Language Structure Problems

Old and New Ragayo

When authors create (or depict) dialect differences for their characters, they often exploit the kinds of differences we have been finding here between modern and traditional bear speech.

Below, you will find some modern old Ragayo utterances written in phonemic transcription, and here are links to data for Ragayo and Old ragayo Consonants:

Using what you have learned about the differences between Ragayo and Old ragayo, turn these modern Ragayo sentences into narrowly transcribed Old Ragayo. Use both your knowledge of the liquids and the fricatives to do this. You should assume that the situations with the liquids in Ragayo is the same in old Ragayo.

1. /raga chifu ko arba hachgu kaf/
Now the bear is wearing the scarf that the wolf stole.

2. /fi aki bachfau val/
The little mouse longs for home.

3. /ag glufda hakoda midru fal vrash nir yar/
That butthead human is lost in the underbrush again.

Please also summarize the differences you in the fricative system in the two languages. How many labiodental fricative phonemes does each language have?


Yes, it's a 'real' language, and yes, I (sheri Wells-Jensen…) had the delight of creating it. In case you want to know, and trust me, you do, here is a link to more info on the book which made Ragayo necessary: Secrets of Bearhaven by K.E. Rocha.
Ko gra-rashuk kidab!