City upon a matter of honor upon his Son’s eleventh starday. Then the Emperor cast all of his Holy City into winter, into ritual mourning for the Empress, and none have seen him since. His daughter, the Princess Éfhelìnye he took and imprisoned her within the Forbidden Gardens, deep within the Ice Palace, upon ensorcelled island planets surrounded by seas of dragons and dragon flames and hidden somewhere within the Emperor’s imagination.

The book begins upon the first hour upon the first day of autumn upon that day when Sieur Íngìkhmar returns to the Emperor’s Holy City when his Son Puîyus is to celebrated his eleventh starday. All the events in this chapter take place in a single hour, the one that the Real People of the Dreamtime call the Darkness before the Dawn.
The Starflower Princess Éfhelìnye has only seen her Father the Emperor twice in her life. She dwells in the Hidden Gardens with her Great Uncle Táto, a large dodo bird, the Imperial Tutor. Her Grandfather Pátifhar visits her from time to time when he is not busy training Puîyus, Íngìkhmar’s Son. Great Uncle Táto and Grandfather Pátifhar have been commanded never to permit anyone to enter the gardens, nor to expose her to music. Natheless, of her own accord, musicless she has taught herself to dance and is a ballerina, an artist, and a creater or words. But all of her life the Princess has been having strange dreams about a boy her own age, a lad who lives in a distant land from beyond the northwind. She dreams of Puîyus of course, called Puey by his friends and family. She awakens from disturbing dreams of her Father and sneaks out of the cabin. Her Tutor finds her and tells her that her Grandfather will soon be returning for important visitors are come to the Palace, but her Grandfather will have to be leaving her to accompany them. She grows afraid thinking she will never see her Grandfather again, and she runs away into unexplored regions of the gardens.
Meanwhile in her dreams Éfhelìnye sees that Puîyus has been having strange dreams of his own. When he was very young dragons had come slithering, sneaking out from the Emperor’s thoughts and memories and come flying upon the garthlands of Jaràqtu. The dragons chased Puîyus onto holy land, even accursed dreamlands, unto tombs that living men may not touch. Puîyus was trapped. He took a sword, almost by accident, and slew the dragon. As the dragon died it revealed that the Emperor was intending something with Puîyus. The people of Jaràqtu marvelled that this young child was already a dragon slayer, a Son of Raven. So Éfhelìnye was dreaming. But upon this very day, some years later, in the dreams within dreams, it was a very sad day indeed. The matriarch of Puîyus’ family has passed away and all were in mourning. It is especially sad since all the families of the Land are declining, now that no more children can be born. Puîyus takes the loss to heart. He has never spoken before in his life and so cannot speak his grief in the Language of Immortals and Spirits and Men, but all of the plantimals can understand him. All the denizens of the forest, field, and hill arise and sympathize with him, fish, kine, bird, dinosaur. For although he does not talk, he has the strength of beasts and communes with them in their own wordless dream language. The clan is busy for it must prepare funereal games and the rites of internment itself before they can return to the Emperor’s Holy City Eilasaîyanor as the Emperor bade them eleven years ago. Puîyus’ three Sisters have plans of their own on what they’ll do in the City. Fhermáta the oldest wants to find new pie ingredients. She loves to cook. Siêthiyal, the middle sister has heard rumors that during the Great Peace the Emperor used to make toys for all the good children of the worlds, and she wants to find the Emperor’s lost toys. Akhlísa, the youngest sister, wants the Emperor to permit more children to be born. As the youngest child she’s always on the bottom of the hierarchy and bossed around by everyone else. She dreams of being able to boss someone else around in turn. Puîyus usually dreams of being a candy pirate. In the funeral games for his grandmother Puîyus takes little part and lets his older cousins win the glory. After the games comes the funeral and the Elders lament the end of the days of peace. So appear the dreams and memories of Puîyus, the Knight’s Son.
All this Princess Éfhelìnye sees and creates in pictures, upon loose leaves of paper, and upon the flowing strand while she runs away from her guardians. She notices something strange. Weird beings are appearing and flowing upon the edge of the gardens. All the while she thinks she created Puîyus and his family, or perchance they are images created by her Father, formed from his imagination.
Puîyus’ family, the Sweqhàngqu, make ready to leave for the Holy City. The starday is nigh. The sylvan priests are drawing up their auguries and learn that tomorrow is the day the Emperor has appointed. They make ready their blood sacrifice. During the rite the Sweqhàngqu children are bickering all the while and trying to get packt. They have to put on formal and stiff clothing. Everyone gathers upon the fields. The hoop dancers are come. The children have to kneel in the back while the priests bring sacrificial plantimals. Puîyus distracts himself with ducklings and dinosaurlings. The will of the Immortals is appeased when the victims are slain. The pathway is forming untowards the Holy City. Sieur Íngìkhmar gathers his children together into a covered wagon drawn by a triceratops. and they ride off unto the edge of their realm where rings of fire arise, a spell formed by bloodshed, a spell that becomes a ship of crystals and flame. It takes the Sweqhàngqu family and translates them through thought and memory unto the Holy City Eilasaîyanor.
Thus is the story of the first Canto of the first Chapter.

