Legend: Definitions, Terms, <Sample>, <Text>, «apa», -Tags-, and "Glosses".
A scalar is a verb that denotes both a scale of comparison and a direction of comparison. The direction of comparison has three possibilities; these are labeled positive, negative, and normative. The term normative refers to a range of neutral values, while positive refers to greater values and negative refers to lesser values. Some scales (such as colors) have only positive lexemes. Note that scalar (arithmetic) positives and negatives are not the same as polar (logical) positive and negative.
The subject of comparison refers to the entity being compared with respect to the scale of comparison and the standard of comparison refers to what it's compared to. The various scalar functions differ mainly in how the standard of comparison manifests.
| Root | Glosses | |
|---|---|---|
| vk | vk | "few", "little" |
| lk | lk | "many", "much" |
A scalar function suffix precedes a tolerance suffix; both precede any other suffixes.
| Suffix | Name | |
|---|---|---|
| .g | .g | Satisfactive |
| .e | .e | Excessive |
| .o | .o | Forward Superlative |
| .h | .h | Reverse Superlative |
Narrow tolerance means that the range of neutral values is small while wide tolerance means that the range is large; maximal tolerance means that the range is as large as possible. Medium tolerance is unmarked.
| Suffix | Description | |
|---|---|---|
| .k | .k | minimal tolerance |
| .l | .l | narrow tolerance |
| .v | .v | wide tolerance |
| .w | .w | maximal tolerance |
| .q | .q | scalar question |
Absolute measurement specifies the value of the subject of comparison from zero while relative measurement specifies the difference between the value of the subject of comparison and that of the standard of comparison. Scalar measurement is constructed using a non-referential phrase whose case is scalar measurement; it contains a quantity and content word denoting a unit of measurement. This phrase immediately precedes the scalar word.
Note that some scalars have no possible measurement units. Scalar measurement precludes tolerance.
A positive, negative, or normative normal comparison is denoted by a scalar verb or quantity with no scalar function suffix; there is also no standard of comparison manifested.
Either tolerance or absolute measurement is possible. For positive and negative scalars, narrow tolerance may be translated here as "slightly X", wide tolerance as "very X", and maximal tolerance as "as X as possible". For normative scalars, narrow tolerance may be translated here as "precisely X" while wide tolerance may be translated as "roughly X".
Examples:
[elma ql]ve.df.v? [elma ql]ve.df.v?
"Which man is very heavy?"
(#i)[elma{300lb}ve.df]ey\$ (#i)[elma{200lb}ve.df]ey\$
"We saw a 300 pound man."
A scalar question requests a scalar answer (not necessarily an absolute value), as in "how hot?". The scalar takes the scalar question suffix.
Examples:
(ml chaw)hot.q? (ml chaw)hot.q?
"How hot is that tea?"
A manner scalar specifies the manner in which an action is performed. It appears as an adverb preceding the action word. Note that not all scalars are useful here. Tolerance is translated the same as for a normal comparison.
Examples:
(Aelft)fs@wk\$ (Aelft)fs@wk\$
"The girl was walking fast."
A comparative is a comparison with an explicit standard and may be one of inequality (i.e. greater than) or equality. The scale of comparison may apply to
The phrase for the subject of comparison contains a coreferential cotemporal clause whose predicate is eq eq for comparisons of equality and gt gt for comparisons of inequality; the argument denotes the standard of comparison.
Either tolerance or relative measurement is possible.
Examples:
[pl dog*T(kat)eq]szl$ [pl dog*T(kat)eq]szl$
"This dog is as small as the cat."
(Aelft*T(elmt)gt)fs@wk\$ (Aelft*T(elmt)gt)fs@wk\$
"The girl was walking faster than the boy."
[vk ptar*T[#tmar]gt](Aelma)et.z
[vk ptar*T[#tmar]gt](Aelma)et.z
"The man ate more potatoes than tomatoes."
(Aelma*T(elfa)gt)[vk ptar]et.z$
(Aelma*T(elfa)gt)[vk ptar]et.z$
"The man ate more potatoes than the woman."
The subject of comparison's referent may be compared to an earlier or later instance of itself or it may instead be compared to an earlier or later instance of some other entity. For the former, the reflexive pronoun x x is used. A temporal comparative is constructed like any other comparative except that the standard of comparison includes a suffix for absolute or relative past or future.
Examples:
(elma*Tx\gt)ve.df$ (elma*Tx\gt)ve.df$
"The man is heavier than he was then."
(elma*T(elfa>)gt)ve.df$ (elma*T(elfa>)gt)ve.df$
"The man is heavier than the woman is going to be."
A satisfactive comparison is used to affirm or question the suitability of the subject of comparison for some actual or potential result, with respect to the scale of comparison while an excessive comparison is used to deny or question the suitability of the subject of comparison for some actual or potential result, with respect to the scale of comparison.
Satisfactives and excessives may be negated. Either tolerance or relative measurement is possible.
Examples:
(pl chaw)hot.e.v$ (pl chaw)hot.e.v$
"This tea is way too hot."
(Gi kafw)kol.g.l$ (Gi kafw)kol.g.l$
"My coffee is just cool enough."
A superlative construction selects an element or subset of some whole such that, according to some scale of comparison, the selected entity exceeds the other elements or subsets. A reverse superlative is the same except that the selected entity is exceeded by the others; its use is limited to those scales lacking negative roots.
The construction consists of an definite phrase with a superlative scalar, an optional quantity, and a genitive phrase specifying the whole (or just an attribute if no cardinality of the whole is specified). The superlative scalar may also be preceded by an adverbialized ordinal number.
Either tolerance or relative measurement is possible.
Examples:
(aje.o(G5kat))nz$ (aje.o(G5kat))nz$
"The oldest of the 5 cats is sleeping."
(2o@aje.o kat)ql? (2o@aje.o kat)ql?
"Where is the 2nd oldest cat?"
page started: 2026.Jan.29 Thu
current date: 2026.Feb.01 Sun
content and form originated by Jeffrey S. Jones
(qiihoskeh)
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