It’s Lexember time again! If you’re not familiar, Lexember is a conlanging community event where we make a new word in a conlang for each day of December. As with last year, I’ll be using my language Valya, which makes this the first time ever I’m using the same language for Lexember two years in a row!
My first Lexember word this year is buba, meaning “frog.” It’s from Proto-Valya *bubaa, which is almost certainly onomatopoeic.
But that’s just the in-universe etymology; the actual etymology for the word is a reference to Let’s Have a Bouba, the livestreaming conlanging duo that you can find on youtube, tumblr, and instagram. They will also be participating in Lexember, and as part of that they’ll be debuting a brand new font that I made for their languages N’asibómmó and Bokuz!
Coincidentally, the T’owal word for frog is also a reference to a conlanging friend: tethis is actually Tethys, a.k.a. @archipithecus!
Tüküra küra mbuba samünwintsa nggvagla kimblu?
/ty.ky.ra ky.ra‿m.bu.ba sa.myn.win.tsa‿ŋ.ɡvaɡ.la kim.blu/
How do frogs jump and jump and not get tired?
While Proto-Valya had the suffix *-la to mark the iterative (which is where a couple of word of the day words come from), in Modern Valya that suffix is no longer productive. But one thing Valya does use a lot is serial verb constructions, so a very common way to mark the iterative mood is via serial reduplication. So in this sentence you’ve got küra küra, which is very similar to the English “jump and jump,” but without the “and.” The tü- prefix at the beginning makes the whole serial construction into a converb, so the sentence could more literally be translated as “When jumping (and) jumping, how do frogs not get tired?”
In this sentence, buba is in the definite plural: mbuba. That doesn’t mean it’s talking about any specific frogs, though! It’s more about frogs as a whole, the same way we might use the definite singular in English: “The frog is an amphibian,” etc. And since we’re talking about definite forms, buba is one of the few Valya words that changes its initial consonant in the singular definite form: gvuba!
saira [ˈsɑi̯rɑ] n. woman
n’al [ɲɑl] n. man
luaš [lu̯ɑʃ] n. child (likely from lu- "to carry" + -daš "object marker", lit. "that what is carried")
teraɣ [ˈterɑx] n. offspring, daughter, son (from te "after, behind" + -ra- "to come" + -ɣ "subject marker", lit. "that what comes after")
teggöl [ˈteg:øl] n. descendant, successor (from tega "back, rear (adj.)" + -göl "person marker")
stiffen, starch, to make rigid via some artificial means;
lay, set, set up, prepare, arm, (of a trap) to make ready to function via some mechanism;
cock, ready, prime, to bring a spring (etc.) under tension in advance of firing;
(esp. reflexive) brace, poise, marshal, steel, to steady or prepare (a person, equipment) for sudden or violent action;
engage, to bring (a mechanism or device) into a state of readiness or interlock
Etymology: Old Borlish, verbal derivation from tis, tes "taut, stretched". This descends from synonymous tēnsus in Latin, past participle of tendō "I stretch; I strive". The senses pertaining to traps and weaponry, first attested in the fourteenth century, derive from the action of arming a trap or crossbow by placing a string under tension. More general mechanical senses are attested from the seventeenth century, along with the reflexive usage.
L'entisau un traccart ny bosc entr dou casn.
/ˌlɛn.tiˈzo ɪn traˈkart ni bɔx ˈɛn.tr̩ du ˈkaz.n̩/
[ˌlɛn.tiˈzo ɪn tʀɐˈkɐːt ni bɔx ˈɛn.tɐ du ˈka.zɐn]
3s=tauten-pst indf trap in-df wood between two oak
He set a trap in the woods between two oaks.
