Firm and soft
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Speech act: firm and soft
You already mark whether a turn is a statement, question, command, or prohibition. The ending of the act word adds how firmly you mean it. English softens with extra words (please, perhaps, for what it's worth); Ageben changes only the ending.
The act word is y + vowel + ending. The vowel picks the act as before (a statement, o command, e question, u prohibition). With -l you stand behind the act. With -m you offer it softly and leave the other person free to take it up or not. -r marks an act you hold only for now. Write the act word whenever the turn is not a plain statement; a period still lets you omit yal.
yam zazozon vowurol.y-soft-statement | z-Azozon | v-walk
"For what it's worth, Azozon walks."
Compare with: MAY (thomam) marks the scene as could be. yam is still a statement; you put it forward without insisting the other person take it up.
| Ageben | Use | Cue |
|---|---|---|
yal | statement: claim or description | a add + -l: stand behind |
yam | soft statement: offered, not insisted (for what it's worth) | a add + -m: hold, but leave it open |
yel | question: yes/no and fill-in ask | e choice + -l: collapse to an answer |
yem | soft question: wonder, gentle ask, offer-like | e choice + -m: ask without pinning |
yol | command: instruction | o rank + -l: this is what to do |
yom | request: soft directive (please…) | o rank + -m: ask, don’t command |
yul | prohibition: don’t… (firm) | u undo + -l: take the action back |
yum | soft prohibition: please don’t… / I’d rather you not… | u undo + -m: prefer they don’t |
For let's, make a soft request with inclusive we, aya (special pronouns), as the subject. Let's not is the soft prohibition.
yom vowurol zayan.y-request | v-walk | z-interlocutors
"Let's walk."
yum zayan vezuvel.y-soft-prohibition | z-interlocutors | v-sleep
"Let's not sleep."
A hook (al / am / …) may sit among the opening /y/ words, immediately before the first act word, or before a body that defaults to a statement.
For now (-r)
-r marks an act you hold only for now: provisional, and you expect to revisit it.
| Ageben | Use | English | Cue |
|---|---|---|---|
yar | provisional statement: held until something better comes | as things stand / for now, I take it that… | a add + -r: a claim held for now |
yer | working question: asked to proceed, expect to re-ask | just checking, …? / for now, is it…? | e choice + -r: an ask for now |
yor | command for now: do this until told otherwise | for now, … / go ahead and … for now | o rank + -r: an instruction you expect to revisit |
yur | hold off: don't, for now | hold off on … / don't … yet | u undo + -r: take the action back, for now |
yur vowurol.y-hold-off | v-walk
"Hold off on walking for now."
yar zazozon vowurol.y-provisional-statement | z-Azozon | v-walk
"As things stand, Azozon walks."
Practice
Short drills for Beginner. Try each item before opening Show answer.
Setting: a concert warmup
Review:
| English | Ageben |
|---|---|
| Azozon | azozon |
| Alazun | alazun |
| Ahelan | ahelan |
| interlocutors | ayan |
| sing | vozuyel |
| stop | vezohul |
| quiet | ugowul |
English → Ageben
1. For what it's worth, Ahelan sings.
Show answer
yam zahelan vozuyel.
y-soft-statement | z-Ahelan | v-sing
2. Let's sing.
Show answer
yom vozuyel zayan.
y-request | v-sing | z-interlocutors
3. As things stand, Ahelan sings quietly.
Show answer
yar zahelan hugowul vozuyel.
y-provisional-statement | z-Ahelan | h-quiet | v-sing
Ageben → English
1. yor vozuyel zazozon.
Show answer
y-command-for-now | v-sing | z-Azozon
For now, Azozon is to sing.
2. yum zayan vezohul.
Show answer
y-soft-prohibition | z-interlocutors | v-stop
Let's not stop.
3. yem zalazun vozuyel.
Show answer
y-soft-question | z-Alazun | v-sing
Does Alazun sing, I wonder?
Pick one
1. Please sing. yom vozuyel. or yol vozuyel.
Show answer
yom vozuyel.
y-request | v-sing
Soft -m asks; firm yol commands.
2. Hold off on singing for now. yur vozuyel. or yul vozuyel.
Show answer
yur vozuyel.
y-hold-off | v-sing
-r holds the don't only for now; yul forbids outright.