tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-69098973524918509022024-03-14T00:25:39.152+13:00Journal of an Eclectic TongueAndrew Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11012204454908980357noreply@blogger.comBlogger130125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6909897352491850902.post-24553983296794667832013-02-18T20:29:00.000+13:002013-02-18T20:29:33.811+13:00My booksI'm back from a visit to Wellington. A pleasant weekend away, I got to see jousting, mediaeval re-enactment, and metal weapons combat. What fun!<br />
<br />
Also I got to raid second-hand book stores for new material for my eclectic language project. Three new Teach Yourself books added to my collection.<br />
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The first two are TY Welsh and TY Beginner's Hindi. These are later publications from the Hodder&Stoughton period of this franchise. I'm pleased with finding them. I have an earlier TY Welsh from the English Universities Press period so I was glad to find a more modern version. I didn't have a good Hindi title in this series so Beginner's Hindi was a good find. Perhaps one day I will find more good introductions to this language.<br />
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As these are later titles they don't list the irregularities or highlighted words in the contents that I want to use and incorporate into my eclectic language. I will add them to the stack of books I want to work through and see if they add any new material in my write-up of my own grammar.<br />
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The third book I found was irresistable! TY Hausa from 1973! The patron saints of invented languages have been looking after me this weekend! It's an interesting language with glottalised and non-glottalised stops, and tense-marking in pronouns! I like the latin orthography, a very attractive language.<br />
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Following the rules of incorporation into my eclectic language I have three new extracts to note for my grammar creation of an eclectic tongue: 1. some new notes on the verb 'to be'; 2. the future aspect of the verb 'to go'; and 3. notes on the relaters <i>sai</i> and <i>da</i>.<br />
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I was also tempted by a modern edition TY Swahili. I resisted as I felt I had made enough dents into my budget. Perhaps it will still be there in a future visit.Andrew Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11012204454908980357noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6909897352491850902.post-38462503837005928392013-01-20T15:05:00.002+13:002013-01-20T15:05:57.136+13:00Conlang Card Exchange 2012e
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">N</span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">í</span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">
âre premye babik Yeu ve shapâmet premyeron nenon. </span>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">Ossí
premyeron nenon wo' a? </span>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">Ossí
ya dacha pidya údna binnya bina ve milt pena woha. </span>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=6909897352491850902" name="__DdeLink__6_788454370"></a><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">Ossí
pena shapâma premye babik Yeu ve dúde latette nilimwege. </span>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">Daka
kembí sha.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
make.IMP you together</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
May you do likewise.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
The final line of the Conlang Card Exchange is an admonition. <i>Daka</i> is an imperative, 'make!', 'do!' The pronoun modifies it to a jussive, 'may you do!', and <i>sha</i> is a useful adverb that adds emphasis, 'very', 'the same', 'just'.</div>
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</div>
I think one of the reasons for conlanging is putting things together, quite literally, like models. One of the early names for the Secret Vice on the internet was Model Languages. What I think we are modelling, ultimately, is the universe. Language shapes perception of the world we live in. So go play and show what you come up with!<br />
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Fiat lingua! Andrew Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11012204454908980357noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6909897352491850902.post-69306178389376277702013-01-19T16:31:00.001+13:002013-01-19T16:31:35.800+13:00Conlang Card Exchange 2012d
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">Ní
âre premye babik Yeu ve shapâmet premyeron nenon. </span>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">Ossí
premyeron nenon wo' a? </span>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">Ossí
ya dacha pidya údna binnya bina ve milt pena woha. </span>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">Ossí
pena shapâma premye babik Yeu ve dúde latette nilimwege</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">CONJ in command.INF first grandfather Y. NONPRESENT gave order in.world.DAT</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">And in speaking First Grandfather Yeu gave order to the world.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">Sorry to take so long over this. One last line which I hope to post tomorrow. </span></div>
Andrew Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11012204454908980357noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6909897352491850902.post-80691633363413639852013-01-11T17:57:00.000+13:002013-01-11T17:57:07.802+13:00Conlang Card Exchange 2012c
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Ní
