Plurality
English they and the Smiths often mean a named person plus people around them, not a counted list. Ageben marks that associative group with optional -x after the word ending.
On this page
Associative group (-x)
Without -x, the word picks one person or thing. With -x after the ending, you name an anchor plus nearby associates (family, coworkers, unit, household, and so on). Who counts as an associate comes from the conversation and the situation; on a name it reads as Azozon and associates. (cue: -x ≈ set with the named anchor)
zazozonx vowurol.z-Azozon-x | v-walk
"Azozon and associates walk."
A name already ends in -n, so a name plus associates is -nx (zazozonx). The same -nx also marks a group that has its own name or title (Team Alpha).
To point back to that group (or to a prior person and their associates), add -x after resume -r:
zazozorx vehohel.z-←Azozon-x | v-sit
"They sit." (Azozon and associates)
A role pointer takes -x the same way: that one and associates, or the whole group when the earlier slot held a joined list.
zazozon vowurol. zwuzerx vehohel.z-Azozon | v-walk . z-←episode-agent.same-x | v-sit
"Azozon walks. They sit." (Azozon and associates)
To introduce several things of one kind (English some cats), use -lx (concrete) or -mx (abstract). Plain -l / -m introduce one thing. With -x added, they introduce an indefinite group: a set of that kind in this situation, with no anchor and no associates.
zogozelx vehohel.z-cat-x | v-sit
"Some cats sit."
zazozon dodozelx vayebel.z-Azozon | d-dog-x | v-see
"Azozon sees some dogs."
An extra noun takes -x the same way. Here the recipient is Alazun and associates:
zazozon vezuyol balazunx.z-Azozon | v-tell | b-Alazun-x
"Azozon talks to Alazun and associates."
Compare with: English cats can mean the kind in general. -lx means only a set in this situation.
| Ageben | Use | English |
|---|---|---|
| -lx | indefinite group (a set in this situation), concrete | some cats (a set in this situation) |
| -mx | indefinite group (a set in this situation), abstract | same grouping on a -m root |
| -nx | named / titled group | Team Alpha; Azozon and associates as a title |
| -lnx | indefinite group of things a name applies to | some Azozons (beds of that brand) |
| -rx | resume someone already mentioned and associates, or a prior group | they (that one and associates) |
Person-role -x
English we and you do not say whether the listener is in the group (the split between we including you and we without you is called clusivity). Ageben puts -x on the speaker and listener roots. It still adds associates, but who is in the group follows each root's place in the conversation. Speaker -x is the speaker plus that person’s people, without the listener. Listener -x is the address set: everyone you are talking to right now, and not the speaker.
Inclusive you and I is aya (special pronouns). With -x it adds the speaker’s and listener’s shared people.
zawanx vowurol.z-listener-x | v-walk
"You all walk." (everyone I'm talking to)
zuwenx vehohel.z-speaker-x | v-sit
"My people and I sit." (not you)
zalazunx vehohel.z-Alazun-x | v-sit
"You and your associates sit." (said to Alazun)
zayan vowurol.z-interlocutors | v-walk
"We walk." (you and I)
The same roots take the role letter of the slot they fill. As a direct object they are duwenx, dawanx, dayan:
zazozon duwenx vayebel.z-Azozon | d-speaker-x | v-see
"Azozon sees me and my people." (not you)
zazozon dawanx vayebel.z-Azozon | d-listener-x | v-see
"Azozon sees you all." (everyone I'm talking to)
zazozon dayan vayebel.z-Azozon | d-interlocutors | v-see
"Azozon sees us." (you and I)
| Ageben | Use | English |
|---|---|---|
uwenx | speaker plus that person’s people (listener not assumed); zuwenx as subject, duwenx as object | I and my people (not you) |
awanx | all current addressees; zawanx as subject, dawanx as object | you all |
ayan | the interlocutor set; zayan as subject, dayan as object | we (you and I) |
ayanx | the interlocutor set plus associates beyond this conversation | we all, us and our people (you included) |
| name -nx / resume -rx | that person plus associates | X and associates |
zayanx vowurol.z-interlocutors-x | v-walk
"We all walk." (you, I and our people)
Compare with: inclusive we uses aya (zayan), not uwenx. uwenx leaves you out, awanx leaves the speaker out, and ayanx takes in both and the people around you. Nonspecific someone (ume) names no group, so it takes no -x: some people is zeyelx.
