Orthography
Vowels and consonants are generally read as they appear,
although there are a handful of exceptions:
-
“i” is pronounced as /j/ before/after vowels, as
well as /i/ in other places
-
“ş” = /ʃ/
-
“sz” = /ʒ/
-
“c” = /tʃ/
-
“cz” = /dʒ/
Verbs
Verb infinitives end in “-a”, and take only three tenses
(past, present and conditional), and drop pronouns in all except the latter of
these. A standard example is “piela”, “to walk”:
Present
|
Past
|
Conditional
|
|
In
|
Pielam
|
Pielman
|
Pielat
|
Den
|
Pieli
|
Pieliş
|
Pielat
|
Oi/Ui/E
|
Piel
|
Pielin
|
Pielat
|
Met
|
Pielmi
|
Pielmen
|
Pielas
|
Şet
|
Pieldi
|
Pielden
|
Pielas
|
An
|
Pielom
|
Pieloman
|
Pielas
|
A handful of common irregular verbs:
-
Işta = to go
-
Amia = to have (with nouns)
-
Ena = to be
-
Tieda = to talk, to say
Present
|
Past
|
Cond
|
Present
|
Past
|
Cond
|
|
In
|
Işim
|
Şiman
|
Işt
|
Amam
|
Amiman
|
Amat
|
Den
|
I
|
Şiş
|
Işt
|
Ai
|
Amiş
|
Amat
|
Oi/Ui/E
|
Iş
|
Şin
|
Işt
|
Ama
|
Amin
|
Amat
|
Met
|
Imi
|
Şimon
|
Işas
|
Ami
|
Amien
|
Amas
|
Şet
|
Iti
|
Şiden
|
Işas
|
Adi
|
Adien
|
Amas
|
An
|
Işom
|
Şioman
|
Işas
|
Amom
|
Amimon
|
Amas
|
In
|
Eiem
|
Eman
|
Enem
|
Tiei
|
Tedman
|
Tiedat
|
Den
|
Ei
|
Eş
|
Eni
|
Ti
|
Tediş
|
Tiedat
|
Oi/Ui/E
|
Ed
|
En
|
Enin
|
Ted
|
Tedin
|
Tiedat
|
Met
|
Emi
|
Eimen
|
Enmi
|
Timi
|
Tedmen
|
Tiedas
|
Şet
|
Eti
|
Eiden
|
Endi
|
Tidi
|
Teden
|
Tiedas
|
An
|
Iom
|
Emon
|
Eniom
|
Tedom
|
Tedoman
|
Tiedas
|
Compound tense and
participles
The near future is formed by adding the verb “to go” to the
present participle, which is usually formed by removing the infinitive stem and
adding “-gis” e.g. “piela” - “pielgiş” (“walk” -“walking”)
The perfect tense is form by adding “ka”, an alternative
form of the verb “to have”, to the past participle, formed in the manner
“piela” - “pielniş” (“walk” – “walked”)
“Ka” is formed thus:
Present
|
Past
|
Cond
|
|
In
|
Kam
|
Keman
|
Kat
|
Den
|
Ki
|
Keiş
|
Kat
|
Oi/Ui/E
|
Ek
|
Kein
|
Kat
|
Met
|
Kemi
|
Kemen
|
Kas
|
Şet
|
Kedi
|
Keden
|
Kas
|
An
|
Kom
|
Komon
|
Kas
|
Nouns
There are three classes of nouns – masculine, feminine and
neuter. Masculine nouns end in a consonant (such as “bem”, “man”), feminine in
“-i” or “-a” (such as “vausa”, “wave”, or “aribani”, “freedom”), and neuter in
“-u” (such as “eistu”, “bird”). They take five cases:
-
Nominative: subject
-
Accusative: direct object
-
Dative: “towards” the noun
-
Genitive: “of” the noun
-
Ablative: “away from” the noun
Sing.
|
Plu.
|
Sing.
|
Plu.
|
Sing.
|
Plu.
|
Sing.
|
Plu.
|
|
N
|
Bem
|
Bemi
|
Vausa
|
Vause
|
Ariboni
|
Aribone
|
Eistu
|
Eista
|
A
|
Bemei
|
Bemi
|
Vausi
|
Vause
|
Aribona
|
Aribone
|
Eistoi
|
Eista
|
D
|
Bema
|
Bemom
|
Vausei
|
Vausom
|
Aribonei
|
Aribonom
|
Eista
|
Eistom
|
G
|
Beme
|
Bemes
|
Vausu
|
Vaus
|
Aribonu
|
Aribon
|
Eisti
|
Eistei
|
Ab
|
Bemo
|
Bemos
|
Vauso
|
Vausos
|
Aribono
|
Aribonos
|
Eisto
|
Eistos
|
Common
prepositions
-
“um” = in (acc), into (dat)
-
“per” = by (dat)
-
“dir” = about (gen)
-
“a” = on (acc), onto (dat)
-
“nom” = under (acc)
Adjectives
All adjectives end in “-iş”, and are inflected thus:
Masc
|
Fem
|
Neut
|
Plu
|
|
N
|
-iş
|
-aş
|
-uş
|
-eş
|
A
|
-e
|
-ai
|
-e
|
-eş
|
G
|
-e
|
-u
|
-i
|
-eis
|
D
|
-a
|
-ei
|
-a
|
-em
|
Ab
|
-o
|
-o
|
-o
|
-os
|
Comparatives (“-er” in English) have the ending “-einiş”,
and superlatives (“-est”) have the ending “-abniş”.