We, the Sisteren of the Divine Twyndyllyngs must take our leave of pen and parchment and attend unto the funereal rituals for Puîyos and Éfhelìnye. In the meantime we present this Book unto all of the clans, castes, nations, and timelines of the Real People in memory of the two that we love so much. May it be that ye experience some of the love that they felt in life. May it be that ye consider and grow lost in the dreams of this book. For the Story and the Language that Éfhelìnye created were naught but an expression of the love that she felt for our Brother and all of our family, and long after the story becomes myth and the language becomes song, may the love endure until the end of the age.

Puîyos’ dear Sisters
Fhermáta
Siêthiyal
Karuláta Khniêma Akhlísa

Éfhelìnye’s dear Sister
Princess Ixhúja

Post Scriptvm:

Although in her own lifetime Éfhelìnye never found a title for her book, we who knew her even in girlhood have all decided that only one title would be appropriate for her story. And so we are glad to present unto all peoples the Book that we call:

Puîye xhnoe Stélaring
Puey and the Princess

Conlang Holiday Card Exchange

My Sweetest Puey

I must admit that I am in a rather sad mood at the moment. The imperial Eunuch slaves have given me parchment and quill and told me that I should write about whatever topic I like to send to you as a letter now that you have been taken away from me. My only consolation is that soon I shall be returning unto green and fair Jaràqtu and your Sister and Mother. I am almost too sad to write about anything at all. Oh go ahead, write about whatever you find interesting, divine one, et cet, they tell me. Or write about whatever you find dull. Why would I do that?
I could write about fractal symmetry or potacos or the way that blue berries grow. I could write about about various alphasyllabick forms of writing and Honorababel ond Pious Rainbow Mercury and the ways that ovens can explode. I could write about the various theological theories of the Kháfha monks, I suppose. Oh dear. Perhaps I could write a commentary on some of the books I have been consulting in my quest to write the Compleat Babel Grammar. Perchance I could write a brief tome about the arts of warfare. I could write about my adventures with trébuchet and ergavores that glisten in the plasma seas. I could write about my theories of gravitation and causality and how they relate to climes. I’ve been interesting in some monoliths that seem to bespeak of mythologies of the Theîkon long since forgotten. I could write about wagon wains and the different types of ice and snow within the Empire. I could describe the statues of Qlòrmel the Great, once of Khnìntha but now of all the Empire. I could write about the way that pressure is kept up in pipes and pumps. And the petals of rosaries. And the way that up compasses work as ontological realities.

I am so sad.

I received a message from the Eunuchs. It seems that some butterfly spirits of Our Lord Raven have delivered some cards unto the Rulers of the Land of Story, that is they have brought them unto the hands of the imperial Eunuchs who in turn gave the cards unto the Holy Regents my parents who have most graciously granted permission for such cards to be read by the Crown Prince and Princess. They have sent the cards to me, my love, but since you have had to leave for to fight upon the forefront, I’ll have to keep them for you. I do remain a bit sad, but the cards are gladdening mine heart, even if just a little. The material writ upon the cards do not quite correspond unto anything that I have encountered before, in fact they my be of the same stratum of understanding as the utterances of the Void. I shall try mine own hand at translating and interpreting these cards into Language itself, even Khlìjha, my Hearth Language.

First I receive:

Wou kh’inteuyau num’ meulin’ xh’um-mejh’ wexh’eunikhte jh’un’-n’exh’ xeuxh’ir.[1]

And this I intrepet as:

Eiqhorkhnereriyáxeus xhmoe Tlhiijhwekhmátqi prùthe pfhu yontet
Khnereriyáxeus xhmoe japàrnot xhùnta xhroe teiran!
By the way mayest thou, the dear one, set out to enjoy both Dancing Days that tripudiate merrily and the near years of whimsy!

