Compound families
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Left and right of x
Beginner already used two roots glued with x and dictionary words with no x. After the role letter, look at both sides of the first x. That pair picks the family. A role compound or role pointer is not one of these families: it opens with w, a scope vowel, and a part consonant (zwuzeduyol, zwuzer), and only a noun inside its stem takes x.
| Ageben | Use | English | Cue |
|---|---|---|---|
name x a / o / e / u + -n (conversation length) | conversation length | Azozon, I have time | vowel on the name |
longer root x a / e / o / u | ability | can’t sing right now | extra vowel after the root |
full roots on both sides, maybe more x + root | ordinary compound | zuwedaxubudal; zaloxolowon (hyphenated names) | x ≈ plus |
sake root th a / e / o / u | sakes | guwathal | th ≈ think (your view of the sake) |
other root th a / e / o / u (or a stack) | label scope | angry this time; a teacher | th ≈ think (what kind of claim the label is) |
direction root th facing person | viewpoint lateral | gewuhothazozon Azozon’s left | th ≈ think (whose point of view) |
A root is at least three letters, so one or two vowels left of x are never a root.
Adding another piece
To narrow a compound further, or to build a hyphenated name from several labels, add another root with another x. Keep the English order in one word (crush then love; a shop named after three drinks). The last root is the kind, and each earlier root narrows it. The ending stays at the end of the whole word. In a name (a person or a shop), the roots are simply labels in order, and none of them is the kind.
gagamaxolamal.g-crush-x-love
"in love" (the crush kind)
zogudaxedudaxowulan.z-Oguda-x-Eduda-x-Owulan
"Coffee-Tea-Water" (one named shop)
Hyphenated names use the same order (Mary-Kate: first piece first). A family name is not part of this stack; it is a separate /ɡ/ word after the given name. Body left / right is not this stack: it joins the direction and whose facing counts with th (gewuhothazozon), because the second root is a point of view, not a kind.
A role compound can take such a stack as its stem (zwuzodozexowurol someone who walks dogs), but is never one piece of a stack.
Compare with: a short office handle is one root plus -n, not this stack. A dictionary compound is one listed word, not a live list you extend.
Which family is this?
Use the table above. If the word has a mid-word th, it is a sake word (a sake root, then a vowel, with an optional emotion tail), a label scope word (any other root, then a vowel), or a viewpoint lateral (a root follows th). The root before th decides: after a sake root, letters that look like a root are always the emotion tail (guwathamel), never a lateral. Otherwise read both sides of the first x in this order:
- A name (one root or a hyphenated name),
x, a single vowela/o/e/u, named -n, as a conversation-length bid → conversation length. - A longer root, then
x, then a single vowela/e/o/u→ ability. - Full roots on both sides of the first
x(and maybe morex+ root) → an ordinary compound (sense or name).
Conversation length (name x vowel)
English I can stay a while or I only have a minute tells the other person how long you can talk. In Ageben, add x and one vowel before -n on a greeting (your own name with a period, n.) or a call (their name under /y/, yalazun.). At arrival, the vowel sets how long you expect the conversation to last. At departure, the same form says how soon you are leaving. The vowel is about the conversation, not a grade of the person.
The vowel says how much talk is left (open, a stretch, one ask, none). That is remaining time, not which kind of list.
xan.speaker-presence
"I have time; we can stay."
yalazuxon.y-Alazun-minutes
"Alazun, I have a few minutes."
| Form | At arrival | At departure | Cue |
|---|---|---|---|
xan | open-ended: we can stay | none | a ≈ open-ended |
xon | a few minutes: I have a little time | leaving soon | o ≈ a few minutes |
xen | one slot: one ask or comment | about to leave | e ≈ one slot |
xun | passing: just acknowledging; not opening a talk | leaving right now | u ≈ passing |
On a full name, the vowel goes on the given name (aloxon golowon.); a family name takes no bid, since x + vowel on a /ɡ/ word is ability. Only one of these vowels per name. These forms use the same scale throughout a conversation: a smaller level narrows the remaining time. -n is still the named ending.
At arrival, the other person can answer with their own bid. The lesser bid sets the shared limit: a (open-ended) is more than o (a few minutes), o is more than e (one slot), and e is more than u (passing). If you offer open-ended time and Alazun offers one slot, you have one slot.
xan.speaker-presence
"I have time; we can stay."
alazuxen.Alazun-ask
"Alazun here. I only have time for one thing."
Compare with: the same x + vowel on a verb or adjective is ability (can’t sing right now). A sake word takes th + vowel instead (guwathal). Conversation-length bids sit on a named citation or a /y/ call, with -n. In a clause body, a name with x, a vowel, and -n is not a word.
Compare with: a plain named citation with a period is the basic hello (n.). The bid says how much conversation the person is open to.
At departure, use your own name with the reduced level:
xon.speaker-minutes
"I’m leaving soon."
xen.speaker-ask
"I’m about to leave."
xun.speaker-passing
"I’m leaving now."
Practice
Short drills for Intermediate. Try each item before opening Show answer.
Setting: a front porch
New words:
| English | Ageben | Cue |
|---|---|---|
| salad | azudal | 🥗 |
| plate | uyodal | 🍽️ |
Review:
| English | Ageben |
|---|---|
| your name | n |
| Azozon | azozon |
| Alazun | alazun |
| Ahelan | ahelan |
| doorbell | oheleboral |
| flower | evelal |
| croissant | agedel |
| see | vayebel |
| scream | veyamul |
English → Ageben
1. I have time; we can stay. (hello, with your own name)
Show answer
xan.
speaker-presence
2. Alazun, I have a few minutes. (calling)
Show answer
yalazuxon.
y-Alazun-minutes
3. Ahelan, I'm just passing by. (calling)
Show answer
yahelaxun.
y-Ahelan-passing
4. Azozon, I have a few minutes. Alazun sees the doorbell.
Show answer
yazozoxon zalazun doheleboral vayebel.
y-Azozon-minutes | z-Alazun | d-doorbell | v-see
5. a salad plate (one plate)
Show answer
zazudaxuyodal.
z-salad-x-plate
6. Flower-Salad-Croissant (one café's name)
Show answer
zevelaxazudaxageden.
z-Evela-x-Azuda-x-Ageden
Ageben → English
1. xen.
Show answer
speaker-ask
I only have time for one thing. / I'm about to leave. (arriving / leaving)
2. yazozoxun zalazun veyamul.
Show answer
y-Azozon-passing | z-Alazun | v-scream
Azozon, I'm just passing by. Alazun screams.
3. zevelaxuyodal.
Show answer
z-flower-x-plate
a flower plate
4. yahelaxon zazozon develal vayebel.
Show answer
y-Ahelan-minutes | z-Azozon | d-flower | v-see
Ahelan, I have a few minutes. Azozon sees a flower.
5. xon. (said when leaving)
Show answer
speaker-minutes
I'm leaving soon.
6. yalazuxan.
Show answer
y-Alazun-presence
Alazun, I have time.
Pick one
1. a croissant plate zagedexuyodal. or zuyodaxagedel.
Show answer
zagedexuyodal.
z-croissant-x-plate
The last root is the kind (a plate); the root before x narrows it.
2. Ahelan, I have time for just one thing. (calling) yahelaxen. or yahelaxon.
Show answer
yahelaxen.
y-Ahelan-ask
e is one slot; o offers a few minutes.
Fix it
1. Ahelan sees a salad plate. (one plate) zahelan dazudal duyodal vayebel.
Show answer
zahelan dazudaxuyodal vayebel.
z-Ahelan | d-salad-x-plate | v-see
One thing is one word with x; two words name a salad and a plate.