Rank joins
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SHARED after the join
When an adjective or extra noun is meant for the whole list (both challenging, Azozon's dog and cat), write it immediately after the join. Material in that spot is called SHARED: it describes each member of the list. A modifier that belongs to one item only stays on that item (after its head, or gl- before it).
zodozel zogozel zal gamahum.[z-dog | z-cat | z-and | g-challenge]
"a challenging dog and a challenging cat."
A hook belongs to one item the same way. Put the hook and its /b/ right after that item, before the join word: om plus a resume gives Azozon and his dog.
zazozon zodozel om bazozor zal vowurol.[z-Azozon | [z-dog | [used-by | b-←Azozon]] | z-and] | v-walk
"Azozon and his dog walk."
Only the item just before the join word takes a hook this way. A hook anywhere else in the clause is an extra noun of the clause.
zodozel zogozel zam gegunum blazozon.[z-dog | z-cat | z-and.open | [g-ownership | bl-Azozon]]
"Azozon's dog and cat." (and possibly more)
A plain /ɡ/ after that SHARED pair describes its /b/, as in complex chaining.
zodozel zogozel zam gegunum blazozon guzemel.[z-dog | z-cat | z-and.open | [g-ownership | [bl-Azozon | g-sleepy]]]
"Sleepy Azozon's dog and cat." (and possibly more)
Compare with: a sakes need on /ɡ/ already means the speaker’s belonging (guwathal my … serves competence).
| Join family | Use of SHARED /ɡ/ |
|---|---|
| a | distributive property (both ADJ) or bundle description |
a + /ɡ/…-x | collective (ADJ together) |
| oe + SHARED scale | equative (/ɡ/ or /h/) |
| o / uo on NP | comparison scale (/ɡ/ or /h/) |
| ao on NP | sorted low to high (/ɡ/ or /h/) |
| ua / ue | kind / domain for universals |
More items of the same role go before the join, not after it.
SHARED material has to be able to describe what the join lists. After a noun join, a /ɡ/ describes every noun, and an /h/ is only a scale after rank o / uo, equative oe, or sequence ao. After a verb join, a /d/ object, a recipient /b/, or an /h/ adverb is SHARED: every verb takes it. Nothing describes a list of adjectives, so after a /ɡ/ join the next /ɡ/ is simply the next item. Any other /h/ after a join is an ordinary adverb on the verb:
zazozon zalazun zal hahunom vowurol.[z-Azozon | z-Alazun | z-and] | h-intensity | v-walk
"Azozon and Alazun walk intensely."
Rank joins
When English would say two people are as ADJ as each other, use a tie: a rank join with two vowels, o then e (zoel, or open zoem). Write the names, then the tie, then the adjective right after it, so the adjective grades the whole list. In a tie, the order of the names does not matter.
zazozon zalazun zoel gamahum.[z-Azozon | z-Alazun | z-equal-rank | g-challenge]
"Azozon is as challenging as Alazun."
Compare with: more / most and least use o / uo plus the same shared adjective (comparatives).
Invert (ua / uo / ue)
Beginner already used everything but (ua). A leading u inverts o and e the same way: uo reverses a ranking, and ue offers everything outside the list.
| Ageben | Use | English | Cue |
|---|---|---|---|
| ua | invert add | everything but the listed | u ≈ undo + a ≈ add |
| uo | invert rank | A after B after C (last first) | u ≈ undo + o ≈ rank |
| ue | invert menu | anything but the listed (free choice outside) | u ≈ undo + e ≈ choice |
What everything or anything ranges over comes from context, or from a SHARED /ɡ/ that names the kind. Only plain …om means optional; on ue, -m leaves the list open as usual. -r still attaches only to one-vowel a / o / e / u.
zedudal zogudal zual.[z-tea | z-coffee | z-everything-but]
"everything but tea and coffee."
zazozon zalazun zahelan zuol.[z-Azozon | z-Alazun | z-Ahelan | z-rank/less]
"Azozon, Alazun, Ahelan, from last to first."
