Proto-Volasic language

The Proto-Volasic language has nothing to do with pickles!

Vowels
In addition to these vowels, Proto-Velasic also had vocalic /r̩/ and /l̩/ and the glides /i̯/ and /u̯/. The phonemes /r/ and /l/ are counted as semivowels alongside the glides, not as consonants.

Phonotactics
Proto-Velasic morphemes were divided into roots and particles.

Roots came in two varieties: the "CLC pattern" roots (with C representing any consonant besides /r/ and /l/ and L representing a semivowel), and the "CC pattern" roots (with C representing any consonant besides /r/ and /l/). Three basic roots would be *ɣls (CLC), *bi̯s (CLC), and *dn (CC). Roots have three grades: e-grade, o-grade, and zero-grade. In the e-grade, an /e/ is added directly after the first C: *ɣels, *bei̯s, *den. In the o-grade, an /o/ is added directly after the first C: *ɣols, *boi̯s, *don. The zero-grade has no inserted vowel in CLC roots; instead, the L is simply lengthened into a vowel: *ɣl̩s, *bis. In CC roots, an /a/ is inserted directly after the first C: *dan. Information about the uses of the different grades can be found below, in the section Morphology.

Infixes would be inserted after the L; for example, *ɣolas (o-grade CLC), *bimas (zero-grade CLC). The phonemes /r/ and /l/ may not appear anywhere else but as the L in a root.

Particles typically had a (C)V(C) pattern. The phoneme /j/ may only appear as the first C of a particle syllable. Liquids and glides may not appear in particles. Particles were used for affixes and grammatical words.

Phoneme limitations

 * /ŋ/ may only appear at the end of a root.
 * /l/ and /r/ may only appear as the L of a root.
 * /j/ may only appear as the first consonant of a particle.

Grades
The grade of a root was determined by The grade of a root often changes the meaning. For example, in verbs, the e-grade is used in the active stem, while the o-grade is used in the passive stem and was often used in nouns derived from verbs: for example, the root word *bei̯si means "to speak", and the o-grade is found in the word *boi̯so, meaning "word", and *boi̯si, "to be spoken". This system was productive in Proto-Volasic but is not productive in any of the daughter languages that are attested.

Nouns
Nouns in Proto-Volasic were declined based on case (nominative, accusative, genitive, locative, and lative) and number (singular, dual, and plural). Nouns also came in multiple declensions: semivocalic (i-stem, r-stem, u-stem, and l-stem), nasal (m-stem, n-stem, and ŋ-stem), and vocalic (a-stem). There is also a miscellaneous "fourth declension" which is very rare and was regularized into the other declensions in most of the daughter languages. The fourth declension is best preserved in Archaic Ghavanic, but traces of it are also found in ancient varieties of Chelyraic and Velochoic.

Declensions
In the semivocalic declension, i- and r-stem endings use e- and ē-grade endings, while u- and l-stems use the o- and ō-grade endings. The roots shift into the zero-grade when the stress moves away from the root (as in *pŕ̩tr̩ > *pr̩tḗr). Long-grade roots resist this (as in *ɣṓlasi > *ɣōlasḗi̯).

Name
The speakers of Proto-Volasic probably called themselves *ɣōlasḗi̯. This term is reconstructed based on the name several Volasic peoples give their legendary ancestors: for example, in Chelyran, they are known as Vōlasī. The Nebulonic Three Brothers Cycle stories give the legendary brothers the surname Ólæs, leading to the Nebulonic name of the Old Continent, Olǽsne.