âre premye babik Yeu ve shapâmet premyeron nenon. </span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Ossí premyeron
nenon wo' a? </span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Ossí ya dacha pidya údna binnya bina ve milt pena
woha.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">CONJ COM do.INF ask.INF one.NEUTER:PL thousand.ADJ:NEUTER:PL thousand.NEUTER:PL NON:PRESENT come:to.3PRES in be.INF</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">And with the asking of the (first) question a thousand thousand things came into being.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">It seems to be an appropriate line to end this chiasma. I return to completing this translation after the interruption of the holidays. I would have returned to it earlier except that I pushed my way through making notes from <i>Describing Morphosyntax</i> by Thomas Payne. The next challenge I have set myself is to create a coherent language out of my notes. I hope you remain with me as I rally and compile my thoughts.</span></div>
Andrew Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11012204454908980357noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6909897352491850902.post-55061397501038715482012-12-21T20:22:00.000+13:002012-12-21T20:22:43.259+13:00Conlang Card Exchange 2012bSecond Line:<br />
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Ní
âre premye babik Yeu ve shapâmet premyeron nenon. </span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Ossí premyeron
nenon wo' a?</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">conj first.neuter word be.past interrogative</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>In the beginning first grandfather Yeu said the first word.</i></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>And the first word was 'eh?'</i></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">The interrogative particle <i>a</i> usually comes at the beginning of a sentence where it acts like the English verb 'do' in a question: <i>A shap</i></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i><span style="font-family: inherit;">âmet Yeu?</span></i><span style="font-family: inherit;"> Does Yeu speak? In this text I decided to play with it and use it as an utterance of surprise: oh! hey! huh! So for the Shente they say, In the beginning was the word, and the word was <b>D'oh!</b></span> Maybe things started out differently for them. </span></div>
Andrew Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11012204454908980357noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6909897352491850902.post-2345341702826590872012-12-20T13:35:00.000+13:002012-12-20T13:35:20.671+13:00Conlang Exchange Card 2012aI posted my cards for the Conlang Exchange today. Here is the first line:<br />
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Ní
âre premye babik Yeu ve shapâmet premyeron nenon.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">loc beginning.dat first.masc grandfather Y. nonpresent command.past first.neuter word</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">In the beginning first grandfather Yeu uttered the first word.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">First grandfather Yeu is the primal ancestor of the Shente. The Shente call him <i>babik</i> grandfather because everything originated from him. Because of his importance the Shente use superior status language when talking about him. He doesn't just say the first word, he <b>commands</b> the first word.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"> The language of the Shente has grammatical gender. <i>Babik</i> is masculine and <i>nenon</i> word is neuter. The word for 'first' changes before each word, being <i>premye</i> before <i>babik</i> and <i>premyeron</i> before <i>nenon.</i></span></div>
Andrew Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11012204454908980357noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6909897352491850902.post-48359642009254500422012-11-09T21:48:00.000+13:002012-11-09T21:48:21.951+13:00Starlings' Song 5Some final comments on this translation.<br />
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<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<i>rodinití</i> <b>heroic deeds</b> the stem is <i>rodina</i> <b>hero</b>. The ending makes it into an abstract noun.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<i>imbon</i> <b>song</b> or <b>hymn</b> a neuter noun</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
I needed to create three words for names of bird species. I chose in the end to look in a guide to birds of my local city. I found out that 'starling' has been borrowed into Maori as <i>taringi</i>. I borrowed that word and disguised it as <i>tadrin</i>. </div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
'Heron' came from the Maori word <i>kotuku</i> which I can trace back to a proto-Polynesian list of words. The <i>Kotuku</i> is the white heron, a sacred bird in some traditions. It crosses between the worlds of the living and the dead. I made the word<i> kôduk.</i></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
I was pleased to find the skylark in the guide. Its Maori name is <i>whioi</i>, the whistler. I couldn't find a word for 'whistle' so I used the word <i>w</i><i>úya</i>, to blow. <i>Wúyayon</i> means 'instrument for blowing', I changed the ending to a diminutive,<i> w</i><i>úyayet</i>, little whistler. I don't rule out that the stem of the bird-name may change if I uncover a more suitable word.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
The word for rain is <i>wua</i>. Feminine nouns in the dative change the stem with the inclusion of an <i>i</i>-sound, <i>wia</i>.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<i>Bina</i> <b>see, look</b> is one of a handful of verbs that changes stem if it is in a dependent clause, a rule borrowed from Irish Gaelic. In this case the dependent verb is <i>wabina.</i></div>
