#elitho

[celinese-blog]

This (minus the English explanations) is an advert by Thúlot~Tsōlor, a joint initiative led by the Elithoan First Consul, Remú Morán, and the Chancellor of Jinyero, Elka Wrenwerth. The organisation, whose name is a translation of "Houses" into Celinese and Jinyera, has established over thirty schools, which teach about the neighbours' language and culture. Since all Elithoan and Jinyer children now receive at least 5 years of instruction in their neighbouring language, the organisation's main target is adults who didn't learn it at school or want to build their skills. The poster shows just six sayings and expressions that are shared by Celinophones and Jinyeraphones alike, out of hundreds that exist as shared idioms. The text at the bottom reads: "Our neighbouring country's language is different - but there exist many (cultural) similarities too. Get acquainted with the other half of South Tygenoc - learn Celinese/Jinyera in the Elitho-Jinyer houses!"

[celinese-blog]

Here are a few signs that I created yesterday for my world, Lorech. The first is welcome sign, greeting visitors to Merímbeir na Lirn, a small but bustling town in the Lirn river valley, in the state of Cynroth and a few miles away from the border with the tystír of Perís. The sign reads: "Welcome to Merímbeir in [the] Lirn [valley] - an historical market town. Twin towns with us: Sowariye, Jinyero; Hoðwylo, Gwyðach; Çem-Lot, Tyrinor; Ẓovonįs, Ochrís." Interesting to note that all the towns are referred to with their Celinese names, except for the Tyrinori town (which would otherwise be known as Hiemloth.)

The second is in Celinese and Jinyera, because it is a road sign in Telboir/Telbuēra, the bilingual capital of Jinyero. Telbuera is divided into two zones (Telboir, the capital of Western Jinyero or Esfoth as it is known by Celinophones, and Telbuera, capital of Eastern Jinyero) and several arrondissements. WA1 and EA1 are the most central arrondissements, so Western B2, which is where Cailús go r-Eðelírain (Jewellers' Street) is located, is not too far out. In the bottom right-corner, you see the Jinyer unity flag and the flag of Western Jinyero, with the caption: "Telboir WB2 - Capital of Esfoth."

[celinese-blog]

5 People in the Desert - a Northern Elithoan joke

A typical Northern Elithoan joke in Celinese and English:

Na sychair Obowony tírcymoío aronog elithoëg. Gaiðoín hwym leuthain: iferðol, pairsír, ioðinbec, circassír ar timothlyn. Mylois sêlm go séilot byroín, marand ðo ainh éifor trofún; mair cyn syrosoê.

“Enlangofíom, ar loðwynoríom, twym neıs” tyroío pairsír. “Glyr go mo g-cyðrë plythig dyðúnom.” Sarainthoío ioðinbec, “Aé mair, mo mildë lautholtíreg? Tym ané tefy ðwynorand, twym ar enlangofig teimínom. Ainh glyr go g-cera tont notheg go Laurien dyðúnom.” Iferðol, coth, lolois elois aich, tychoig foío, tentoío: “Nêthí cégerthin gechamín sofen lônírain.” (Na g-cluthand lôn, indoflecoíos an pairsír.) “Né enlangofíom nir loðwynorínom ar ím lygryð plairand. Mair ceðo daistír tefy syrú, ainh buthèil go hwysgín dyðúnom.” “Nedailsofig síot caith,” tyrthoío circassír. “Dard, twym ar deimwyl teimínom. Ainh buthèil nebor go ðywyr dyðúnom.”

Na r-olyr, ceonoío timothlyn. “Enlangofínom, ar loðwynorínom, ar twymínom. Ainh elðos go hendaichloê dyðúnom.”

An Elithoan plane crashed down to earth in the middle of the Obowony desert. Only five people survived; they came from Iferðí, Perís, Ioðinbêr, Circassio and Chlasc respectively. They walked on for six days, in the hope of finding a village, but providence did not provide. "This heat tires me and makes me thirsty," said the Pairsír. "I must have a glass of my favourite cider." The Ioðinbec responded, “is that so, my rustic friend? Well, I feel more thirsty, hot and tired than you do. I must have a glass of the most delectable wine of Laurien.” The Iferðol, who, up until then, had remained silent, declared: “I don’t know why you Southerners are always complaining.” (Upon hearing the word “South”, the Pairsír shot the Iferðol a look that could kill.) “I’m neither tired nor thirsty, and the weather is perfectly clement. But, so’s I can enjoy this wonderland more, I must have a bottle of whisky.” "You’re all mad," declared the Circassír. "I feel thirsty, hot and fatigued. I must have a large bottle of water." Finally, the Chlascese spoke. “I’m tired, I’m thirsty and I’m hot. I must have a case of diabetes.” People from Chlasc and Timoglysc (Timothlyn is a nickname they share) are known to be notorious hypochondriacs. In the joke, each person literally says “dyðúnom”, which is the subjunctive “that they should give me”, “that they give me” and is also used for hypothetical situations “that they must/may have given me.” In Celinese, illnesses are given to you by “them”. The closest equivalent was the dual meaning of “I must have.”

[celinese-blog]

Tírain lylthast efropig

Yesterday, I had a brilliant day in one of the world's most beautiful cities, Seville. But something stuck in my craw for the whole day - whilst visiting the Archivo de Indias museum, which had an exhibition on the Spanish colonisation of the Americas and the "discovery" of the Pacific specifically, I overheard parents tell their children, "these were the days, when Spain was great." The days of genocide, slavery and exploitation - what a great time! Immediately, this excellently poignant anti-imperial song by Randy Newman came into my head; I went to a café and started translating the lyrics. Here's The Great Nations of Europe translated into Celinese, maintaining the song's meter and (largely) its rhythm.