This is a good example of repeating the predicate in order to have more than one complex object, plus one can note how the absolutive case can remain unmarked and yet unambiguous. I’ve always been fond of the Dancing Days of Tlhijhwekhmátu myself. Now the words used in this card are japàrnot which means the new year and khnèri, khnèreri those who like, enjoy, derive pleasure from someone or something and prùthe, pruîthe those who are merry, khoropaíktēs, dance merilly, tripudiate, cut capren ond make somersets, yofik, damhsamān and Tlhiijhwekhmátqi which meaneth Tlhiijhwekhmátu now, Dancing Days, Lovedays, from now, in the present or future and xhùnta happiness, whimsy, leläb.

The next card that I received, as far as I can interpret it, read as follows:

Il thó xharúsa xhís tú xhákhn’e’ ilya rien rikhé jh’í.[2]

And this I would interpret as the following:

Khyefhujóxo khrúju qir oâqe tsenajapàrnot xhroe yengut xá tóxing
Aqhus fhèqin khweiyáxeusenguteîlwai ker xhwàpot ker jó
Fhwerelimèthya xhnir fhaê khleikhafhújoyáxeuseîlwai!
Oh dear one, be an extremely healthy person during this new year,
And may this circle, a life cycle, a year begin,
And likewise may your health be as virescent as life!

And this wee poemling I think has the following words unto it, Fhaê life, existence, nedeil and fhèqin beginning, start, stert; tho who begin, start someone or something, isil’zha, qaλari and fhújo health, power, collumac and fhwèrel, fhwèrelim those who are green, virescent, viridescent, æruginous, ultramarine, verdant, verdigrisy, verdurous, virid, first turkey green, virescent, viridescent, first turkey green, mts’vane, xanh lá cây, modheros, SuDqu’, wa, breiche, q’umir, suŋaaq and jó years, masthar, bellit, azil, yarn and khweî round things, circlen, cyclen, spheres, kring; globose, globular, spheroidal objects, zilek, glöpnik and khyefhujóxo extremewise healthy people and qir oâqe X xhroe is a composite adposition which means during X; accusitivë for Þe extent of tyme whilst xhwàpo, xhwàpot means cyclen, periods, life cyclen.

The other card which my parents have permitted us twain to read was rather short. I only found a single line in it which I shall endeavor to copy down as best I can:

Enèn’nor nern’im’erípya.[3]

However, I believe that it is an entire poem which I would illucidate as followeth:

Qir khnèlye teiqhajhikhluyatseràjhwen xhmoe’ Eîl
Qrunáqeyapònya qhiqhixietùlkha
Pejor jhìkhlumat jáyùlkha Kharpolònyii
Koaqing qeqèrsum
Pfhiqhítru pfhe xhlanìyaloi khli
Qir xhlapaxaneûneu Kathayònyii
Xhméráxeusùnyie khlànga teirufhar xhàrku
Xhnoike fhlifhlorsáxeusùnyie fhlí teir teirantar fhrèmi!
In the daft-days in the Sun’s approach,
Which may be the solstice of the winter of language,
Whilst the Sun approaches the dreamlands on purpose
In his sojourn
Just as the Sun stays longer than appropriate for a rather long time
In the pandimensional space ocean
Thus may the earth long remain under dear thee, and
Thus may friends long remain near dear thee.