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<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
The sentiment of the last line appeals to me in this language. Who knows the truth about birds? My theory is we create language to make a model of the universe. I think the Shente have a creation myth that when <i>premye babik Yeu</i> <b>first grandfather Yeu</b><i> </i>said <i>Ai petten?</i> <b>what's that?</b> the universe came into being.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Now to play with something new. See you in a while.<i> </i></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<i> </i></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
</div>
Andrew Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11012204454908980357noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6909897352491850902.post-74001312029032783362012-11-08T17:16:00.001+13:002012-11-08T17:16:54.070+13:00Starlings' Song 4
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<i>Ei rodinití imbon e tadrinte gúyet</i></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<i>Pena wia matina kôduk pret</i></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<i>Ninosht w</i><i>úyayet</i><i>
bitwente dyayet</i></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<i>Chota lideyen e dengí so wabina?</i></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Who sees the truth of birds?</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
who.nominative truth.accusative accompanitive.plural bird.plural be.relative dependent.see.infinitive.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<i><br /></i></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
The last line of four lines. That was fun to do. I will post a final note on this translation at a future time.</div>
Andrew Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11012204454908980357noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6909897352491850902.post-34685984426535713262012-11-05T20:11:00.000+13:002012-11-05T20:11:23.097+13:00Starlings' Song 3
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<i>Ei rodinití imbon e tadrinte gúyet</i></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<i>Pena wia matina kôduk pret</i></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<i>Ninosht w</i><i>úyayet</i><i>
bitwente dyayet</i></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
In the night the skylark worships the stars<i></i></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
locative-night skylark star.plural worship.present.singular</div>
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<a href="http://www.valdyas.org/irina/valdyas/ilaini/hanleni_halsen/hinla.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.valdyas.org/irina/valdyas/ilaini/hanleni_halsen/hinla.jpg" /></a></div>
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Andrew Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11012204454908980357noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6909897352491850902.post-71679548619614495742012-11-04T20:15:00.000+13:002012-11-04T20:15:42.899+13:00Starlings' Song 2The second line:<br />
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<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<i>Ei rodinití imbon e tadrinte gúyet</i></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<i>Pena wia matina kôduk pret</i></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
In the morning rain the heron washes<i> </i></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
locative rain<i>-</i>dative morning-genitive heron launder.present.singular<i> </i></div>
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<a href="http://www.valdyas.org/irina/valdyas/ilaini/hanleni_halsen/idanla.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.valdyas.org/irina/valdyas/ilaini/hanleni_halsen/idanla.jpg" /></a></div>
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Andrew Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11012204454908980357noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6909897352491850902.post-9316277831380741722012-11-03T14:48:00.000+13:002012-11-03T14:49:17.743+13:00Starlings' Song 1I enjoyed working on the text from the Conlang Relay. I've gone back and had a go at the first relay, <a href="http://www.valdyas.org/irina/valdyas/ilaini/hanleni_halsen/index.html" target="_blank">the Starlings' Song</a>. Here is the first line:<br />
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<i>Ei rodinití imbon e tadrinte gúyet</i></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
About heroics the song of starlings speaks</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
topic hero.abstract.plural song accompanitive.plural starling.plural speak.present.singular</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXWReKzt-FvXQdIsjO30V-dUo76pdXMLxbuORSe917Rna8vHVQEDiVzJLY1_QpwdDxtocVPRlD1OZHE3DzPsvIQnEx3wTvhWFmnclNxxMOoA5jS96V7XFiNxH2VKGPTO5TfvBpDmLPxgo/s1600/hanla%5B1%5D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXWReKzt-FvXQdIsjO30V-dUo76pdXMLxbuORSe917Rna8vHVQEDiVzJLY1_QpwdDxtocVPRlD1OZHE3DzPsvIQnEx3wTvhWFmnclNxxMOoA5jS96V7XFiNxH2VKGPTO5TfvBpDmLPxgo/s1600/hanla%5B1%5D.jpg" /></a></div>
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Andrew Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11012204454908980357noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6909897352491850902.post-24462896520439175302012-09-29T20:11:00.000+12:002012-09-29T20:11:54.001+12:00Conlang Relay Nineteen: Some Final Observations<i>Habot</i> is the word for rock or stone. The plural is <i>botí</i>, which makes the stem <i>bot</i> with different affixes for the singular and plural. It is also the word for milestone, and by extension the word for mile, the measured distance between stones.<br />
