Grammar

General grammar :

Plurals marked by the prefix o'

balisA -> o'balisA / onikAn -> o'nikAn

Standard word order is S V O (unless changed by a tense)

Syllable structure is (c)v(v)(c)

Questions marked by adding the prefix ni- to the inquiry word

The inquiry word goes at the end of the sentence

How are you? = moa ni-ki. [you is/are?]

Where is the supermarket? = a bia-kasiA ki ni-jal. [the supermarket is where?]

Time phrases always go at start of sentences

Uncertainty about the truth of an adjective or noun is shown by the suffix -sA

Absolute certainty about the truth of an adjective or noun is shown by the suffix -sila

To show that an adjective is increasing in amount/intensity use the prefix gi-

To show that an adjective is decreasing in amount/intensity use the prefix bi-

If a verb is reflexive, it gains the prefix bAn-

To show that a verb/adjective is impossible, or will never happen, use the suffix -onAl

If an adjective is extremely important to the sentence, use the prefix biaki-

To show a verb is beginning use the suffix -dimAja

To a show a verb is ending use the suffix -disAdak

To show an adjective is eternally true, use the prefix doadoa-

If there is a large group of the same noun, use the prefix kiokiko-

Punctuation :

Question marks and exclamation marks are not used

Speech marks are written as /.../

Dashes are used for:

1) joining two words into a compound word

2) showing a regular affix

eg: ni- / an- / etc...

Apostrophes are used for:

1) omission of a letter (when two letters are the same on either side of a dash)

nAsi-il -> nAsi-'l

2) showing a special affix

eg: o' / oA' / etc...

Changing word class :

To turn a word into a noun use either the prefix an- or the suffix -akAdo

an- is used for: objects, abstract concepts and spiritual beings

-akAdo is used for: jobs, types of people, surnames

To turn a word into an adjective use either the prefix di- or oA'

di- is used for: saying something is related to the following word in some way

oA' is used for: turning the following word into a simile

To turn a word into a verb use the prefix il-

Regular vs special affixes :

Regular affixes:

are shown by a dash

can be preifxes or suffixes

are able to be "stacked"

eg: ni-'l-goa (ni + il + goa)

almost all affixes are regular

Special affixes:

are shown by an apostrophe

are always prefixes

are not able to be "stacked"

only a small handful of affixes are special:

o' (to make plural)

oA' (to turn into a simile)

dara' (first ever)

kasA' (last ever)

gagAna' (more than)

mamilA' (less than)