Compare with: plain u is not / none of the listed, not an invert stack. Every cat uses SHARED kind after zual: zual gogozel.
Sequence (ao)
Rank o puts the first item at the top (A matters more than B). When English would instead say A, then B (an itinerary, a turn order, from 3 to 5), the first item is the start, not the winner. Write the items in that order and close with ao.
zazozon zalazun zahelan zaol.[z-Azozon | z-Alazun | z-Ahelan | z-in-order]
"Azozon, then Alazun, then Ahelan."
| Arity | Closed -l | Open -m |
|---|---|---|
| Multi (2+) | A B zaol A, then B | A B zaom roughly A, then B |
| Single-item | X zaol start with X / from X on | X zaom maybe start with X |
| Standalone | zaol in no particular order / any order | zaom not sure where to start |
A sequence does not say which item is better. With a SHARED quality it sorts the list from low to high. Two numbers in a sequence are two values in order (zragel zrazal zaol = 3, then 5). (cue: a ≈ add + o ≈ rank: and then)
Respectively (wubam)
Two and-lists in one clause do not say who goes with what. zazozon zalazun zal vayebel dogozel dodozel dal. could mean each of them saw both animals. When English says respectively (the first item goes with the first, the second with the second), put wubam right before the join word of the second list.
zazozon zalazun zal vayebel dogozel dodozel wubam dal.[z-Azozon | z-Alazun | z-and] | v-see | [d-cat | d-dog | w-respectively | d-and]
"Azozon and Alazun saw a cat and a dog, respectively."
Azozon saw the cat, and Alazun saw the dog. The lists pair up by position, so they must have the same number of items:
zazozon zalazun zahelan zal vayebel dogozel dodozel debezel wubam dal.[z-Azozon | z-Alazun | z-Ahelan | z-and] | v-see | [d-cat | d-dog | d-bird | w-respectively | d-and]
"Azozon, Alazun, and Ahelan saw a cat, a dog, and a bird, respectively."
| Rule | Pattern |
|---|---|
| Where | right before the a join word (-l or -m) of the later list |
| Partner | another a list in the same clause with the same number of items |
| Only there | wubam goes nowhere else, and no other /w/ word goes before a join word |
The lists can be of different roles. A list of adjectives or verbs pairs with the subject list the same way: put wubam before the join word that closes it.
zazozon zalazun zal gelazem gamezem wubam gal.[z-Azozon | z-Alazun | z-and] | [g-big | g-small | w-respectively | g-and]
"Azozon and Alazun are big and small, respectively."
zazozon zalazun zal vowurol veruvol wubam val.[z-Azozon | z-Alazun | z-and] | [v-walk | v-run | w-respectively | v-and]
"Azozon and Alazun walk and run, respectively."
Azozon is big and Alazun is small; Azozon walks and Alazun runs. Without wubam, an adjective right after a noun join is SHARED: it describes every noun. When wubam and gal close the adjectives, they are a list of their own, so the first one is not shared.
Inside such a list, a plain /ɡ/ after an item's hosted /b/ is the next item, not a description of that /b/. The closing join decides it: with gal ending the row, every /ɡ/ in it belongs to the list and so to the subjects.
zazozon zalazun zal gewem blagayul guzemel wubam gal.[z-Azozon | z-Alazun | z-and] | [[g-like | bl-guard] | g-sleepy | w-respectively | g-and]
"Azozon is like the guard, and Alazun is sleepy." (respectively)
With no closing gal, the row is not a list. The /ɡ/ after a noun join is SHARED, and the plain /ɡ/ after its /b/ describes that /b/ (complex chaining): zazozon zalazun zal gewem blagayul guzemel. is both are like the sleepy guard.
Full single-item and standalone inventories
Beginner already used single-item just X and standalone nothing / everything. The tables below are the rest of those phrase-level readings. Clause /x/ joins have standalone and stand-in readings but no single-item one (clause joins).