I got a late start and a late finish for Lexember 2025, and didn't post any of it on Tumblr, so here's the whole month compacted into one post. This year (last year?) I worked on my as-yet-unnamed steppe language. Notable features of the language include a fronted/backed distinction that appears on both the consonants and vowels, significant vowel reduction and general weirdness, and a decent amount of inflection. Part of the fun I've had with developing this language is semi-arbitrarily applying regularization and analogy to fix problematic forms. Inflecting verb entries list important principle parts, and noun entries list case forms and the definite clitic (ka- for animate nouns, mi- for inanimate nouns), as well as if the definite clitic causes the stem to change.
Day 1 - Cut
ksóan(-), ksíen-, ksan-, ksin- [qʂóɑɳ(-), csíɛn-, qʂəɳ-, csɪn-] *kasun - v. perf. cut
Day 2 - Cook
ptjíel(-), ptjéil-, ptjal-, ptjil- [pȶíɛl-, pȶɛ́il-, pt̪əɭ-, pȶɪl-] *putel - v. imp. apply heat, cook, treat with heat
brìenit (mi-), bròaskas (mia-), briníedmi, brinítti [brìɛnɪt (mɪ-), bɻòɑʂqəʂ (mɪə-), brɪníɛdmɪ, brɪníttɪ] - *werun-ʔit - n. in. meat
Day 3 - Soup
tjiással (mi-ttjiással), tjissíealgas, tjisséilmi, tjissíedli [ȶɪɑ́ʂʂəɭ (qəɪ-ȶȶɪɑ́ʂʂəɭ), ȶɪssíɛəɭɢəʂ, ȶɪssɛ́ilmɪ, ȶɪssɛ́idlɪ] *kejos-ʔal - n. in. soup
Day 4 - Salt
òspail [òʂpəɪl] *watpel - cv. to salt, pickle
spéidlit (mi-), spíealskas, spidlíedmi, spidlítti [spɛ́idlɪt (mɪ-), spíɛəɭʂqəʂ, spɪdlíɛdmɪ, spɪdlíttɪ] *watpel-ʔit - n. in. salt
spidléssit (mi-), spadláskas, spidlissíedmi, spidlissítti [spɛ́idlɪt (mɪ-), spíɛəɭʂqəʂ, spɪdlíɛdmɪ, spɪdlíttɪ] *watpel-has-ʔit - n. in. pickle, something salted
Day 5 - Pot
tjéski (mit-tjéski), tjiskíeas, tjiskíemi, tjiskéi [ȶɛ́scɪ (mɪȶ), ȶɪscíɛəʂ, ȶɪscíɛmɪ, ȶɪscɛ́i] *kejos-koj - n. in. pot (primarily for soup)
Day 6 - Knife
ksóanar (mia-), ksanàorgas, ksinìermi, ksanòadra [qʂóɑɳəɻ (mɪɑ-), qʂəɳɑ̀oɻɢəʂ, csɪnìɛrmɪ, qʂəɳòɑɖɻə] *kasun-ʕur - n. in. knife, with regularization of the genitive (expected form ksianaìermi [csɪəɳəìɛrmɪ])
Day 7 - Drink