And this poem makes use of a great many interesting words such as fhlí those who are lóng (distance, height, duracioun), om, nI’, tIq and fhlìfhors those who stay, remain, dobah, mana, tand·unk and fhrèmi friends, companions in arms, lagun, mala, padang, yo, srīntul, kanzil, kunpa and jhìkhlu, jhìkhlumat those who approach someone or something and both Kàtha and Khàrpol are different names for Eîl the Sun, and khlànga is another word meaning those who are lóng (distance, height, duracioun), om, nI’, tIq and khnèlye means days of mirth ond amusement at Tlhiijhwekhmátu, daft·days, dancing days, lovedays and pfhiqhítru is a participle meaning those who stay longer than appropriate, and you may recognize the –qhí- infix in it, that little nonproductive particle, if you remove it you get the word pfhìtru, pfhìtrumet those who pass time, wait, hove, and poem also uses the words qèrsum, qeqèrsum sojourn, stay and qhìxie, qhìqhixiet which means wintren, years of age, wintren of language, birgil, a word that verily hath connotations of my Father, and qrùqe, qrunáqe means something like solstice, jól, Happy Kwanhanamas and xhàrka, xhàrku means dirt, dry mud, lands, earth, tír, dreamlands, earth of psong, caosga, u, kalam, tika, creiza, lauziminiza, badi, glodaχ, ladu, sead and xhlàni is yet another word meaning those who are lóng (distance, height, duracioun), om, nI’, tIq and xhlapaxaneûneu is a complex word meaning pandimensional space ocean, earth, earth of psong, sea, sea of noise ond sacrifice, fractal seas, sky, welkin, welkin of dance, caosga, u, kalam, tika, creiza, lauziminiza, badi, glodaχ, ladu, sead, thalatta, thalaßa, itsaso, laman and as you can see it is a combination of the words xhlàpa which means words and xaneûneu which means rainbow, and it refers unto the primordial hylen that make up all the Land of Story, and finally the poem uses the words xhmér tio estas those who remain, stay behind, dobah, mana, tand·unk.

The next card was another poem and was addressed unto me by name.

P’ílí-‘ Ép’eliniets’i
Aryos sirinai-‘ arem’imi nokí p’esinór nón eksán im’ra siethasi iáfh’uq
N’amón erim’ra themé’ alyín’i tam eiqtalénóm.[4]

And this I take to mean:

JheîsayÉfhelìnye
Teirùpru’ ur qoe’ éng tìjhwa’ úkhwanatlhaiyètyikh
Xeqhusqiyétweuyàqwa xhnapurkhomayòqleng
Xhnoe qhujhutáxeusùpwar
Pterúlasòntet qtelúmuyòntett tàpleting!
Qyiê khrúje tlhakayòjhwa
Jhaowthòpte xhthokheyaxúngutakh
Fhenxhayanoltoîning!
Oh my friend Éfhelìnye,
May the sunrise that shines beautifully
Cause two myriads of households to be illuminated as books,
And also may springing tyme and flower and rownsepyk arise once!
May the newly acquired spring import benedictions
Untowards honored doors that have no bad luck!

This poem was a bit difficult to interpret. I believe that it makes use of the words éng tìjhwa two myriads, ten tousand and fhènxha spring, springing tyme, springtides of language a word associated with me, and pterúla, pterúlas which means the same thing but can also mean life and qhùjhut those who get up, arise, tand-ramba, and that word is part of an ablaut family, the other members of the series being qhàjhat those who lie, are supine, horizontal, nependik and qhìjhit those who lie down, ramba, kuŝiĝi, ekkuŝi and we have the word qtelúma, qtelúmu flowren, milmilut, ro, betbec, lašūl and qyiê those who carry in, import someone or something and tàplet branches, rownsepyk, boishe, brimbranches, departments, balu·den and the word tùrpru or in this case the marked form teirùpru used in an Ensuring Construction, teirùpru’ ur qoe X Y Y illustrates, illuminates X, tùrpru, teirùpru simply means those who are illustrated, illuminated; illustrated pages or books and we find and tlhàka, tlhaîraku bleßings, benediccioun, läbädam, mun’iaθ, betchennacht and úkhwànatlhai his or her or their household and that is a rather marvelous word, the first person form being khwúkhwànatlha mine or our household, túatha and we use wthòpte gates, ports, doors, wickettes, g’et’um, rodus, th’m’ddusk, sraskīn (constructed of trianglen ond circlen), oneziz, punku, upkuaq and xeqhùsqi sunrise, Þe orient, aⁿkitak and xhnapùrkhon, xhnapùrkhoma those who shine on, illuminate, purge, speak brusqewise to someone or something, nidik and xhthòkhe, xhthòkha those who suffer harm, are in trouble, have bad luck, have an accident, suffer mishap, malfortune, oferthwart, disadventurous, unhappy, mordoedga.

The next card that I received I believe may contain a different version of a psalm from the Holy Writ. The word Khristu is surely related to the name Khristos which thou, my love, found in the void, and the word Emanu-Eil seems like a rather solar and imperial name. In fact this poem, at least in translation seems to be one of the few instances where somúke virgin born is used in reference to someone other than myself.