<br />
<i>Bena</i>, mountain, is a feminine noun. The genitive is <i>benas</i>. After a verb of motion the indirect object is the accusative <i>benan</i>, otherwise <i>bena</i> is used for the indirect object as well.<br />
<br />
This language has three gramatical genders: masculine, feminine and neuter. Masculine nouns are usually unmarked after the stem. Feminine nouns end in <i>-a</i>, neuter nouns in <i>-on</i>. The plural endings are <i>-í, -e</i>, and <i>-a</i>. There are other plural endings that have slipped into the language like the marker <i>-ga</i>. Nouns and adjectives agree for endings in gender, number and case.<br />
<br />
I have used <i>surut</i>, stream, to translate river, and <i>ríon</i>, brook, to translate valley as I don't have these words yet. This would mean that <i>ríon</i> has the extended meaning of a watercourse that may be dry for part of its time.<br />
<br />
<i>Shradye</i> means 'heart, emotional organ', different from heart, physical organ which pumps blood. The phrase for 'sad' literally means 'troubled heart'. The construction is repeated in the final quote as a balance. <i>Shradye</i> is a feminine noun with a soft ending.<br />
<br />
There are two stems for the word 'be at, be here': <i>âya</i> for inanimates like rocks, and <i>íya</i> for people and animals.<br />
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The associative preposition has different forms. If it governs a masculine or neuter noun it is <i>ya</i> or <i>a</i>. If it governs a masculine or neuter noun in an indirect clause after another preposition it is <i>ye</i> or <i>e</i>. This form is also used before plural nouns. If the noun is feminine it is <i>yí</i> or <i>í</i>. The <i>y</i> is dropped if the word before it ends in a consonant. In context it can mean 'and' or 'with'. It can join verbs together as an infinitive marker. It cannot join clauses. In that case the conjunction <i>dok</i> is used.Andrew Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11012204454908980357noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6909897352491850902.post-14006508974017669582012-09-28T21:06:00.002+12:002012-09-28T21:06:42.309+12:00Conlang Relay Nineteen Paragraph FourLast paragraph:<br />
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Nidolgon poslí merega, luk ve dâyet
lúb a kashte:</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
“Bodú ve seft nisha benan, dok bodú
ve bint títíg haní, títíg bishí, ye títíg dúdwan.”</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Premye habot ve kashte “Na'dâ
wolenshim bina ten.”</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Tal ve bonte, “Nas shradyega budet
shaten nipana.”</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Nidolgon poslí merega, luk ve dâyet
lúb a kashte:</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
A long time after some days, the mouse came back and said:</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
locative.long-time after day.plural mouse.nominative non-present come.past return associative say<quote>.past</quote></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
“Bodú ve seft nisha benan, dok bodú
ve bint títíg haní, títíg bishí, ye títíg dúdwan.”</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
"I went beyond the mountain, and I saw the same grasses, the same seeds, and the same insects."</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
1s non-present gone.past locative.beyond mountain.accusative, then 1s non-present see.past demonstrative-plural.same-plural grass.plural demonstrative-plural.same-plural seed.plural associative demonstrative-plural.same-plural insect.plural</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Premye habot ve kashte “Na'dâ
wolenshim bina ten.”</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
The first rock said, "We don't want to see that."</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
first rock non-present say<quote> 1p.here want.present.plural.negative see.infinitive demonstrative.neuter</quote></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Tal ve bonte, “Nas shradyega budet
shaten nipana.”</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
The other answered, "Our hearts will be happy forever."</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
other non-present answer.past our.plural heart.plural will-be.present happy locative.ever</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br />
</div>
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Good night<br />
</div>
Andrew Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11012204454908980357noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6909897352491850902.post-5667806296167852982012-09-27T19:56:00.000+12:002012-09-27T19:56:13.054+12:00Conlang Relay Nineteen Paragraph ThreeBack again, thanks for waiting. While I've got time before Doc Who and the Last Gunslinger I can post another paragraph.<br />
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Pet poslí kata deng ve plogete lúb a
kashte:</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
“Bodú ve ploget nisha benan, dok
bodú ve bint bradí surutí, wôda ría ye aotoka dradra.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Premye habot ve kashte “Magarí kem
na'dâ ve gabinten ten.”</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Tal ve bonte “Nas shradyega budet sús
nipana.”</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Pet poslí kata deng ve plogete lúb a
kashte:</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Soon after a time the bird flew back and said:</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