méirgi (mi-), mirgíeas, mirgíemi, mirgéi [mɛ́irɟɪ (mɪ-), mɪrɟíɛəʂ, mirɟíɛmɪ, mɪrɟɛ́i] *hamor-koj - n. in. cup, mug, drinking vessel
máor [mɑ́oɻ] *hamor - cv. (with mnòs “take in”) to drink, suck, eat liquid food, imbibe, smoke (inhale)
móadras (mia-), máskas, midréizmi, madráissi [móɑɖɻəʂ (mɪə-), mɑ́ʂkəʂ, mɪdrɛ́izmɪ, məɖɻɑ́ɪssɪ] *hamor-has - n. in. drink, beverage
Day 8 - Eat
gàol [ɢɑ̀oɭ] *ŋaʔal — cv. (with mnòs “take in”) eat
gèilgi (m-èilgi), gilgíeas, gilgíemi, gilgéi [ɟɛ̀ilɟɪ (m-ɛ̀ilɟɪ), ɟɪlɟíɛəʂ, ɟɪlɟíɛmɪ, ɟɪlɟɛ́i] *ŋaʔal-koj - n. in. bowl
Day 9 - Pierce
skóa(-), skíe-, ska-, ski- [ʂqóɑ(-), scíɛ-, ʂqə-, scɪ-] *ʔiskuw - v. perf. to pierce, stab
skóar, skàorgas, skìermi, skòadra [ʂqóɑɻ, ʂqɑ̀oɻɢəʂ, scìɛrmɪ, ʂqòɑɖɻə] *ʔiskuw-ʕur - n. in. skewer, with analogical deletion of intervocalic *w in the ergative (expected form skavàorgas [ʂqəʋɑ̀oɻɢəʂ])
skèirin, skaràonas, skirìenmi, skirìeni [scɛ̀irɪn, ʂqəɻɑ̀oɳəʂ, scɪrìɛnmɪ, scɪrìɛnɪ] *ʔiskuw-ʕurjin - n. in. stinger, needle, with irregular deletion of intervocalic *w
Day 10 - Horn
vàs, vàskas, vèizmi, vàissi [ʋɑ̀ʂ, ʋɑ̀ʂqəʂ, ʋɛ̀izmɪ, ʋɑ̀ɪssɪ] *wohas - n. in. horn, with regularization of the ergative (expected form òskas [òʂqəʂ])
Day 11 - Tooth
fóan(-), fíen-, fan-, fin- [fóɑɳ-, fíɛn-, fəɳ-, fɪn-] *pehun - v. perf. bite
fóanar (mia-ghóanar), fanàorgas, finìermi, fanòadra [fóɑɳəɻ (mɪə-ʁóɑɳəɻ), fəɳɑ̀oɻɢəʂ, finìɛrmɪ, fəɳòɑɖɻə] *pehun-ʕur - n. in. tooth, with irregular brightening of the genitive (expected form fianaìermi [fiəɳəìɛrmɪ])
ksóand-vóanar, ksóand-vanàorgas, ksíend-vinìermi, ksóand-vanòadra [qʂóɑɳɖ-ʋóɑɳəɻ, qʂóɑɳɖ-ʋəɳɑ̀oɻɢəʂ, csíɛnd-ʋinìɛrmɪ, qʂóɑɳɖ-ʋəɳòɑɖɻə] *kasun + *pehun-ʕur - n. in. carnassial, the shearing teeth of a carnivore, lit. cut-tooth
Day 12 - Wing
bìe [bìɛ] *wijew - cv. (with “go”) fly
bìear (mi-bìear), biàorgas, bìermi, biòadra [bìɛəɻ (mɪ-bìɛəɻ), bɪɑ̀oɻɢəʂ, bìɛrmɪ, bɪòɑɖɻə] *wijew-ʕur - n. in. wing
Day 13 - Hear
áolgan [ɑ́oɭɢəɳ] *halkon - cv. (with mnòs “intake”) hear, listen, (with ktjíe “do”) heed, obey
algàonar (mi-), alganàorgas, ilginìermi (m-), alganòadra [əɭɢɑ̀oɳəɻ (mɪ-), əɭɢəɳɑ̀oɻɢəʂ, ɪlɟɪnìɛrmɪ (m-), əɭɢənòɑɖɻə] *halkon-ʕur - n. in. ear, with irregular brightening of the genitive (expected form ilgianaìermi [ɪlɟɪəɳəìɛrmɪ])