Otyi ninan’un’ ul Khristu.
Ini! Kunkhepiyin’ en’ nan’eyin’ il virjini n’ul yuni huiyu’
En’ qwamuyuns sivi il Emanu-Eil p’i xhnim’iq’un’ ul Tyu nom’isku.
¡Req’otyi! Nil p’isti Nan’ali.[5]

And this interpret as:

Játlhim sòlan tlhín se †Khristos.
Tsùlta qlaixha somúke kus wtsoîno xhthayaîngpa
Qhuníxhwayetwurèpyer
Kìkhes †Xhákh Ól Ker Tepoyuqei
†Kútlhing kúxeng.
Khá qhárl iqaiyilétyai
Pejor Tlhijhwekhmátu pi!
†Khristos is a byrding nowadays, this day.
Lo! The handmaiden
conceives the virgin born one, her only son, and
the twain call Him
The Starfather Verily Is With You and Me.
Rejoice, rejoice, jubilate
In these lovedays!

And this poem makes use of the words iqaîyil, iqaiyílil those who rejoice, jubilate and játlha, játlhim byrdings, tho who are a single day old, newwise born, celebrate thair Starday and khá, khámet also meaning those who rejoice, jubilate and Khristos† which is not quite a word in Babel, but which I believe is another name for the Starfather, and kìkhes is one of those slightly odd words meaning (usually of a male), those who call, call by name, clepe, name someone or something, the participle jhàlyo is usuall used as the passive voice, and one tends to find the participle in the construction kìkhes X tlhir Y Z meaning Z names Y X, and we have the word qhárl joy, pleasure, list, lætitia, lavenez; tho who rejoice, jubilate, ĥūdum, mēleşum, rīŝtum, ulşum, gëlod, krO and qhùxhwa, qhuníxhwa handmaidens, ancillæ, soubrettes and sòlan today, nowadays, current things, anduiriu and somúke virgin born usually a title unto me but here used in some other context and Tlhiijhwekhmátu which is the name for Dancing Days, Lovedays; high ceremony for Þe Winter Solstice, Jól, Happy Kwanhanamas and tlhín being another word for today, anduiriu and tsùlta a fascinating word meaning unborn childers, fœtus, embryo, eggs, life; those who are conceived, ajasraM, and in the Ensuring Construction one finds it as tsùlta’ ur qoe X Y Y conceives X and wtsoîno* which means those who are unique, alone, only; one’s only son, solenaskita unigenitus, cemoquichtli, ernetuar, neH, mob, nIteb, uttfield and xhthayaîngpa his or her or their son, kindly term of addrss to a boy by an elder.

The last card that I received for both of us was just an imagine of hands clasping, but I think that I can guess the meaning unto it.[6] I believe that it is a poem that makes puns on the different meanings of clasp and hand.

Ás kokòtisi khmòkatser teir!
Ás kotisìsasakh lwénenarjàyejikh teir!
Ás xhwèqi jhkhèpeikh!
Ás xálìfhitsan ‘ìfhitsan qthèfhtarn!
Ás khyaîxhril jafhaîtamat khleit
Khleikhakhlijhayùjhwu qtaxhrìlafham paikhelónge teir kae!
Be it that dear thou clasp hands or tendrils or wings in innocence!
Be it that dear thou be handfasted unto thy sweetheart!
Be it that your fingers are lithesome!
Be it that your hands are nimble and quick!
May it be that the language of thy heart,
Which thou movest and makest
Dearly enlighten and proselytize thee!

