Word Order
- S + V + O
- (article) S + (article) (Adj)
- V (Adv)
- (article) O + (article) (Adj)
Particles
Definite Particle
The definite article is attached to the end of a noun. Dark / light / neutral classifications are determined based on the last vowel preceding the article.
| Meaning | Structure | Example Sentence | Translation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Definite | D: -im/m L:-en/n N: -aŋ/ŋ | D: The family D: The edge L: The mountain L: The path L: The freshwater N: | D: tun.im D: pa.nim L: ki.ben L: kion.en L: neon N: |
The indefinite article is place ahead of the noun. Dark / light / neutral classifications are determined based on the first vowel following the article.
Note: Dark / light / neutral classifications of definite and indefinite articles are not necessarily mirrored. A dark indefinite articles for a given noun could be used (as it is based on the first vowel in the noun), while the appropriate definite article that could be used would have light or neutral (as it is based on the last vowel in the noun).
Indefinite Particle
| Meaning | Structure | Example Sentence | Translation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Indefinite | D: im L: en N: aŋ | D: A family N: A edge D: A mountain L: A path L: A freshwater N: | D: im tun N: aŋ pa.ni D: im ki.be D: im kion L: en neo N: |
Articles are not leveraged when referencing a non-countable item (water vs a ball) or a location that is one thing (Shacer vs the park)
Adjectives
| Meaning | Structure | Example Sentence | Translation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Adjectives | D: -i L: -e N: -a | The eastern edge The eastern mountain | pa.nim no.pa.nim.i ki.ben no.pa.nim.i |
Adjectives to Verbs
| Meaning | Structure | Example Sentence | Translation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Adj to Verb | D: L: N: |
tbd: Use past participle to form it
Verb Tenses
Verb conjugations for tenses are based on dark, light, and neutral vowel classifications of either the first or last vowel in a verb. Importantly, a verb is not guaranteed to be wholly dark, light, or neutral if it has more than one vowel. This means that a single verb could have a dark particle ahead of the verb and a light or neutral suffix. When thinking of verb conjugations, one simply needs to consider the vowel nearest to added part of speech.
Examples Verbs
- boting
- /o/ means that a light particle would be used ahead of the verb
- /i/ means that a dark suffix would be used
- naynoong
- /e/ means that a light particle would be used ahead of the verb
- /u/ means that a dark suffix would be used
- paynaong
- /e/ means that a light particle would be used ahead of the verb
- /ao/ means that a light suffix would be used
- tapang
- /a/ means that a neutral particle would be used ahead of the verb
- /a/ means that a neutral suffix would be used
Summary
| Tense | Dark | Light | Neutral |
|---|---|---|---|
| Past | ŋ → ki | ŋ → ke | ŋ → ka |
| Present | ŋ → ∅ | ŋ → ∅ | ŋ → ∅ |
| Future | ŋ → ti | ŋ → te | ŋ → ta |
| Past Progressive | ŋ → kim | ŋ → kem | ŋ → kam |
| Present Progressive | ŋ → m | ŋ → m | ŋ → m |
| Future Progressive | ŋ → tim | ŋ → tem | ŋ → tam |
| Past Perfect | u.gu + verb + ŋ → ki | o.go + verb + ŋ → ke | a.ga + verb + ŋ → ka |
| Present Perfect | u.gu + verb + ŋ → ∅ | o.go + verb + ŋ → ∅ | a.ga + verb + ŋ → ∅ |
| Future Perfect | u.gu + verb + ŋ → ti | o.go + verb + ŋ → te | a.ga + verb + ŋ → ta |
| Past Perfect Progressive | u.gu + verb + ŋ → kim | o.go + verb + ŋ → kem | a.ga + verb + ŋ → kam |
| Present Perfect Progressive | u.gu + verb + ŋ → m | o.go + verb + ŋ → m | a.ga + verb + ŋ → m |
| Future Perfect Progressive | u.gu + verb + ŋ → tim | o.go + verb + ŋ → tem | a.ga + verb + ŋ → tam |
Simple Tenses