soon after time.genitive bird.nominative non-present fly.past return associative said.past</div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
“Bodú ve ploget nisha benan, dok
bodú ve bint bradí surutí, wôda ría ye aotoka dradra."</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
I flew beyond the mountain, and I saw broad streams, green brooks and tall trees.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
1s non-present fly.past locative.beyond mountain.accusative, then 1s non-present see.past broad.masculine.plural stream.masculine.plural, green.neuter.plural brook.neuter.plural associative tall.neuter.plural tree.neuter.plural</div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
"Premye habot ve kashte “Magarí kem
na'dâ ve gabinten ten.”</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
The first rock said, "Perhaps we could see that."</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
first rock.singular non-present say<quote>.past perhaps relative 1p.here non-present conditional.see.past demonstrative.neuter</quote></div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Tal ve bonte “Nas shradyega budet sús
nipana.”</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
The other answered, "Our hearts will be unhappy forever."</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
other non-present answer.past 1p.possessive.plural heart.plural future-be troublesome locative-ever</div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Have a good evening. </div>
Andrew Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11012204454908980357noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6909897352491850902.post-40990692642140003062012-09-23T21:10:00.001+12:002012-09-23T21:11:12.652+12:00Conlang Relay 19 Paragraph TwoSecond Paragraph:<br />
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Deng a lúka ve'de. Pena kúhya, brekí
ve kashten, “Ya botí, na'dâ pochen shodya nisha benan. Na'dâ ve
kashoden ye dâya lúb, dok gúya pena Sei ei petten so bina wa
nastr<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">í</span>, dok kembí ve
kawidet.” Botí ve shahente, dok deng a lúka ve shodyete bôt.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Deng a lúka ve'de.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
A bird and a mouse were there.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
bird.nominative associative.s mouse.genitive non-present be-at.past.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Pena kúhya, brekí
ve kashten, “Ya botí, na'dâ pochen shodya nisha benan.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
On hearing, they said, "O rocks, we can go beyond the mountain.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
locative hear/listen.infinitive 3p non-present say<quote>.past.plural vocative rock.plural 1p.here can.present.plural go.infinitive locative.beyond mountain.accusative.</quote></div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
"Na'dâ ve
kashoden ye dâya lúb, dok gúya pena Sei ei petten so bina wa
nastr<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">í</span>, dok kembí ve
kawidet."</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
We will go and come back, and tell to you about what we see, and you will know.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
1p.here future.go.plural associative.p come.infinitive return then tell.infinitive locative reflexive topic what.dative which-is see-infinitive instrumental 1p.genitive then you non-present future.know.3s.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
Botí ve shahente, dok deng a lúka ve shodyete bôt.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
The rocks agreed, and the bird and the mouse went away.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
rock.plural non-present agree.past then bird associative.s mouse.genitive non-present go.past away. </div>
Andrew Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11012204454908980357noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6909897352491850902.post-64359957957102528482012-09-22T12:32:00.000+12:002012-09-23T21:11:40.240+12:00Conlang Relay 19 Paragraph OneI see my connection to Blogspot has fixed itself. I can start posting on a translation exercise that I've recently finished. I was working on a translation of Amanda Babcock Furrow's <a href="http://eaworld.conlang.org/relays/relay19/relay19.php?ring=1&torch=01&torchlish=y&ringlish=N&reverse=n">Merechi text</a>. The first papagraph reads as follows:<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Ten ve âte yilí botí nirúmbe benas.
Údnon premye habot ve kashte “Gak súda petten âyet nisha bena?”</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Tal ve bonte “Na'dâ ve kawiden
shame.”</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">To translate:</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Ten ve âte yilí botí nirúmbe benas.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">There were two rocks on the slope of a mountain.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">3s.neuter non-present be-at.past two.plural rock.plural locative.slope.dative mountain.genitive.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Údnon premye habot ve kashte “Gak súda petten âyet nisha bena?”</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Once the first rock said, "I wonder what is beyond the mountain?" </span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">one.neuter first rock non-present say.past guess self.genitive what.accusative be-at.present locative.beyond mountain.dative.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Tal ve bonte “Na'dâ ve kawiden