For you and yours (one listener plus that person's people), put -x on the listener's name (zalazunx). awanx means only the address set.
Practice
Short drills for Beginner. Try each item before opening Show answer.
Setting: a picnic
New words:
| English | Ageben | Cue |
|---|---|---|
| ant | enezal | 🐜 |
| basket | abowal | 🧺 |
| sandwich | edal | 🥪 |
| wine | owudal | 🍷 |
Review:
| English | Ageben |
|---|---|
| Azozon | azozon |
| Alazun | alazun |
| Ahelan | ahelan |
| speaker | uwen |
| listener | awan |
| interlocutors | ayan |
| angry | onumul |
| haste | hadurom |
| run | veruvol |
| sit | vehohel |
| see | vayebel |
| drink | vuwudal |
| knife | anewul |
English → Ageben
1. Azozon and associates sit.
Show answer
zazozonx vehohel.
z-Azozon-x | v-sit
2. Some angry ants run hastily.
Show answer
zenezalx gonumul hadurom veruvol.
[z-ant-x | g-angry] | h-haste | v-run
Also correct: zenezalx gonumul veruvol hadurom.
3. Azozon sees some baskets.
Show answer
zazozon dabowalx vayebel.
z-Azozon | d-basket-x | v-see
4. We all see a sandwich. (you, I and our people)
Show answer
zayanx dedal vayebel.
z-interlocutors-x | d-sandwich | v-see
5. Azozon drinks wine. They sit. (Azozon and associates)
Show answer
zazozon dowudal vuwudal. zwuzerx vehohel.
z-Azozon | d-wine | v-drink . z-←episode-agent.same-x | v-sit
Also correct: zazozon dowudal vuwudal. zazozorx vehohel.
6. You all sit. (everyone I'm talking to)
Show answer
zawanx vehohel.
z-listener-x | v-sit
Ageben → English
1. zahelanx dedal vayebel.
Show answer
z-Ahelan-x | d-sandwich | v-see
Ahelan and associates see a sandwich.
2. zuwenx vehohel.
Show answer
z-speaker-x | v-sit
My people and I sit. (not you)
3. zalazun vehohel. zalazurx dedal vayebel.
Show answer
z-Alazun | v-sit . z-←Alazun-x | d-sandwich | v-see
Alazun sits. They see a sandwich. (Alazun and associates)
4. zazozon danewulx vayebel.
Show answer
z-Azozon | d-knife-x | v-see
Azozon sees some knives.
5. yel zawanx vehohel.
Show answer
y-question | z-listener-x | v-sit
Are you all sitting?
6. zayan dowudal vuwudal.
Show answer
z-interlocutors | d-wine | v-drink
We drink wine. (you and I)
Pick one
1. Some ants sit. zenezalx vehohel. or zenezal vehohel.
Show answer
zenezalx vehohel.
z-ant-x | v-sit
-lx introduces a group in this situation; plain -l is one ant.
2. Azozon sees Alazun and associates. zazozon dalazunx vayebel. or zazozonx dalazun vayebel.
Show answer
zazozon dalazunx vayebel.
z-Azozon | d-Alazun-x | v-see
-x goes on the word whose group it is: here the ones seen.
Fix it
1. We sit. (you and I) zuwenx vehohel.
Show answer
zayan vehohel.
z-interlocutors | v-sit
uwenx is the speaker and their people, leaving you out; you and I is ayan.
See also
- Inclusive we
aya: pronouns.md - Endings before -x: word-endings.md