Tasratal
Yoon Ha Lee

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The stars in the universe are infinite, but we number them four.
The first category are searching stars because their light moves across the universe.
The second category are steady stars because they guard planets.
The third category are falling stars because they devour even light.
The fourth category are burning stars because their deaths create blossoms of dust.
Our home's star brought its own death, so we departed toward other stars.

Ilazar Ylysto
Kalata-xi ilazar-nai ilata-at aq nia ikal-kyx na-ge kaxali-xi.
Kaceia-xi ylysto yferun-rei-xi ilazar pai na-xi alazar ilata-at ylaqar-su.
Kalazar-xi ylysto azaro-rei-xi ilazar pai na kiarat-lau-ge akiuten-su.
Katasra-xi ylysto ikip-rei-xi ilazar pai na azar-zel itope-su.
Kaxuli-xi ylysto amar-rei-xi ilazar pai na-xi aroxe iro-ge amolra-xi-al iseran-su.
Nia-xi ikiar-san ilazar na-en-ge aroxe-su rus nia talru-xi ilazar-at-ge aliar-kyx.

Grammatical notes:
Tasratal is agglutinating, with default SOV word order, and makes extensive use of particles that indicate grammatical categories.  It is primarily noun-based, and the typical pattern is: X (agent) Y (object) Z (action, or "verb"--that which is caused).

Even such "verbs" generally have no tense as such, though they can be marked as progressive, hypothetical, or certain (mood/aspect).

Substantives (nouns) occur in semantically-derived "triads."  Since they're not necessarily predictable in meaning, I've just given specific forms (which is why you see so many a-, i- or y- prefixes) with the exception of a few "general" forms that occur in the text.

Marking of number is optional even with pronouns.

Vocabulary list (substantives):
akiuten: guard, protect
alazar: light, brightness
aliar: depart, leave
amar: heat, warmth (general form)
amolra: dust, haze
aq: but, however
aroxe: death
azar: light, brightness, star (general form)
azaro: steady, stable
ikal: number
ikiar: home, welcome
ikip: fall, attract (gravitationally)
ilata: universe, totality
ilazar: star
iro: flower, blossom
iseran: create, make
itope: eat, devour
kaceia: one (from kal "number" + ceia "self, history")
kal: number, order (general form)
kalata: infinite, unending (from kal "number" + ata "all" or "universe")
kalazar: two (from kal "number" + azar "star, light")
katasra: three (from kal "number" + tasra "society, ethics")
kaxuli: four (from kal "number" + xuli "spacetime, mathematics")
kiarat: planet, world (from kiar "home, destination" + ata "world,
experience"
na: personal 2nd/3rd person pronoun, used for people or items of immediate
relevance
nia: 1st-person pronoun
pai: because (also used as a prerequisite-marker particle)
rus: therefore (also used as a conjunctive-marker particle)
talru: other, different, stranger (general form)
yferun: search, seek
ylaqar: motion
ylysto: category

Vocabulary list (connectives, or particles):
-al: possessive, used where no ownership is implied
-at: locative, sometimes used prepositionally ("to," "from," "until" where the meaning is clear from context)
-en: identity copula, e.g. nia Yoon-en "I am Yoon"
-ge: action-toward or accusative, such that the action is not opposed by its object
-kyx: cause-intended, changes the marked substantive to a "verb" such that the agent intended the action
-lau: accepting change (i.e. the action undertaken affects the marked substantive)
-nai: statement of existence, e.g. Yoon-nai "There is (a) Yoon"
-rei: progressive mood/aspect
-san: possessive, used where ownership is implied
-su: cause-casual, changes the marked substantive to a "verb" such that the agent neither intended or un-intended the action, but it happened in the course of some other process entirely (a "side effect," as it were)
-xi: bearing quality (creates an adjective/adverb from the root substantive); when used with pronouns, creates posessive pronouns