shame.”</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">The other answered, "We shall never know.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">other non-present answer.past 1p.here non-present future.know.plural never.</span></div>
Andrew Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11012204454908980357noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6909897352491850902.post-2580407096699601142012-06-04T16:08:00.000+12:002012-06-04T16:10:48.015+12:00McGuffey 1:7-13Since I have time it is worth posting the next page from the McGuffey Reader. Especially since I have worked them out, and I can see the number of hits you gave me for posting. Please feel free to comment, question or complain. Maybe I can improve the messy presentation that blog-composer gave me last time. Cross fingers!<br />
<br />
[7] Binú tag' ume! <em>See the man!</em><br />
[8] Binú tago taknok as umena! <em>See the boy and the man!</em><br />
[9] Ta ume tent údnon pillon, <em>The man has a hat.</em><br />
[10] A tent ta taknok údnon pillon? <em>Has the boy a hat?</em><br />
[11] Ta taknok pohat kúrina, <em>The boy can run.</em><br />
[12] A pohat ta ume kúrina, <i>Can the man run?</i><br />
[13] Ta ume pohat bina tago taknok kúrina, <em>The man can see the boy run.</em><br />
<br />
<strong>Binú</strong> is the imperative of <strong>bina</strong> to see.<br />
<br />
<strong>Tago</strong> drops the final <strong>-o</strong> before a noun beginning with a vowel.<br />
<br />
<strong>Ume</strong> means <em>man, husband</em>. In the genitive form of the noun after <em>as</em> the stem is <em>umen-</em>.<br />
<br />
<strong>Tent</strong> is the form of the verb <em>to have, to hold</em>, when the subject is a noun.<br />
<br />
<strong>Údnon</strong> is the neuter form the indefinite article. It comes before the neuter noun <strong>pillon</strong>, hat. The neuter noun and the indefinite article have the ending <strong>-on</strong> in the Eclectic Tongue.<br />
<br />
<strong>Kúrina</strong> means <em>to run</em>.<br />
<br />
<strong>A</strong> is the question marker. It comes at the beginning of a sentence. When it is used the sentence changes order so that the verb comes directly after it, and then the subject of the sentence.Andrew Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11012204454908980357noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6909897352491850902.post-47482797072749955282012-06-03T16:21:00.000+12:002012-06-03T16:21:07.123+12:00McGuffey 1:1-6The Journal of an Eclectic Tongue has been dormant for the first half of 2012. Did you miss it? I needed an exercise that would give this project some life. McGuffey's First Reader seemed like a good exercise to challenge me. It's available from Gary Shannon's website <a href="http://fiziwig.com/conlang/resources/mcguffey_one.html">Fiziwig</a>. Here's a go at the first page.<br />
<br />
<span style="color: black;">[</span><span style="background-color: white; color: black;"><span style="color: black;">1]</span><span style="color: black;"> Bod<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">ú</span> bin <span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">ú</span>dn<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">í</span>go taknok, <em>I see a boy.</em></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: black;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: black;">[2</span><span style="background-color: white; color: black;"><span style="color: #999999;"><span style="color: black;">]</span> <span style="color: black;">Bod<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">ú</span> bin <span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">ú</span>dnan kalkan, <em>I see a girl.</em></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: black;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="background-color: white; color: black;"><span style="color: #999999;"><span style="color: black;">[3] Bod<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">ú</span> bin tago taknok ís kalkas, <em>I see the body and the girl.</em></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: black;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="background-color: white; color: black;"><span style="color: #999999;"><span style="color: black;">[4] Ta taknok pohat bina dan kalkan, <em>The boy can see the girl.</em> </span></span></span></span></span><br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
[5] Bod<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">ú</span> poham bina dan kalkan as taknoka, <em>I can see the girl and the boy.</em></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
[6] Bod<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">ú</span> poham bina dan kalkan, <em>I can see the girl.</em></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
That's a lot of information.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<strong>Bod</strong><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><strong>ú</strong> is the usual word for the pronoun <em>I</em>.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<strong>Bin</strong> is the word for <em>see, look at</em>. The infinitive form of the verb is <strong>bina</strong>.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<strong>Poha</strong> is the stem for the auxiliary verb <em>can, be able to</em>. If the subject of <strong>poha</strong> is b<strong>od</strong><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><strong>ú</strong> then the ending is <strong>-m</strong>. If the subject of <strong>poha</strong> is a noun then the ending is <strong>-t</strong>.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><strong>Údn<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">í</span>go</strong> and <strong>údnan</strong> are both articles meaning <em>a (certain one)</em>. <strong>Údn<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">í</span>go</strong> is masculine animate accusative, and <strong>údnan</strong> is feminine accusative. The Eclectic Tongue is heavily inflected and the inflections have to be learned.