Day 14 - Bind
bdjào [bd̪ɑ̀o] *mokeʕ (“bind”) — cv. (with ktjíe “do”) bind, tie, (with [] “strike”) enslave
bdjào-skóa [bd̪ɑ̀o-ʂqóɑ] *mokeʕ (“bind”) + *ʔiskuw (“pierce”) — cv. (with ktjíe “do”) sew
bdjàol, bdjáolgas, bdjéilmi, bdjáoidli [bd̪ɑ̀oɭ, bd̪ɑ̀oɭɢəʂ, bȡìɛlmɪ, bd̪òɑɪdlɪ] *mokeʕ-ʔal (“bind-product”) — n. in. knot
bdjàor, bdjàorgas, bdjìermi, bdjòadra [bd̪ɑ̀oɻ, bd̪ɑ̀oɻɢəʂ, bȡìɛrmɪ, bd̪òɑɖɻə] *mokeʕ-ʕur (“bind-tool”) — n. in. rope
bdjàovar, bdjòarar, bdjòargas, bdjivìermi, bdjavòadra [bd̪ɑ̀oʋəɻ, bd̪òɑɻəɻ, bd̪òɑɻɢəʂ, bȡɪʋìɛrmɪ, bd̪əʋòɑɖɻə] *mokeʕ-wur (“bind-animal”) — n. an. python
bdjèirin, bdjaràonas, bdjirìenmi, bdjirìeni [bȡɛ̀irɪn, bd̪əɻɑ̀onəʂ, bȡɪrìɛnmɪ, bȡɪrìɛnɪ] *mokeʕ-ʕurjin (“little bind-tool”) — n. in. string
bdjèi-ghíe, bdjào-ghóas, bdjèi-ghíemi, bdjèi-ghéi [bȡɛ̀i-ʝíɛ, bd̪ɑ̀i-ʁóɑʂ, bȡɛ̀i-ʝíɛmɪ, bȡɛ̀i-ʝɛ́i] *mokeʕ (“bind”) + *kihew (“grass”) — n. in. bind-grass (a type of grass used for weaving basketry etc.)
Day 15 - Ride
plót [pɭóʈ] *polut (“ride”) — cv. (with pnjét “go”) ride
plóttas (ka-blóttas), plótsar, plóskas, plittéizmi, plattáissi [pɭóʈʈəʂ (qə-bɭóʈʈəʂ), pɭóʈʂəɻ, pɭóʂqəʂ, plɪttɛ́izmɪ, pɭəʈʈɑ́ɪssɪ] *polut-has (“ridden”) — n. an. horse (specifically for riding)
plíttis (ka-blaíttis), pliótsar, plióskas, plittíezmi, plittíssi [plíttɪs (qə-bɭəíttɪs), plɪóʈʂəɻ, plɪóʂqəʂ, plɪttíɛzmɪ, plɪttíssɪ] *polut-his (“ride-person”) — n. an. rider, with analogical brightening of the accusative and genitive (expected plótsar, plóskas [pɭóʈʂəɻ, pɭóʂqəʂ]), likely to avoid homophony of those forms with plóttas (“horse”)
Day 16 - Death
ljáo [l̪ɑ́o] *ʔoljuʕ (“be dead”) — cv. (with ktjíe “do”) kill, (with bròan “be”) be dead, (with [] “fall”) die
ljóavas (ka-), ljóar, ljóaskas, ljéizmi, ljássa [l̪óɑʋəʂ (qə-), l̪óɑɻ, l̪óɑʂqəʂ, ȴɛ́izmɪ, l̪ɑ́ʂʂə] *ʔoljuʕ-ʔos (“death-hunt”) — n. an. crow (a rare instance of a noun zero-derived from compound verb, perhaps out of taboo)
Day 17 - Lie and Truth
djvàs [d̪ʋɑ̀ʂ] *jewos (“lie”) — cv. (with ìskit “say”) lie
bèi [bɛ̀i] *mipaj (“truth”) — cv. (with ìskit “say”) speak the truth
