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Quick language sketch -- Hrondu

From:Patrick Dunn <tb0pwd1@...>
Date:Friday, January 26, 2001, 20:01
Okay, after a drift of doodles and scribbles, I hit on a language idea I
kind of like and might play with for a while.  Here's what I got so far.
I beg for comment and criticism.

Nouns

Nouns are indeclinable for case or number.  An optional number particle
(required in pronouns) exists, and can follow nouns in cases of
undesirable ambiguity.

Noun case is indicated with post-positions.  A bare sample follow:

subject -- ya
object -- e
indirect object -- vr
genitive -- we
animate genitive (used for family members, pets, and friends) -- wo
locative -- ni
subject topic -- igaa
object topic -- ye

Verbs

Verbs decline for aspect and tense, using prefixes and suffixes.  All
verbs are given in the present tense/imperative form.

Verbs in the present tense/imperative double the length of the final vowel
to maintain stress on the penultimate mora.

veraa -- love, loves
verasa -- will love
veraga -- loved
verawo -- love oneself
verago -- loved oneself
veraso -- will love oneself
rveraa -- have loved
rverasa -- will have loved
rveraga -- had loved
laveraa -- is loved
suveraa -- cause to love
verau -- would come, if one comes

Verbs also have a form, the construct state, which is used like an
participle, gerund, and supine form all in one.  It's formed by suffixing
an -e to the verb.

verae- -- loving

This effectively makes the verb a prefix.  When added to a modal verb, it
acts as the compliment of the verb.

tasii -- to need

veraetasii -- needs to love

When added to a noun, it acts as an adjective

veraesaa -- loving man

Irregular verbs end in vocalic -r, -n, -s, or -l, and I haven't figured
them out yet.

Adjectives are stative verbs

Here's a sample text, the first two lines of Wulf and Eadwacer, or, in
Hrondu, Wulefa Edawakaa tu

li we hr wo saa ndu igaa ss e nebu tr kuvasa
I GEN tribe GEN man PL TOPIC he OBJ animal like hunt.FU
The men of my tribe will hunt him like game

ss ya hrecapa ni undau lpa ssndu ya ss e jisa jii!
he SUBJ camp LOC come.COND and they SUBJ he OBJ kill.will kill
If he comes to the camp, they will kill him for sure

Comments, please, I beg of you.  :)

--Pat



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