Sentence Structure
The standard sentence structure is VOS, as:
verb + indirect object + direct object + subject + time/space element(s)
verb + indirect object + direct object + subject + time/space element(s)
Inflections - Nouns
The order for noun inflections is as follows:
negation + prefix(s) + root + gender suffix + prepositional infix + possessive + ending + prepositional suffix
negation + prefix(s) + root + gender suffix + prepositional infix + possessive + ending + prepositional suffix
Inflections - Verbs
The order for verb inflections is as follows:
negation + prefix(s)* + root + infix(s)* + ending + suffix(s)*
In the present tense, infixes are placed after the i in the conjugation ending:
zinisha --> ziniutasha
In the case of multiple aspect/mood prefixes, any mood prefixes take the first position, followed by any aspect prefixes.
In the case of multiple aspect/mood suffixes, any aspect suffixes take the first position, followed by any mood suffixes.
Sometimes the further ordering of these prefixes/infixes/suffixes is flexible -- for example, 'Tumakìsèviutafoishå.' and 'Tumakìsèvifoiutashå.' are identical in meaning: 'She must be hiding.' -- but often the order is important and affects the meaning. A general rule of thumb is that the mood/aspect that describes or has a direct impact on the other (typically what would be positioned first after the subject in an English sentence) must be positioned on the outside, or in the case of influxes, nearest to the end of the verb. If neither has a greater impact on the other, the order they are placed in is usually irrelevant. Consider, for example, the following:
Tsatuhugisa. = I am about to be sleeping.
Tutsahugisa. = I am being about to sleep.
Kamaniviutasa. = I must be able to speak.
'Kamaniutavisa' is not a possible construction, equivalent to 'I am able to must speak.'
Hvènisats. = I could hypothetically be allowed to fly.
Hvènisast. = I am allowed to hypothetically fly.
negation + prefix(s)* + root + infix(s)* + ending + suffix(s)*
In the present tense, infixes are placed after the i in the conjugation ending:
zinisha --> ziniutasha
In the case of multiple aspect/mood prefixes, any mood prefixes take the first position, followed by any aspect prefixes.
In the case of multiple aspect/mood suffixes, any aspect suffixes take the first position, followed by any mood suffixes.
Sometimes the further ordering of these prefixes/infixes/suffixes is flexible -- for example, 'Tumakìsèviutafoishå.' and 'Tumakìsèvifoiutashå.' are identical in meaning: 'She must be hiding.' -- but often the order is important and affects the meaning. A general rule of thumb is that the mood/aspect that describes or has a direct impact on the other (typically what would be positioned first after the subject in an English sentence) must be positioned on the outside, or in the case of influxes, nearest to the end of the verb. If neither has a greater impact on the other, the order they are placed in is usually irrelevant. Consider, for example, the following:
Tsatuhugisa. = I am about to be sleeping.
Tutsahugisa. = I am being about to sleep.
Kamaniviutasa. = I must be able to speak.
'Kamaniutavisa' is not a possible construction, equivalent to 'I am able to must speak.'
Hvènisats. = I could hypothetically be allowed to fly.
Hvènisast. = I am allowed to hypothetically fly.
Inflections - Adjectives & Adverbs
Adjectives and adverbs are placed before or after the noun or verb they modify. Either position is acceptable in most situations, but placing adjectives in 1st position is generally preferred in speech.
When placed before the modified verb or noun (1st position), adverbs gain the ending -ò. Adverbs describing other adverbs or adjectives must be placed immediately before the modified word and are not inflected.
When placed after the modified noun or verb (2nd position), adjectives and adverbs are prefixed by lò-.
Adverbs functioning as a time or space element are positioned at the end of the sentence and are not inflected:
Hrasa niluviké dàłshaf. = I left with him afterwards.
When placed before the modified verb or noun (1st position), adverbs gain the ending -ò. Adverbs describing other adverbs or adjectives must be placed immediately before the modified word and are not inflected.
When placed after the modified noun or verb (2nd position), adjectives and adverbs are prefixed by lò-.
Adverbs functioning as a time or space element are positioned at the end of the sentence and are not inflected:
Hrasa niluviké dàłshaf. = I left with him afterwards.