Roderish is a gobbledygook language I made for Muridwold, my mouse fantasy world, as the primary language for all rodents. Technically each rodent species speaks its own dialect (Muris for mice and Ratta for rats), but I plan on making that differentiation solely in descriptions of the language and how characters react to accents, rather than writing it into individual words. Here are my notes on the language, as a general example of one way a gobbledygook language can develop.

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Described as a “squeaky, chirpy” language. Lots of voiceless stops and fricatives.

Words

• Skræch: Verb. Originally the act of artfully scratching, carving, or drawing something, but it has since been co-opted by the bloodskræchers and now refers to the strange drawings, scratchings, or carvings they make to perform magic.
  • IPA: skɹætʃ
  • Skræchim: Noun. A drawing, scratching, or carving used for a magical purpose.
    • IPA: skrætʃim.
• Thayma: Verb. Cleaning one’s face for personal comfort or hygiene.
  • IPA: ðeɪmə
• The following are plans I have for future words, if I ever need them in a story; when researching rodents these seemed like the kind of things rodents would have one word for.
  • Verb. Shaving or otherwise shortening (and sharpening) one’s teeth. This could involve eating something primarily for this purpose (rather than eating), grinding one’s teeth against a stone or other inedible object, etc.
  • Verb. Eating fecal pellets (for the purpose of getting increased nutrients from plant-based foods, especially those high in cellulose).
  • Verb. Urinating/scenting an area to mark territory or otherwise leave a message.
  • Verb. Leaning back on one’s tail to stand higher, creating a tripod between the back paws and the tail. Also used for dominance challenges.
  • Verb. Social facial whisker touching.

Grammatical Features

• -im/-tsim: Suffix. Turns a verb into a noun. Use the ‘ts’ version if the verb ends in a vowel, nasal, or ‘r’ equivalent.
  • IPA: -im/-tsim
• gor-/gorskr-: Prefix. Denotes largeness, greatness, or danger. Use the ‘skr’ ending when the word begins with a vowel, nasal, or ‘r’ equivalent.
  • IPA: goɹ-/goɹskɹ-
• crae-/craets-: Prefix. Denotes smallness, cuteness, or inability to cause harm. Use the ‘tsi’ ending when the word begins with a vowel.
  • IPA: kɹi-/kɹits-

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_{Copyright © 2023 by David Ludlow}