Applying Invented Grammatical Rules Flashcards

In Welvari, the tense of a verb is marked by a clitic that attaches to the FIRST word of the sentence (not the verb). Past tense clitic is '=tos'. Given 'Doru vel prenu.' (The man eats fire.), how do you put it in the past tense?

Answer: Doru=tos vel prenu.

'=tos' attaches to the first word 'doru': 'Doru=tos vel prenu.'

The made-up language Frevish forms yes/no questions by moving the first vowel of the verb to the front of the sentence as a standalone syllable. 'Vel' (run) → question: 'e-vel'. 'Talo' (sing) → question: what?

Answer: A talo?

First vowel of 'talo' is 'a'; move it to front: 'A talo?'

Invented grammar: In Stelvik, passive voice is formed by taking the direct object and placing it first, then adding the suffix '-pa' to the verb, and removing the subject. Active: 'Kenu vel prano.' (The dog bites the child.) Passive: ?

Answer: Prano velpa.

Object 'prano' moves to front, verb takes '-pa', subject 'kenu' is dropped: 'Prano velpa.'

In the invented language Drolvek, numbers come after the noun they modify, and both agree in case. If nominative case is unmarked and accusative adds '-ak' to both noun and number, how do you say 'I see three birds' (accusative)? 'Birds' = telu, 'three' = ven, 'I see' = prelu.

Answer: Prelu teluak venak.

Both 'telu' and 'ven' take '-ak' in accusative, number follows noun: 'Prelu teluak venak.'

Frentic marks social register in verbs: informal adds '-lu', formal adds '-ru', and honorific adds '-zu'. 'Speak' = drel. You are speaking to a king. Which form is correct?

Answer: Drelzu

Honorific register uses '-zu': 'drel' + '-zu' = 'drelzu.'

In Bolvari, the reflexive is formed by infixing '-sel-' after the first syllable of the verb. 'Wash' = 'vanak'. First syllable = 'va'. Reflexive (wash oneself) = ?

Answer: Vaselnak

Infix '-sel-' after first syllable 'va-': va + sel + nak = 'Vaselnak.'