ìskit, skát-, skét-, skat-, skit- [ìscɪt, ʂqɑ́ʈ-, scɛ́t-, ʂqəʈ-, scɪt-] *jaskat — v. impf. say, speak
Day 18 - Know
vés(-), víez-, vis-, vas- [ʋɛ́s(-), ʋíɛz-, ʋɪs-, ʋəʂ] *hawhes — v. stat. know
Day 19 - Clean
gdèt [ɟdɛ̀t] *ŋatat — cv. (with ktjíe “do”) make clean, (with bròan “be”) be clean
gdèttit (mi-), gdàskas, gdittíedmi, gdittítti [ɟdɛ̀ttɪt (mɪ-), ɢɖɑ̀ʂqəʂ, ɟdɪttíɛdmɪ, ɟdɪttíttɪ] *ŋatat-ʔit (“clean-stuff”) — n. in. soap
Day 20 - Tortoise
ríe (ka-raíe), réiar, ríeas, ríemi, réi [ríɛ (qə-ɻəíɛ), rɛ́iəɻ, ríɛəʂ, ríɛmɪ, rɛ́i] *haruj — n. an. tortoise (large)
réin (ka-raéin), rìeniar, ràonas, rìenmi, rìeni [rɛ́in (qə-ɻəɛ́in), rìɛnɪəɻ, ɻɑ̀oɳəʂ, rìɛnmɪ, rìɛnɪ] *haruj-jin — n. an. tortoise (little), a term of endearment
Day 21 - Goat
djvèil (kai-dvèil), djvìeliar, djvàolgas, djvèilmi, djvìedli [ȡʋɛ̀il (qəɪ-ȡʋɛ̀il), ȡʋíɛlɪəɻ, d̪ʋɑ̀oɭɢəʂ, ȡʋɛ̀ilmɪ, ȡʋìɛdlɪ] *jowel — n. an. goat, with regularization of the accusative and ergative (expected forms ghìeliar, ghiàolgas [ʝíɛlɪəɻ, ʝɪɑ̀oɭɢəʂ])
Day 22 - River
réit (mi-), ráoskas, ríedmi, rítti [rɛ́it (mɪ-), ɻɑ́oʂqəʂ, ríɛdmɪ, ríttɪ] *ʔuroʕ-ʔit (“flow-stuff”) — n. in. river,
réizjin (mi-), raizjíeanas, rizjíenmi, rizjíeni [rɛ́iʑɪn (mɪ-), ɻəɪʑíɛɑɳəʂ, rɪʑíɛnmɪ, rɪʑíɛnɪ] — *ʔuroʕ-ʔitjin (“little flow stuff”) — n. in. creek
Day 23 - Island
àozjas [ɑ̀oz̪əʂ] *ʕotjus — cv. (with píear “give”) water
djòskal (mia-zjòskal), djaskáolgas, djiskíelmi, djaskóadla [d̪òʂqəɭ (mɪə-z̪òʂqəɭ), d̪əʂqɑ́oɭɢəʂ, ȡɪscíɛlmɪ, d̪əʂqóɑɖɭə] *ʕotjus-kul (“water-land”) — n. in. island
djìssit (mizjìssit), djòskas, djissíedmi, djissítti [ȡìssɪt (mɪ-ʑìssɪt), d̪òʂqəʂ, ȡɪssíɛdmɪ, ȡɪssíttɪ] *ʕotjus-ʔit (“water-stuff”) — n. in. water
Day 24 - Hill
maès [məɛ̀s] *maʕes — cv. (with ktjíe “do”) pile, heap, stack
màskal (mia-), maskáolgas, maiskíelmi, maskóadla [mɑ̀ʂqəɭ (mɪə-), məʂqɑ́oɭɢəʂ, məɪscíɛlmɪ, məʂqóɑɖɭə] *maʕes-kul (“pile-land”) — n. in. hill
Day 25 - Sun
ptjít (kai-), ptjíear, ptjéaskas, ptjíedmi, ptjítti [pȶít (qəɪ-), pȶíɛəɻ, pȶɛ́əʂqəʂ, pȶíɛdmɪ, pȶíttɪ] *putit — n. an. sun
Day 26 - Moon
ngiòt (kai-), ngìear, ngìaskas, ngìedmi, ngiòtta [ɲɪòʈ (qəɪ-), ɲíɛəɻ, ɲìəʂqəʂ, ɲíɛdmɪ, ɲɪòʈʈə] *ŋojut — n. an. moon
