Jan05/C7 –  A Constructed Language

Jan05/C7 Words and Affixes

Legend: Definitions, Terms, <Text>, <Text>, [IPA], -Tags-, and "Glosses".

Overview

Word Classification

The word classes are verbs, nouns, adverbs, quantity words, ordinal numbers, determiners, conjunctions, prepositions, and other particles. The verb class includes the adjectival and relational words. Except for a few adverbs and quantity words, scalar words, which can be used as scales of comparison, are verbs.

Action Types

Each verb stem has an implicit action type. Except for the scalar type, which is the only type that can take the scalar prefixes, the differences are semantic.

Action Types
Label Name Group Notes
VS_ Scalar State scalar
VB_ Binary non-scalar
VH_ Habitual ?
VU_ Unitizable Process
VC_ Culminating
VE_ Event Event

Root and Affix Formation

The basic types of components are noun roots, verb roots, literals, cardinal numbers, ordinal numbers, 2-glyph particles, and 1-glyph particles.

Glyph Classes

There are 92 glyphs, which may be combined to form words. The glyph classes are Alpha (A - T A - T and a - t a - t), Upper (U - Z U - Z and u - z u - z), Numeric (0 - 9 0 - 9), and Other (everything else). The glyph class names are abbreviated in formulas as A, U, N, and O. Spacing characters may appear between words and within literals, where they may be somewhat significant.

Basic Components

Noun and verb roots are composed of Alpha and Upper glyphs. Noun roots have the formula A(A)*U, that is, they consist of a sequence of at least 1 Alpha followed by a single Upper. Verb roots have the formula U(A)*U, the same except for the 1st glyph.

An ordinal number begins with a number sign # # followed by at least 1 Numeric and ends with another number sign # #, so the formula is #N(N)*#. The 1st Numeric may not be 0 0.

A non-zero cardinal number has the formula [(~)N(N)*(/N(N)*)(\(~)N(N)*)] while 0 is represented by [] []. The 1st Numeric of each sequence may not be 0 0.

A literal begins with a quote glyph " " followed by any number of glyphs and ends with another quote glyph " ". But note that any quote glyph appearing within the literal must be doubled ("" ""). Literals are used as nouns, usually proper. However, if the internal structure of the literal is that of a cardinal number (i.e. replace [ ] [ ] with " " " "), the literal represents a nominalized quantity.

The first kind of 2-glyph particles consists of the glyph / / followed by a single Alpha or Upper. However, not all of these are actually used. The other kind consist of 2 Other glyphs.

The first kind of 1-glyph particles are the single Numeric ones; these are used as affixes. The remaining 1-glyph particles, some of which are also affixes, consist of a single Other.

Derivation

The methods of derivation are compounding and affixing.

A compound noun consists of a modifying noun, a joiner glyph (. .), and a head noun root. A compound verb consists of a verb root, a joiner glyph (. .), and a verb root. A deverbal noun uses either compounding or affixing, depending on its format.

Nouns derived from root nouns, such as diminutives, are formed by prefixing some AA to the noun root.

Verb Stem Structure

The following table shows the possible components of a (non-compound) verb stem:

Verb Stem Structure
Order Form Name Notes (a) (b) (c) (d)
1 U Initial required for verb req req req req
2 A Scalar Direction null = absolute if scalar - OK OK -
3 AA Derive-from-Verb may be null opt opt opt opt
4 A+ Derive-from-Noun omitted or required - - req req
5 A+U Noun Part required req req req req

The (non-compound) verb stem classes are described in the following table:

Verb Stem Classes
Class Description Example Glosses
(a) from non-scalar verb root "see", "run", "eat", "in", "give"
(b) from scalar adverb root "hot/cold"
(c) from scalar verb + noun "salty", "hungry", "resemble X"
(d) from non-scalar verb + noun "feed", "take water from"

Verb Initials

Note that a given root may occur with different initials.