Tírain lylthast efropig na ryfoch seith lainoín, Caith tír traısot caisroín; anois tefy gosiot noroín, Path lo reigos paithechroín, lo d-Taros Sinain lyrentoín: Êlth tírain lylthast efropig na nefhoðric peryc foín. Mairír ar dyfoch erúot, Anor ð-thon olso lúot. Lo d-tírain lylthast efropig gechylúot. Ynosain Meiðaronig, ainhat tír ðéðo trofoín, Caith meiðaron go r-ethol go r-ynos na g-canth canthoín. Othloío lauth, cé r-ethol “gwoıns” ar go gwoınsot oío colín, Metoch, aichlos ar lysithír, anois né wylo sín. Anois noíoeith, noíoeith, anðoín, nêsín, Nélois ethoís lauth ðo tain nêsúo. Peintoirain na musé daich na lyfir lecholím, Mair ainh na g-cynloith othlío loithand soir rôðúot. Mairír ar dyfoch erúot, Anor ð-thon olso lúot. Lo d-tírain lylthast efropig gechylúot. Parotho rôðoío Colom; Coscathol naloith trofoío, Lo d-tír ainhat so w-flarë dyðoío, ar old né othloío. Norclaim, lúthrym, troðbryth, hwoncêlos ar gweifë teranðín, Acluthúot! Tírain lylthast gechylúot. Noniès, ainh séilë, na g-cailús, an Heðreigos trofoío; Tír ainhat ardog tryfoío naint, coth gleigotharig foío. Path, lofoío ðo seith logeilún dosnot; so d-Ter sé noroío: Caith tír lylthast go r-Efròp sofen sair sintach toroío. Anois noíoeith, noíoeith, anðoín, nêsín, Nélois ethoís lauth ðo tain nêsúo. Cwyln erineg na b-pethlín, na r-orfoth peintoirain; Seith sychorí nêdysúot: dothaich nothlío leuthain.   Mairír ar dyfoch erúot, Anor d-trofec tolúot. Cé d-tírain lylthast efropig, sofen ponthúot. Na r-agoir go nefoðric, loithın anois sochím, Efropím na g-cailoith othlín, aiché ethí polím, Mair, naint na lainsínoith, poloê wylo othlío, Aichloê efríceg fair na g-canth loscendí fyðío, Loscendand caith na so g-cailús go d-taros lo d-taros, Dosnand pelod go r-Efròp lylthast go d-trofonefos.

[celinese-blog]

Elitho Decides

IOÐINBÊR. Mereð sorair. After almost 11 months of Government without Consuls following the dismissal of Syríe Lomín, Elitho has finally gained the opportunity to gain to the polls, after obstructionism and the Sairstír crisis, prevented the interim Arbiter of the Senate, Sn. Conoir Merthín, from calling an earlier election. Will it be Morán, Lomín, or another who gains and retains enough senate seats to become the 23rd First Consul of the Commonwealth of Elitho? Find out who won - and what some of their plans for the next term are - here. If you like detail, check out this live record of the Senatorial results as they came in before the above link. Remember, Elitho does not directly appoint its first Consul, so the fate of the 36 Senators up for election this year was the fate of the First Consul. Check out the new composition of the Senate, and details of house and state senate results, in a handy table. This service was brought to you by Lefwyth Laiðoireg, the Congressional Review - Elitho's premier political journal. Long live Elitho!

[celinese-blog]

Citizenship Tests in Elitho

There are many tests that one needs to pass to become a citizen of Elitho, the country of my conworld about which I most write. There's a language proficiency test; a short-form test with a few hundred questions on civics, history, geography, national identity etc, for which one must only provide a sentence; then there's the rather more taxing "sêlmhaith-hyrfys", the six hour monster: thirteen questions, out of which one must answer 9 (40 minutes per question).

The questions are often open-ended and refer to an applicant's knowledge of their host country, their experiences there and are another way of testing linguistic aptitude. You can only take the "S.H.H." on three days a year. To become an Elithoan citizen, one also needs to become citizen of one of the commonwealth's 36 tystírain, who hold their own tests, including regional language proficiency tests.

Here's a copy of a version of the Lyðros doth taigetholírain lo d-tírailoðoê elithoëg (the 6 hr test) took in Byrnoair 989 last year, with questions in Elithoan Celinese, then in English (the latter would not appear in the original but are just for explanation's sake):

[celinese-blog]

The Elithoan Senate votes to dismiss the Government

- In a roll call vote gone awry for the First Consul, the Senate of Elitho has dismissed Lomín's government on the first day of business after the winter solstice break. A single defection, two absences and an abstention brought about end to Lomín's first consulate, a year before its mandate runs out. - Outgoing Minority Leader, Remú Morán, has shocked speculators by refusing to take advantage of an implicit vote of no confidence in Lomín, insisting on a fresh election and choosing not to serve out the remainder of the senate's mandate. - The unassuming co-chair of the Senate rules committee, Conoir Merthín, was appointed to a term of up to four months as Arbiter of the Joint Congress, whilst Morán, Lomín, Wythoð and others prepare for a hotly-contested election.

Read all about it here.