Roles
A root of Zulapa has no class of its own. agu is ear, and it is also
to listen. What stands around the root gives the word its role in the
phrase: a thing, an action, or a modifier of one of them. This page lists
what gives a word its role.
The four roles §
| Role | Class | It is |
|---|---|---|
| a thing | noun | what a phrase is about, or what an action is done to |
| an action | verb | what happens |
| the modifier of a thing | adj | a property of a thing |
| the modifier of an action | adv | the manner of an action |
A root has a reading for each role that it can take. These are the readings of four roots.
| Root | As a noun | As a verb | As an adjective | As an adverb |
|---|---|---|---|---|
agu |
ear | to listen | ||
fa |
eyes | to see | ||
awi |
fish | to glow | beautiful | |
zu |
heart | to love | lovely | lovingly |
The gloss of a root is its reading for the role of its word: agu is
ear in a noun, and listen in a verb.
What gives a role §
| Before the root | The word is | Example |
|---|---|---|
| nothing | a noun | agu, ear |
| a subject | a verb | o-x-agu, I listen |
es and a subject |
a verb, in the passive | es-o-zu, I am loved |
le |
an adjective | le-x-awi, beautiful |
si |
an adverb | si-zu, lovingly |
A prefix sets the role. A suffix changes the meaning, and keeps the role.
The rules §
A root alone is a thingRoles
A root with nothing before it is a noun. Its gloss is its reading as a noun.
A subject makes an actionRoles
A subject before a root makes a verb. The gloss of the root is its reading as a verb.
The passive makes an actionRoles
es before a subject makes a verb. The subject is the one that the action is done to.
le makes the modifier of a thingdiffers from legacy
le before a root makes an adjective. The gloss of the root is its reading as an adjective.
si makes the modifier of an actiondiffers from legacy
si before a root makes an adverb. The gloss of the root is its reading as an adverb.
A modifier after a root keeps its roleRoles
A suffix that modifies, such as uki, does not change the class of the word.
The infinite subject makes an action that can be a thingRoles
u before a root makes a verb with no one who acts. With a case such as m, the word stands where a noun stands.
An orderdiffers from legacy
The prefix y makes an order. A root alone is not an order: fa alone is eyes. The engine marked an order with a silent suffix that the author writes, and that is not said.
A tense needs a subjectRoles
A tense follows an action, and only a subject makes an action. A root with no subject takes no tense: falem does not exist. I saw is ofalem.
The moodsRoles
As suffixes, the moods are of two kinds. i, o and u are adverbs: they say how an action is done, and the word is an action. a and y are adjectives: they say what a thing is like, and the word stays a noun.
A prefix with no subjectdiffers from legacy
With no subject, a word that starts with ne or lu stays a noun: nexagu is not an ear, and lulipa is singing. An order takes y before the prefix: ynexagu is Do not listen. Phrase 13 says do not be sad with nefalo; as an order, it is ynefalo.
A root with several sensesRoles
Some roots hold several senses: ish is leaf, acceptance, and gu is darkness, empathy, life. They are one meaning, always the same, and not a choice between them. The gloss joins the senses with periods, as one label.