Verb Initials
Initial Name Description Examples Notes
U U be measurable scalar qualities "long/short"
V V undergo non-scalar passives "break" (intr), "visible"
W W go locomotion "fly"
X X appear perceived external scalar qualities "strange/familiar" also resemble + entity
Y Y perform other motion, execute program "dance", "read" also imitate + entity
Z Z happen impersonal situations "rain"
u u accomplish culminative (di)transitives "help", "cook"
v v cause unitizable or event (di)transitives "break" (tran), "give"
w w feel perceived internal scalar qualities "angry"
x x use use capacity or entity, mental states "see", "cut", "know"
y y exist static location, transient possession "in", "lack", "sit"
z z keep habitual situations "inhabit"

Derive-from-Noun

These derivationals are prefixed to roots representing entities in order to represent qualities or situations. Qualities are scalar and can be used without the verb initial to form adverbs of manner (in which case the scalar direction is required). The following table is a partial list of the prefixes:

Derive-from-Noun Prefixes
Prefix Source Produces Examples
- - "provide" VCT "feed", "water"
- - "take away VCT -
- - - VSP "salty", "nutritious"
- - "need" VSP "hungry", "thirsty"

Derive-from-Verb

These derivationals are inserted into verb forms to derive stems with mostly different action types.

Derive from Verb Affixes
Affix Tag Name Applies to Produces Group
<-> <-> <Hab> Habitual non VH_ VH_ aspectual
<-> <-> <Pot> Potential non VS_ VB_
<-> <-> <Fav> Favorable all no change attitudinal
<-> <-> <Unf> Unfavorable all no change
<F> <F> <Incr> Increase VS_ VB_ cambiative
<g> <g> <Decr> Decrease VS_ VB_
<e> <e> <Same> Staysame VS_ VB_

Scalar Direction

A scalar word is one that can be used to represent some scale of comparison, such as "hot/cold", "red", "far/near", or "many/few". Unusually, Jan05/C7 uses only a single root for each scale instead of both a positive direction root and a negative direction root. To mark direction, an A is affixed after the initial U of the verb root, giving the directional stems; the infixes are shown in the following table:

Scalar Direction Infixes
Affix Tag Name Examples
Absolute "X degrees"
<-> <-> <GT> Positive "hot"
<-> <-> <LT> Negative "cold"
<-> <-> <EQ> Normative "normal temperature"

Scalar Quantities

The scalar quantity words "many/few" and "much/little" are formed this way; every component is required, except that the initial is omitted when the quantity is nominalized.

Scalar Quantity Structure
Order Form Name Many/Few Much/Little
1 U Initial "be" "be"
2 A Scalar Direction req req
5 AU Noun Part "number" "amount"

Deverbal Nouns

There are 2 formats for deverbal nouns: a special one and a general one.

A general format deverbal noun is constructed as a compound of a verb root, a joiner glyph (. .), and a noun which determines the semantic role. Unless the verb is univalent, the deverbal noun may incorporate another noun; this precedes the verb root from which it's separated by another joiner glyph (. .).

A special format deverbal noun is constructed as 2 adjacent nouns. The 2nd is any noun root; the 1st consists of a verb root without initial or final U + a noun root. Since both parts are formally nouns, no joiner glyph is needed. This format can't be used with scalar or univalent verb roots.

Since these are nouns, there may also be a genitive possessor, whose role is agent or donor.

Entry Values
Value Description
Anim animate gender noun
Inan inanimate gender noun
Either either Anim or Inan
Loca locational gender noun
-Sit joiner glyph + the situational noun

The following table specifies the bivalent deverbal noun format for each valid combination of roles, along with the genders of the incorporated and head nouns:

Bivalent Deverbal Noun Format
Incorporated Role Head Role
Agent Patient Instrument Location
Format Inco Head Format Inco Head Format Inco Head Format Inco Head
- - - Special Either Anim - - - Special Loca Anim Agent
General Anim Either - - - General Inan Either General Loca Either Patient
- - - Special Either Inan - - - Special Loca Inan Instrument
General Anim Loca Special Either Loca General Inan Loca - - - Location
- - - General Either -Sit - - - General Loca -Sit Situation

The following table specifies the trivalent deverbal noun format for each valid combination of roles, along with the genders of the incorporated and head nouns:

Trivalent Deverbal Noun Format
Incorporated Role Head Role
Donor Recipient Theme Location
Format Inco Head Format Inco Head Format Inco Head Format Inco Head
- - - Special Anim Anim Special Inan Anim Special Loca Anim Donor
General Anim Anim - - - General Inan Anim General Loca Anim Recipient
General Anim Inan Special Anim Inan - - - Either Loca Inan Theme
General Anim Loca Special Anim Loca Either Inan Loca - - - Location
- - - General Anim -Sit General Inan -Sit General Loca -Sit Situation

page started: 2019.Jan.07 Mon
current date: 2019.Jan.17 Thu
content and form originated by qiihoskeh

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