ngìe (mi-), ngìeas, ngìemi, ngèi [ɲìɛ (mɪ-), ɲìɛəʂ, ɲìɛmɪ, ɲɛ̀i] *ŋoj — n. in. light
ngiòad-ngìe — n. in. moonlight
ptjíed-ngìe — n. in. sunlight
Day 27 - Quiet
fsís [fsís] *pithis — cv. (with bròan “be”) quiet
fsíez-bìear — n. an. owl, lit. “quiet-wing”
fsíeazvar (ka-fsóazvar), fsóarar, fsàorgas, fsizvíermi, fsazvóadra [fsíɛəʐʋəɻ (qə-fʂóɑʐʋəɻ), fʂóɑɻəɻ, fʂɑ́oɻɢəʂ, fsɪzʋíɛrmɪ, fʂəʐʋóɑɖɻə] *pithis-wur (“quiet animal”) — n. an. butterfly
Day 28 - Crest
njìevil (mi-), njiviáolgas, njivéilmi, njivíedli [ȵìɛʋil (mɪ-), ȵɪʋɪɑ́oɭɢəʂ, ȵɪʋɛ́ilmɪ, ȵɪʋíɛdlɪ] *janij-pal (“stand-thing”) — n. in. crest, comb (of a bird)
Day 29 - Health
bdàozais (mi-bdiàozais), bdazáskas, bdizéizmi, bdazaéssi [bɖɑ̀oʐəɪs (mɪ-bdɪɑ̀oʐəɪs), bɖəʐɑ́ʂqəʂ, bdɪzɛ́izmɪ, bɖəʐəɛ́ssɪ] *motas-ʕes (“whole-ness”) — n. in. health, with regularization of the ergative and genitive (expected forms bdáskas [bɖɑ́ʂqəʂ], bdiazaéizmi [bdɪəʐəɛ́izmɪ])
bdàozais [bɖɑ̀oʐəɪs] *motas-ʕes — interjection. a greeting and farewell phrase
Day 30 - Honor
tnjéin [ȶȵɛ́in] *kinen — cv. (with píear “give”) honor
tnjíenis (kai-dnjíenis), tnjíeziar, tnjíeaskas, tnjinéizmi, tnjinéssi [ȶȵíɛnɪs (qəɪ-ȡȵíɛnɪs), ȶȵíɛzɪəɻ, ȶȵíɛəʂqəʂ, ȶȵɪnɛ́izmɪ, ȶȵɪnɛ́ssɪ] *kinen-has (“honored”) — n. an. village leader, with regularization of the locative (expected form tnjanáissi [t̪n̪əɳɑ́ɪssɪ])
Day 31 - Season
ngnàs [ɴɳɑ̀ʂ] *ŋonos — cv. (with pnjét “go”) turn
sfés [sfɛ́s] *kaswes — cv. (with ktjíe “do”) blow
zòa(-), zìe-, za-, zi- [ʐòɑ(-), zìɛ-, ʐə-, zɪ-] *wosuw — v. imp. grow, with regularization of the infinitive (expected form òa [òɑ])
ngnàs, ngnàskas, ngnèizmi, ngnàssa [ɴɳɑ̀ʂ, ɴɳɑ̀ʂqəʂ, ɲnɛ̀izmɪ, ɴɳɑ̀ʂʂə] *ŋonos — n. in. season, turn (period of time with a consistent type of weather), with regularization of the genitive (expected form ngàoskas [ɴɑ̀oʂqəʂ])
sféssit, sféaskas, sfissíedmi, sfissítti [sfɛ́ssɪt, sfɛ́əʂqəʂ, sfɪssíɛdmɪ, sfɪssíttɪ] *kaswes-ʔit (“wind-stuff”) — n. in. wind
ái-sféssit (mi-ái-sféssit) — n. in. winter, hunting season, lit. hunt-wind
zòai-sféssit (mi-òai-sféssit) — n. in. summer, growing season, lit. grow-wind