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<strong>Taknok</strong> means <em>child, boy</em>. It is a masculine noun in the Eclectic Tongue. Masculine nouns do not alter in the ending in the nominative and accusative forms. After <strong>as</strong> in sentence [5] <strong>taknok </strong>takes the genitive ending <strong>-a</strong>.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<strong>Kalkan</strong> means girl, with the accusative ending <strong>-n</strong>, which is added to feminine nouns. Feminine nouns in the Eclectic Tongue do have a separate accusative form of the noun, unlike masculine nouns. The nominative form, <strong>kalka</strong>, is not used in this group of sentences. After <strong>ís</strong> in sentence [3] <strong>kalkan</strong> replaces the accusative ending with the genitive ending <strong>-s</strong>.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<strong>Ta</strong> is the definite masculine nominative article. <strong>Ta</strong> takes the ending <strong>-go</strong> before an accusative masculine noun. <strong>Dan</strong> is the feminine accusative definite article.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><strong>Ís</strong> and <strong>as</strong> are conjunctions and both mean <em>and-the</em>. After both conjunctions the noun is always in the genitive form, although it is not always a possessive. In these sentences it is understood to accompany the previous noun, not to be the possessor of it.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
That's enough for this lesson. Bye for now.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br /></div>Andrew Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11012204454908980357noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6909897352491850902.post-52193005325489346182011-12-20T16:25:00.000+13:002011-12-20T16:50:02.284+13:00Summer GreetingsThis is the greeting that I sent out on the Conlang Exchange Cards. I should record it as I found the text in my wastepaper basket without making a record of it. Especially since the language after two years has not standardised.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Hastâ uba, sole ya, nin yule<br />Ya tai ten íhí shúa shradiim e nas<br />Sha ko kem mera ya lastes hastât<br />Pocheno piedí ye nas dansa lechon nin gâ<br />Nin nuan lehú penan shaklútí ye kata<br />Údin kuatok a lastes brat raran!<br /><br />Kam ten ítí shim pena wiô ye (yí) kembí, tai laston dâyet lúb.</span><br /><br />Stand still, O sun, in the sky<br />Let there be light in our hearts<br />As long as summer's day lasts<br />May our feet dance lightly on the earth<br />In the dark forest at the end of time<br />A summer flower brings joy!<br /><br />If there is winter in your life, then summer returns.<br /><br />Note to self, the phrase <span style="font-style: italic;">sha ko kem</span> literally means 'only because that'.<br /><br />All three forms of the accompanitive preposition <span style="font-style: italic;">ya, ye, yí</span> are used here. <span style="font-style: italic;">Ya </span>for the masculine and neuter possessor in a nominative and accusative phrase; <span style="font-style: italic;">ye<span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-style: italic;"></span></span></span></span> for the masculine and neuter possessor in an oblique phrase; and <span style="font-style: italic;">yí</span> for the feminine possessor. It took me a while to master this so there is some variation in grammar of the cards.Andrew Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11012204454908980357noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6909897352491850902.post-57747337821536389992011-11-11T21:49:00.000+13:002011-11-11T22:12:59.757+13:00Sabbath day at the blue synagogueThe stem for the word for blue is <span style="font-style:italic;">blo</span>, from a Scandanavian language I believe. It looks too obvious to me. I had been toying with the idea that the stem should be <span style="font-style:italic;">bol</span>. Not a foolish idea as one rule I use is that words that end in -o in parent languages become the neuter-gender words ending in -on in Shente. Blue in Shente would be <span style="font-style:italic;">bol, bola, bolon</span> in masculine, feminine and neuter forms.<br /><br />I recognised a couple of culture words for the Shente. They have a building in their communities called a <span style="font-style:italic;">shagoga</span>, it's a place for the teaching and practice of ritual doctrines. It comes from Greek word <span style="font-style:italic;">synagoge</span>, probably from Teach Yourself New Testament Greek.<br /><br />From the same source is evidence that they observe a sabbath day as they have the word <span style="font-style:italic;">sambaton</span>. So they appear to keep some form of ritual law-code.Andrew Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11012204454908980357noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6909897352491850902.post-4778181836373178782011-10-16T21:10:00.000+13:002011-10-16T21:30:23.981+13:00Eclectic Language Made SimpleI have finished making notes on Italian and Spanish Made Simple. New ideas arise...<br /><br />The pronoun system becomes more complex. I had wondered what had happened to the second person plural <span style="font-style:italic;">was</span> after the honorific <span style="font-style:italic;">kembí</span> entered the language. The example of Spanish suggests that it survives as the plural form of the familiar pronoun <span style="font-style:italic;">ako</span>.