Pronouncing Felis Words

Felis is a breathy, soft language, even though it has hissing and spitting sounds as well. The Kin speak slowly, using breaths and soft back-of-throat hisses to enunciate. Humans are sometimes agitated when listening to Kin speak Etymis, because they pronounce each syllable without shortening the sounds. For example, they do not drop the ING in Etymis (such as 'goin' instead of 'going').

"HH" Words

Words containing "HH" such as hheen (sex), hhh (he), hhah (name)

Use breath to hiss without the "ss" sound. Use the middle of the mouth instead of tongue and teeth. Place tongue against the back of the bottom teeth, open mouth, stiffen the jaw and tongue by tightening cheeks, then express air from the throat.

"H" Words

Words containing a single "H" within them such as kahta (eye singular or plural).

Within a word, H's denote the vowel is short but held a bit longer when spoken. Example, kahta is said kah(two beats)-ta (one beat)

The same is true when at the end of a word. Hold the sound a beat longer. Such as "ahnsgah" (female). This has two H's. Hold the first syllable for two beats, as well as the second one.

"O" Sounds

A note about "O". If it's near two consonants, such as in sonnahmee, it sounds more like the "O" in the word "orange." Before an H it's a long O sound and is held for an extra beat. By itself, it's long but held for only one beat.

"Y" Words

Yl is said as 'ill'. Yl is the connecting word "and" but can also mean "too" depending on context.

Y is usually pronounced as a short I sound. The exceptions are with K when it is said as a long E (as in the name Yykksah EEK-sah) and with an M, when it is pronounced as itself (as in the word for rain Ymmer - YIM-mer).

Stiff Hiss Words

Kz is a hard K sound made the same way as HH, except forceful (curse, kilt), the Z is like the zz in buzz. Kz means war.

Soft Hiss Words

"FF" denotes a soft "f" sound. (feather, poof), followed by a t, it ends with a tick of the tongue against teeth, such as in the word soft, or gift. When you see it with several F's and T's, as in ffffftt, the cussword, it's soft-hissed through the teeth and ends almost in a spitting T at the end.

Now, with all that wonderful knowledge, here's how to pronounce the phrase, "Shlahfftees kahta tu sonnahmee yl nah kz sonnahmee," which means, "Close your tired eyes and dream good dreams." Lit, "Tired eyes you dream and good dream."

ShlAHHfft-eez kAHH-ta too son-nAHH-mee ill nAHH kzz son-nAHH-mee

Now, to say, "Yes, mother. I am tired. Good night. Love you."

"Pah, Ayleese. Te shlahfftees. Gownur. Shree tu."

Pah Ay-LEES (soft s). Tih ShlAHHfft-eez Gow-NER. SHREE too.