Empheri language

Empheri
Empherian
empheri
Pronunciation	/ɛmfeːɹɪ/
Native to	High Kingdoms of Alaxia
Region	East Alaxia
Ethnicity	Empher
Native speakers	TBD Native Speakers (2526) L2 Speakers in the High Kingdoms of Alaxia TBD c. TBD
Language family	Anter-Alaxian Anter-Sisinic Sisinic Para-Empheri Empherian Languages Empheri
Early forms	Old Empheri Middle Empheri Neutral Dialects
Writing system	Anternian Script
Official status
Official language in	2 countries Grensalbourg High Kingdoms of Alaxia 2 regions Empherias (High Kingdoms of Alaxia)
Recognised minority language in	Hveden Federation
Language codes
ISO 639-3	–
File:Map Empheriphone World.png   Official Language   Co-Official Language   Recognized Minority Language

Empheri (empheri; /ɛmfeːɹɪ/) is a Sisinic language, a member of the much broader Anter-Alaxian group. It is an official language of Grensalbourg and High Kingdoms of Alaxia, as well as the province of Sarmenia in the Hveden Federation. It has approximately 70 million speakers.

Empheri is a minor East Alaxian language. Following the introduction of Exteras, many were unsure of the future of the language, but it has prevailed due to Empheri continuing to be taught as the primary language, and Exteras a secondary language. Following the Exteras in Government Act 2481, it required any future cabinet Minister to the Union to be fluent in both languages, but did not place this requirement on any other public office.

Several bills have been put forth over the last eighty years to try and replace Empheri as the language of governing with Exteras, but all of these attempts have failed when voted on. Empheri has remained alive despite the cultural dominance of Exteras due to a mixture of nationalism, efforts of preservation, the state broadcaster still regularly producing new Empheri content and dubbing international content, and a lack of willpower to switch to Exteras.

Significant Empheri immigrants exist in Ceironia, Karkuss, Hvede, other High Kingdoms countries, and smaller groups in Alaxia. It was previously recognised as an official language in Palakkinen until 2485, and since 2400, the population of Empheri people in Palakkinen has dramatically decreased to near insignificant numbers.

Phonology

Main article: Empheri phonology

The following table describes the phonemic consonants found in Standard Empheri. There are 19 consonants in total, though a great deal of variation is present in the standard language. Other Empheri dialects have more or less than the amount found in Standard Empheri, some (like Utuek) having significantly more so. Standard Empheri contains a large and diverse vowel system, with 17 monophthongs and 11 diphthongs. Between speakers and even within individuals, a significant amount of allophonic variation is present in the vowels.

Consonants

		Labial	Coronal		Post-Alveolar	Velar	Glottal
Nasals		m	n
Stops	Voiceless	p	t			k
	Voiced	b	d		dʒ	g
Fricatives	Voiceless	f	θ	s	ʃ		h
	Voiced	v	z
Liquids			l		ɹ	w

Vowels (Monophthongs)

	Front				Central		Back
	Unrounded		Rounded
	Short	Long	Short	Long	Short	Long	Short	Long
Close	ɪ	iː	ʏ~œ	yː			ʊ	uː
Mid	ɛ	eː		øː	ə	əː	ɔ	oː
Open	æ	aː					ʌ	ɑː

Vowels (Diphthongs)

	Front		Back
			Fronting		Backing
	Short	Long	Short	Long	Short	Long
Close		yɪː		uɪː
Mid	ɛɪ	eɪː	ɔɪ	oɪː	ɔʊ	oʊː
Open	æɪ	aɪː				ɑʊː