In the first couple of lines one can see a bit of fun with the word kòtisi, kokòtisi clasp with the word kotìsisakh, kotisìsasakh handfasted to, and also khmót the quantifier for love is contrasted with lwénenàrja thy dearheart, and then we have the contrast with xhwèqi nimble and jhkhèpeikh your cudullen with the compound word xálìfhitsan, xálifhìtsanan those who are nimble which itself is made up of xál, xàli mine or our hand and ìfhitsan, ifhìtsanan those who are fleet. Finally in the last line we qtár, qtàxhril those who are poetick, do and paêkh, paikhelónge those who are poetick, make, move, for clasping is in a way both doing and moving at the same time. We even have a juxtaposition between khyaêr, khyaîxhril those who shine, enlighten someone or something and jafhaîte, jafhaîtamat those who envangelize, proselytie someone or something.
I suppose that I should give a bit more of a formal definition to the words. We have ìfhitsan, ifhìtsanan those who are quick, fleet, fast, swift and jafhaîte, jafhaîtamat those who evangelize, proselytize, enlighten someone or something, gUviv and jhkhèpeikh your finger, cudullen, cudilen, ubānum; to fing, mefi, zirins and khmót and khmok- which is the quantifier for love, eke affection, friendship, innocence, the seventh element, the septeßence, and it came take the partitive genitive form of the locative case, and we have khyaêr, khyaîxhril those who shine, enlighten someone or something, nidik, gUviv and kòtisi, kokòtisi those who clasp someone or something, clasp hands, tendrils, wingfins of someone or something and kotìsisakh, kotisìsasakh which means those who are become betrothed to, are betrothed to, handfasted to, fiaunced to someone or something and as you can see it is a compound of the above and the participle sàkh, sàsakh those who carry out a sacred act, perform a sacred rite, obey a sacred command and lwénenàrja your sweetheart, dearheart, fangheart, lesnan, acushla, a cuisle, jiladal, jilöfäbil, jilöfal, ladan, dolĉuloj, dolĉulinoj, rud’u and paêkh, paikhelónge those who are poetick, do someone or something and qtár, qtàxhril those who are poetick, make, move someone or something and qthèfhtarn you hand, daddle, mund folm nam, b’wang, lais, luis, vrzial and xálìfhitsan, xálifhìtsanan which means those who are nimble, tebayai, a compound of ìfhitsan, ifhìtsanan that we met above and xál, xàli mine or our hand, daddle, mund folm nam, b’wang, lais, luis, vrzial and finally xhwèqi, xhwèqeqhe those who are nimble, lißome, lithesome.

Editor’s Note
The Conlang Holiday Cards can be viewed here:

http://exchange.conlang.org/
[1] From a Christmas Card from Samuel R Boylan Jr:
[2] From a Christmas Card from Sylvia Sotomayor:

[3] From a Christmas Card from Amanda Furrow
[4] From a Christmas Card from Eugene Oh
[5] From a Christmas Card from Adam Walker
[6] From a Christmas Card from Alex Fink & Sai Emrys

Some Short Poems

Finally we come to a few qlèqhe ditties which seem to have become attached to persons in our family. I am not entirely sure that you can reconstruct the original language at all, but at least I can write out the words that Puey has caught from the Void.
My dearest cousin Xataríyona used to sing a little song which I think you’ve heard many a time. In going through the notes that my esteemed Puey has captured of the abyss, I found what I think may be an earlier form of it.


Pós se léne? Káterína.
Pou thoulém’is? Stín Athína.
Póso pérnis? Ékató.
Ké ta résta? Páq’ató!
What’s thy name? Xataríyona.
Where do you work? In Athína.
How micklemuch do you make? An hundred.
And the rest? Iced cream!

And I would render that as the following, already familiar unto thee:

Píxhi
Eleven

Teiqhàfhlae Xeîtei’ eixing.

Xhyeis ókho tútlhi? Xataríyona.
Kháteqhe xhyoaqoas tú? Qir Athína.
Jhùrna xhyeixhroas khleiyùlkha tú? Íng tìjhwa xhroe.
Xhnoe xhyeis xhmérs? Fhlaê fhlaê!
‘Tis Xeîtei’s akutuq.

What’s your first name, ma’am? Xataríyona?
Where do you work? In Eréjet.
How many things do you earn? A sandthousand.
And what’s the rest? Lots of iced cream!

And the ditty above uses some rather marvelous words, fhlaê, ice cream, iced cream, gladet gladül, akutuq, from milk of Þe ejharqtaqéla ør axhlaxajáxa ør syarqtexèlya Milk Flower which is that most remarkable dish, a special of my natal land Jaràqtu, and the only contribution to health, alchemy, and life that the crazed Khateláqi have e'er accomplished. I mean, the Khatelèstan, as far as I can tell, have only one contribution unto Jaràqtu and all the Winter Empire, their prediliction to remaining friends with the Sweqhàngqu and their uncanny ability to breed beautiful goldenflaxed daughters who are thus highly prized by the Sweqhàngqu, see above, or some of their other allies. Perhaps this has something to do with why Puey loves Fhermáta and Akhlísa at least as much and doubtless more than he loves you. If the Khatelèstan though failed to have such lovely daughters, what use would they truly have in the Land? But I digress. The ditty above also uses the participles jhùrna those who earn someone or something and kháte, kháteqhe those who work, tian and ókho a woman’s first name, given by the Father and xhmérs remainder, snippets, Þe rest; et cetera, kai ta loipa, kaj tiel plu, e rets, minidibi and the relative pronoun inflexion xhyeixhroas khleî (xhrir) means How many things (of) and the object inflexion is added unto the second element, khleî.
The translation does of course have one one rather anomalous word of which I cannot account:

Athína Athína from Athína

My guess is that Athína must be some unattested, mythological term for Eréjet, the capitol of Qamélo. As far as I can tell all manner of oddments happen there, mercantilism and run amock Merchant classes and waterfalls tumbling down hundreds of leagues and sandcastles gigantic. Shall we continue unto the next stanza?

This is a little nonsense song that Khlís is wont to sing.

Xhíxhi
Twelve
Qlaxatu fh’aran’a neqto?
Qlaxatu fh’aran’a neqto?
Qlaxatu fh’aran’a neqto?
Qlátu fharànta khnèqto?
Qlátu fharànta khnèqto?
Qlátu fharànta khnèqto?
Qlátt tú fhàraqa. Khnèqta’ ó?
You, who are lightningbolts, are alive. One is an egg.
Qláta’ ú. Fhár tá. Khnèkhu tó?
One is ice. All things are war. You, dear one, numennod in agreement.
Qlàto tú fhárèqta khnèqta?
You who enter things and are eggs are loud.
Qlàti’ ú fhàraka tá khnèkhu.
Anywho who is an arch and all things and nods in agreement is a cloud.

Sometimes Kàrula says Qlaxatu fh’aran’a neqto and otherly qlátu fharànta khnèqto in accordance with the phonotactiξ of Language. I am not sure whether any of those utterances have any meaning, so sometimes she just strings together some rather odd sentences as you read above.
And the words she uses for the first part tend to be qlàti clouds and qlát those who are alive, living and qláta ice and qlàto those who loud, then she follows it with fhár wars; those who are strong and fhàraqa, fhafhàraqa lightening bolts and fhárèqta, fhárèqtamat those who enter someone or something and fharèqte words and fhàrka arches, and at last she tends to use either the words khnèqta eggs or khnèkhu those who nod, numennod in agreement although she may choose to modify the ending with a personal pronoun. Ah, younger siblings, they can be so creative. Or at least she can, the last younger sibling. Alas, that you grew up Siblingless in the Forbidden Gardens. You did miss out on so much joyry.

Oh, my Princess, we are coming to the end of this portion of poëtical translations that Puey has managed to capture at the edge of the Void of Language, and which I have done my best to copy and transcribe. I shall soon be making my leave of you, at least in epistle form. I do hope that I shall see you soon and that reading these humble words should give you some solace until back unto Jaràqtu-de you should come.
I am quite sure that when you find me I shall be incredibly busy. It’s not easy being the Sister to the future Emperor of Earth and Sea and Sky. Why I probably have more duties than you do; folk are always petitioning me and Mother for favors on behalf of Puey. Why the only duty you have is to bare an heir and not be too annoying if you can help it. I have a pretty good idea on the which of the slave girls I’ll be purchasing for Puey. One has to be so very careful about these things And I don’t think that you’ll notice that I’ve repeatedly raided your room and signed several hundred documents in your name and have no intention of e'er giving you back the signet ring. Oh yes, I think I’ll purchase golden haired maidens. Certainly Puey deserves a few, nuchal white maidens. I must say, oh my Princess, that you do have at least one endearing quality, and it would be your thwèmlat your white neck, surely one of the most exquisite signs of beauty among Færie maidens. Even I, when I first met you, thought, why her neck is quite white indeed. Of course we Sweqhàngqu maidens are known for having white necks. Mother has been adjusting my collar a bit so that I can show off my pyá jhpóng, the nape of my neck. I suppose this all has something to do that among the daughters of the Xhámi only our hands, ankles, face, hair, and neck remain uncovered. Although I do wonder, Princess, why in your notes I can find at least three different words for white neck maids, and these are fhalepyortlháqes and fhetsorqhàqtenu and khekhtàjhepong. Very odd, odd indeed. But it is your language. I’ve often noticed that Puey does admire Kàrula neck; she’ll no doubt rival and depose you one day. Hmmm. I should endeavour to perchase white necked love slaves for Puey. Anyway, here’s the last poem that I have found. It is a familiar one, for Puey has hummed it to you many times, even though he does not speak in the words of languages, and Fhermáta and Karuláta and I have sung it to you as a lullaby. Imagine my surprise to find out that this hushaby was far older than I could imagine, and that it must in some fashion have existed within the Void.

