Here's what I have for Nvomi so far:
Nvomi's "recognized" registers can be split into Rough, Casual, Polite, and Formal. The (Written) Standard is generally a mixture of everything but Rough.
Light Verb Bits: These things typically require some sort of "padding".
Formal: Many types of padding, mostly dealing with power relations.
Minkoto. [ work.PAD ]
I serve you.Mingupi. [ work.PAD ]
Serve me well.Dài kyáli tana-rìnhalá. [ GEN\lord SUB\works you-I-IDK\love.PAD ]
I have always enjoyed your art, my friend.Polite: Nine padding words based on time of day, for "short" situations (e.g. talking to a clerk or cashier, passing someone on the street). Otherwise (e.g. chatting at work or school), a few from Formal are used and dropped for the Casual as early as possible.
Casual: Padding varies between people and place; it is always some syllable, followed by a repeat of the bit. Popular with girls for this and Rough is repeating the bit twice. Also common is no padding at all.
Ri! / Riari! / Rikori! / Ripuri! / Ririri! Love it!Nò(nono)-shi. I didn't say anything.Rough: No padding used.
Nó-shi. I'm not talking.Written: Common are
shishi,
lashi, and
shila, combinations of 'be' and 'do'. There's no real rule about using them, but one convention is
lashi for light verbs starting with S, SH, or CH,
shila for those starting with L, and
shishi for everything else. The educated/literary/snobby set prefer these as their spoken Casual padding.
Honorifics:Formal: Polite: A couple, mostly based on occupation, used to set the level of conversation and then dropped ASAP.
Casual: Very few, mostly terms of endearment, used like in Polite.
Rough: Varies wildly based on person, area, situation, from
a lot to sometimes none used at all.
Pronouns:
Formal: Names and honorifics used with pronouns; inversion of subject/object prefixes occurs with this. Inferiors are sometimes referred to with various demonstratives and bland adjectives.
Myòya mrìu tana-súnhala. [ GEN\Myoya GEN\lady you-I-PRS\see.PAD]
I see you, Lady Myoya.Rùvu ldòa jíshisi mùshishi (tana-)sùngupi. [ GEN\here GEN\servant OBL\go.PAD GEN\come.PAD (you-I-)PST\see.PAD ]
I have observed your comings and goings.
Polite: Standard pronouns used
as honorifics in short situations (to avoid having to figure out what title or honorific to use). Otherwise, pronouns only used for clarity.
Myòya tári nà-súkosu. [ GEN\Myoya OBL\you I-PRS\see.PAD ]
I see you, Ms./Mrs./Lady/I-Don't-Know-Your-Rank Myoya.]
Casual: Low Nvomi: -e addition to Standard pronouns. High Nvomi: gemination of Standard pronouns. Standard pronouns also common.
Nata-súkosu. / (Low)
Tárie/Té ne-súkosu. / (High)
Átta/áttari (anna-)súkosu. / (Nerd)
Nata-súlashi. I see you.Rough: Various dialect words common.
Tòroe ji tòe mu, ne-sù. [ GEN\you go GEN\you come I-PST\see ]
I seen ya comin' and goin'.Regarding Counters, Numbers, Adjectives:
Formal: Adjectives and numbers, in their full forms, must be attached to a counter.
Not a general counter, unless the proper counter is actually descended from that
(or a similar-sounding) word.
hinonli susu [ one-person son ] one sonharanonli susu [ one-person son ] one sonhinlagi susu [ one-boy son ] one sonharanlagi susu [ one-boy son ]
one sonjuolyami lyama [ pleasant-season season ] pleasant seasonjuonsoli lyami [ pleasant-intangible season ]
pleasant seasonPolite: Numbers must be used in their full form. Adjectives do not have to be attached to a counter, but they must be suffixed with
-nga. General counters are okay.
haranonli susu one sonjuonga lyami pleasant seasonCasual: Counters are only used for clarity; general counters are okay. Short forms allowed for numbers. Adjectives, and numbers, do not need to suffixed to anything.
hara/hi susu one sonjuo lyami pleasant seasonRough: Use counters for clarity (or not!), and in that case only the general ones. Dialect words for numbers are a must.
u susu one son
There's some more stuff with suffixed
-e/gemination, which forms diminutives and verb-to-nominals that are usually Casual, the Polite/Formal words that would be used in place of those (formed via compounding), and the lists of words that only belong to a specific register (e.g. most curses are explicitly Rough). Things are further complicated by Nvomi's strict caste system. While Commoners don't have to worry about too much, the Nobility have it rough, especially in the Honorifics department. But that is mostly for Formal situations, which there is always time to prepare for.
There'll be stuff for a few areas where Polite and Formal are merging, but I haven't worked any of that out much.
Right now it's mostly diphthongs = Polite, new monophs = Casual; emphasis on pitch accent = Polite, emphasis on volume/vowel length= Casual.