<br /><br />I have also learned some conculture about the People. Their mid-day meal is <span style="font-style:italic;">merenda</span> in the early afternoon. I haven't discovered whether they also practice a mid-day nap. Perhaps they are going to turn out to be a Mediterranean climate culture.<br /><br />I need to do some more writing on grammar of this language. Where to start?Andrew Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11012204454908980357noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6909897352491850902.post-77982434852797866722011-07-07T21:01:00.000+12:002011-07-07T21:20:26.129+12:00An Occasional Word: Duona Blaneta<b>Duona Blaneta</b>, New Year. New Year Celebrations.<br /><br /><i>Dachant Duonan Blanetan</i>, To celebrate New Year.<br /><br />I have been working my way through a dictionary of Bislama looking for words that expand the lexicon and the use of words in <i>Bâha</i>. I found this word and decided it worked perfectly. In Bislama it is <i>Boname</i>, an obvious borrowing from French administrators in Vanuatu, who would have called it <i>Bonne Annee</i>.<br /><br />It works equally as well for the <i>Shente</i>, who call it <i>Duona Blaneta</i>, Good Year. In their calendar they mark the beginning of the month at the new moon. The first new moon after the winter solstice is observed as the beginning of the new year. The <i>Shente</i> count off five days then light fires and celebrate that at the cold of the year they are calling back the sun and the days are getting longer.<br /><br />If their seasons are in tune with mine then that is what they are doing around this time. <i>Dachú Duonan Blanetan!</i>, Celebrate the New Year!Andrew Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11012204454908980357noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6909897352491850902.post-17948658474089329472011-05-27T20:59:00.000+12:002011-06-11T11:38:39.227+12:00How to learn an eclectic languageThe <a href="http://listserv.brown.edu/archives/cgi-bin/wa?A1=ind1105c&L=conlang">conlang list</a> was talking about <a href="http://http://www.fourhourworkweek.com/blog/2007/11/07/how-to-learn-but-not-master-any-language-in-1-hour-plus-a-favor/">this link</a> a week ago as I write. Without considering the debate on the list I wondered how the sentences would work in <i>Bâha</i>:<br /><br /><i>Ta yablok tí kidmit</i>, The apple is red.<br /><i>Ta tí yablok a Yônú</i>, It is John's apple.<br /><i>Bodú dô ta yablok kapena Yône</i>, I give the apple to John.<br /><i>Nas dôyen ta yablok kapena tamú</i>, We give him the apple.<br /><i>Ta dôt ten kapena Yône</i>, He gives it to John.<br /><i>Da dôt ten kapena damú</i>, She gives it to her.<br /><br /><i>Bodú mí múhant dôyant ten kapena tamú</i>, I must give it to him.<br /><i>Bodú wol dôyant ten kapena damú</i>, I want to give it to her.<br /><br />Well, creating the sentences and comparing them proved to be an interesting exercise. The first sentence shows how to use a predicative adjective, although says nothing about attributive adjectives. The rest of the first group of sentences give examples of various pronouns with number and gender and how they work. More enquiry would fill in more gaps. There is no example of a noun as subject. It also shows that <i>Bâha</i> declines nouns. From the examples above a learner has all the forms of the present tense finite verb, which is lucky.<br /><br />And, my god, this is a long-winded language, especially when auxiliaries are used!<br /><br />I think the theory has merit. A learner could be introduced to a language. It would take longer to master it, at least to the point ordering beer!Andrew Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11012204454908980357noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6909897352491850902.post-72083244072680123042011-05-03T19:40:00.000+12:002011-05-03T19:57:38.440+12:00Reading and WritingAfter watching the thread on this theme on the Conlang list I went and looked up these words in <i>Bâha</i>. To read, recite, or learn, is <i>lehant</i>, and to write is <i>kiribant</i>.<br /><br /><i>yao/bodú les/kirib</i>, I read, I write.<br /><br /><i>nas/te lehen/kiriben</i>, we, they read, write.<br /><br /><i>X lest/kirift</i>, X reads, X writes (X can be any other pronoun or noun).<br /><br /><i>Lehant</i> is borrowed from Germanic, <i>kiribant</i> from Romance with some changes to the stem that reflect influences from similar forms in other languages.<br /><br />Related verbs to <i>kiribant</i> are <i>nakiribant</i>, to finish writing, and <i>shakiribant</i> to make notes, to note down. <i>Kiriba</i>, a feminine noun, means writing, usually as read on a page.<br /><br />Out of curiosity I looked up the same words in Maori. To read is <i>korero pukapuka</i>, to talk book, and to write is <i>tuhi</i> or <i>tuhituhi</i>, which if I understand it correctly, originally meant to stitch patterns into a wall panel. I think both of those are kind of cool.Andrew Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11012204454908980357noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6909897352491850902.post-1896995377307093342011-04-26T11:57:00.000+12:002011-04-26T12:06:20.019+12:00Pronoun notes: There is<li><i>Ten ítí yodin pô nikeye</i>, there is a port in the village</li><br /><br /><li><i>Ei ta pô</i>, there is the port</li><br /><br /><i>Bâha</i> has a number of rules about saying 'there is'. I'm settling down to this contrast. <i>Ten ítí</i>, literally 'it is (at)'. If somebody asks if there is a port in the village, you can say 'there is, it exists,' which is what the first sentence means. If you are going to point something out then the topic marker is used to mean 'there is'.Andrew Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11012204454908980357noreply@blogger.com0