Tlhéxhi
Thirteen

Janayeilyoriênya teir!
Tsóriêna teirxhmi!
Tsóriêna teirxhmi!
Tsóriêna xhmir Éfhelìnye!
Tsóriêna teirxhmi!
Thou, dear one, art mine esteemed sunshine!
Good omens to dear thee!
Good omens to dear thee!
Good omens to Éfhelìnye!
Good omens to dear thee!
Janayeilyoriênya teir
Xá janayeilyoriênya’ ùwasu.
Uxeûxujo’ ur qoe jin tóxing
Eipejo pejor tlhoâ ker wthàsya.
Pàjeqúr qìfhis qìfhis teir ányarqloîyu
Kuxhroas kúlatser qlùwe khleit jin.
Jhafhuxhlitei khringìmemat xhroe
Janayeilyoriênya xhroa!
Thou, dear one, art mine esteemed sunshine
Oh mine esteemed, only sunshine.
Thou dearly enhappiest me
When it is a sky that is dirty grey, griseous.
Thou shalt nowhen ever gnow, beloved and dear one,
How much I dearly love thee.
Respectfully refuse to take away
Mine esteemed sunshine.
Tsóriêna teirxhmi!
Tsóriêna teirxhmi!
Tsóriêna xhmir Éfhelìnye!
Tsóriêna teirxhmi!
Janayeilyoriênya teir!
Good omens to dear thee!
Good omens to dear thee!
Good omens to Éfhelìnye!
Good omens to dear thee!
Thou, dear one, art mine esteemed sunshine!

Oh Éfhelìnye, in the jhweî kànxhixhi titìlpi lulkanto above one finds the words eilyoriênya sunlight, sunshine, solastals, howlsplann and khrìngime, khringìmemat those who remove, subtract, take away, benam, delete someone or something and kúl which means those who are such, of this kind or extent, to such a degree, talis, a cominal impersonal participle which we find with the relative pronoun inflexion kuxhroas kúlatser which means how much in an indirect question, adverbial phrase, and we also have the reduplication qìfhis qìfhis those who never are, are for nevermore; nowhen, yA, gavart and qloê, qloîyu those who are beloved, dear, narāmum, urpi and qlùwe those who love, gree-ah someone or something and qúr those who gnow, wot someone or something and tlhoâ the Starblossom, Starbloom; sky, firmament, welkin, welkin of dance and tsóriêna goodly omens, bird auguries, especialwise on one’s Starday and ùwasu those who are alone, only, neH, mob, nIteb, uttfield and uxeûxujo those who are happy, whhhimsical, whhhimsicoracal, ĥadûm, vimik and wthàsya those who are dirty grey, griseous, streaked ør mix’d with grey, k̃er, k̃rwos, maŋalaaq.

The only original text that I can find for the above consists of some stray lines of muddle which I think only correspond to the middle portions of the poem. It may be that one day we can find an origin to the beginning and end, when the bird omens are invoked, or perchance it is something that we the Sweqhàngqu Sisteren invented in order to help you to sleep.

Elye nalye’ árenya-‘ eresse.
Tyaralye ta nanya-‘ alassea.
Yasse p’anyare nar sinn’e.
Istum’alye’ úm’oro manen tye melan.
Am’á-‘ enyale’ árenya!
You are the light of my great star.
You alone are the light of my great star.
You make me happen when the sky is black.
You will nowhen know, my beloved, how many times I love you.
Refuse to take the light of the great star away!
Khom’áwom’wij xhokh.
Khom’áwom’wij nekh xhokh.
Jh’oqkhujh’mokhtakh qijtakht’ix jh’al.
Xarloq’ qamuxhkhá paq’loq’ xé t’axhom’ fh’angwi.
Khom’áwom’wij yingéxqkhóx!

I do hope to see you soon, my Sister by marriage. And I promise to start returning your books and clothing to you, just as soon as you promise to deliver on some promises which I have not yet actually conceived. I find it best to make make others promise to do my bidding before I realize what it is.

With all my love
Siêthiyal