AUI (language)

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The correct title of this article is aUI (language). The initial letter is shown capitalized due to technical restrictions.

aUI is a constructed language credited to John W. Weilgart.

aUI has 42 phonemes (including nasalized variations on the vowels for numbers), each with an associated meaning:

a (pronounced like a in about): 'space'
e (pronounced like e in bend): 'movement'
i (pronounced like i in win): 'light'
u (pronounced like u in bush): 'human'
o (pronounced like o in port): 'life'
y (pronounced like ü in German fünf): 'negative'
q (pronounced like eu in French jeune): 'condition'
A (pronounced like a in water): 'time'
E (pronounced like ai in hair): 'matter'
I (pronounced like ee in sleep): 'sound'
U (pronounced like oo in soon): 'mind'
O (pronounced like o in go): 'feeling'

a*: 1 (asterisk indicates that the sound is short, nasal and stands for a numeral)
e*: 2
i*: 3
u*: 4
o*: 5
A*: 6
E*: 7
I*: 8
U*: 9
O*: 10
y*: 0

b: 'together'
c (pronounced like sh in short): 'being'
d: 'through'
f: 'this'
g: 'inside'
h: 'question'
j (pronounced like s in television): 'equal'
k: 'above'
l: 'round'
m: 'quality'
n: 'quantity'
p: 'before'
r: 'positive'
s: 'thing'
t: 'toward'
v: 'active'
w: 'power'
x (pronounced like ch in Bach): 'relation'
z: 'part'

The language was designed so that ideally, the meaning of each phoneme would tie into its properties. The phoneme /b/, for instance, meaning "together", is pronounced with the lips pressed together. The short i, which means "light", takes the brightest, highest-frequency sound, while the long I, which means "sound", takes longer to say, because sound travels more slowly than light.

Each phoneme also has a character that represents its meaning. The symbol for a, meaning "space", for instance, is a circle to enclose an open space. The symbol for e, meaning "movement", follows the movement of a spiral nebula. The u, meaning "human", is a caret shape, suggesting two legs. The o, meaning "life", is represented by the shape of a leaf, plants and photosynthesis forming the basis of all life. The v, meaning "active", is represented by a lightning bolt, the most active thing in nature. The character for g, meaning "inside", is a dot inside a circle. The character for t, meaning "toward", is a split arrow shape pointing towards the right.

aUI attempts oligosynthesis and is said to have been transmitted to John W. Weilgart by a being from another world.

[edit] External links and references

Alan Libert, A Priori Artificial Languages. Lincom Europa, Munich, 2000. ISBN 3-89586-667-9
The "Language of Space", concerning the bizarre claims of one John W. Weilgart to have learned a language from a little green spaceman.