| Tense | Dark | Light | Neutral |
|---|---|---|---|
| Past | ŋ → ki | ŋ → ke | ŋ → ka |
| Present | ŋ → ∅ | ŋ → ∅ | ŋ → ∅ |
| Future | ŋ → ti | ŋ → te | ŋ → ta |
Past (finished, specific time)
| English | Translation |
|---|---|
| I drank water | am ta.pa.ka neo |
| I traveled to Tloku | am bo.ti.ki ton tu.no.ku |
Present (habitually / tend to)
| English | Translation |
|---|---|
| I drink water | am ta.pa neo |
| I travel to Tloku | am bo.ti ton tu.no.ku |
Future (in the future)
| English | Translation |
|---|---|
| I will drink water | am ta.pa.ta neo |
| I will travel to Tloku | am bo.ti.ti ton tu.no.ku |
Progressive Tenses
| Tense | Dark | Light | Neutral |
|---|---|---|---|
| Past Progressive | ŋ → kim | ŋ → kem | ŋ → kam |
| Present Progressive | ŋ → m | ŋ → m | ŋ → m |
| Future Progressive | ŋ → tim | ŋ → tem | ŋ → tam |
Past Progressive (one action is interrupted / not finished and then another)
| English | Translation |
|---|---|
| I was drinking water {when I saw the star} | am ta.pa.kam neo {} |
| I was traveling to Tloku {when I was attacked} | am bo.ti.kim ton tu.no.ku {} |
Present Progressive (right now)
| English | Translation |
|---|---|
| I am drinking water | am ta.pam neo |
| I am traveling to Tloku | am bo.tim ton tu.no.ku |
Future Progressive (future action that will not be done when something happens)
| English | Translation |
|---|---|
| I will be drinking water {when you die} | am ta.pa.tam neo {} |
| I will be traveling to Tloku {when you get home} | am bo.ti.tim ton tu.no.ku {} |
Perfect Tenses
| Tense | Dark | Light | Neutral |
|---|---|---|---|
| Past Perfect | u.gu + verb + ŋ → ki | o.go + verb + ŋ → ke | a.ga + verb + ŋ → ka |
| Present Perfect | u.gu + verb + ŋ → ∅ | o.go + verb + ŋ → ∅ | a.ga + verb + ŋ → ∅ |
| Future Perfect | u.gu + verb + ŋ → ti | o.go + verb + ŋ → te | a.ga + verb + ŋ → ta |
Past Perfect (one action is finished and then another happened)
| English | Translation |
|---|---|
| I had drank water {and then saw the star} | am a.ga ta.pa.ka neo {} |
| I had traveled to Tloku {and then was attacked} | am o.go bo.ti.ki ton tu.no.ku {} |
Present Perfect (completed, but no time reference)
| English | Translation |
|---|---|
| I have drank water | am a.ga ta.pa neo |
| I have traveled to Tloku | am o.go bo.ti ton tu.no.ku |
Future Perfect (future action completed before a second action)
| English | Translation |
|---|---|
| I will have drank water {before you arrive} | am a.ga ta.pa.ta neo {} |
| I will have traveled to Tloku {by the time you get here} | am o.go bo.ti.ti ton tu.no.ku {} |
Perfect Progressive
| Tense | Dark | Light | Neutral |
|---|---|---|---|
| Past Perfect Progressive | u.gu + verb + ŋ → kim | o.go + verb + ŋ → kem | a.ga + verb + ŋ → kam |
| Present Perfect Progressive | u.gu + verb + ŋ → m | o.go + verb + ŋ → m | a.ga + verb + ŋ → m |
| Future Perfect Progressive | u.gu + verb + ŋ → tim | o.go + verb + ŋ → tem | a.ga + verb + ŋ → tam |
Past Perfect Progressive (one action is finished and then another happened; but implying duration for first)
| English | Translation |
|---|---|
| I had been drinking water {for an hour when…} | am a.ga ta.pa.kam neo {} |
| I had been traveling to Tloku {all day when…} | am o.go bo.ti.kim ton tu.no.ku {} |
Present Perfect Progressive (started in past, and continuing now)
| English | Translation |
|---|---|
| I have been drinking water | am a.ga ta.pam neo |
| I have been traveling to Tloku | am o.go bo.tim ton tu.no.ku |
Future Perfect Progressive (one action will be finished and then another happened; but implying duration for first)
| English | Translation |
|---|---|
| I will have been drinking water {for an hour when…} | am a.ga ta.pa.tam neo {} |
| I will have been traveling to Tloku {all day when…} | am o.go bo.ti.tim ton tu.no.ku {} |