Rank: single-item
| Ageben | Use | English |
|---|---|---|
…el (zol / …) | closed rank of one | only X matters / X, period; + SHARED scale → superlative (comparatives) |
…em (zom / …) | open rank of one | X first / mainly X; + SHARED scale → open superlative |
…oel (zoel / …) | closed tie of one | X tied for / equal priority to X |
…oem (zoem / …) | open tie of one | X about tied for / soft equal priority |
…oen (zoen / …) | stock tie of one | X tied for (stock / conventional draw label) |
…aem (zaom / …) | open sequence start | maybe start with X |
…ael (zaol / …) | closed sequence start | start with X / from X on |
…uel (zuol / …) | closed last place | X last; + SHARED scale → least |
…uem (zuom / …) | open last place | mainly leave X for last |
…en (zon / …) | stock first | X first (stock) / X, as usual |
…er (zor / …) | unspecified ranked member | preferably some X / X as a priority |
Rank: standalone
Standalone o says nothing is on top (no favorite; with a SHARED scale, there is no biggest). Standalone uo says nothing is at the bottom (no least, no veto). Neither says the items are tied (that is oe), and neither picks out whichever is on top (that is zor). Closed -l states it as a fact about the set; open -m says only that you know of none.
| Ageben | Use | English |
|---|---|---|
…el (zol / …) | closed empty rank | no favorite / nobody's first; + SHARED scale → there is no biggest |
…em (zom / …) | open empty rank | no favorite, as far as I know; + SHARED scale → no biggest comes to mind |
…oel (zoel / …) | closed empty tie | it's a draw / tie |
…oem (zoem / …) | open empty tie | probably a tie / looks even |
…oen (zoen / …) | stock empty tie | it's a draw (stock) |
…aem (zaom / …) | open empty sequence | not sure where to start |
…ael (zaol / …) | closed empty sequence | in no particular order / any order |
…uel (zuol / …) | closed empty last | no least-favorite / nobody's last; + SHARED scale → there is no smallest |
…uem (zuom / …) | open empty last | no objection (not naming a veto) |
…en (zon / …) | stock empty rank | no favorite (stock) |
…er (zor / …) | unspecified empty rank | whatever's most important |
Set: single-item
| Ageben | Use | English |
|---|---|---|
…al (zal / …) | closed add of one | just X / only X |
…am (zam / …) | open add of one | X, for one / X (and possibly more) |
…ol (zel / …) | closed menu of one | the only option is X |
…om (zem / …) | open menu of one | X (optional) |
…ual (zual / …) | closed invert-add of one | everything but X |
…uam (zuam / …) | open invert-add of one | everything but X (and possibly more) |
…uol (zuel / …) | closed invert-menu of one | anything but X |
…uom (zuem / …) | open invert-menu of one | anything but X (and possibly more) |
…aol (zael / …) | closed inclusive of one | X is enough / X'll do |
…aom (zaem / …) | open inclusive of one | at least X / X would work |
…ar (zar / …) | unspecified add | some (unknown) X |
…or (zer / …) | unspecified menu | any X |
…ul (zul / …) | closed deny of one | not X |
…um (zum / …) | open deny of one | not X (and possibly more) |
…un (zun / …) | stock denial of one | not X (stock / conventional) |
…ur (zur / …) | unspecified leftover | something other than X |
…un is the stock denial: a conventional not X (a set phrase). Ordinary denials use …ul / …um.
Set: standalone
| Ageben | Use | English |
|---|---|---|
…al (zal / …) | closed empty add | nothing / nobody |
…am (zam / …) | open empty add | nothing, as far as I know |
…an (zan / …) | named empty add | null / void (with items, -n instead names the bundle) |
…ol (zel / …) | closed empty menu | no options / we're stuck |
…om (zem / …) | open empty menu | no pick, as far as I know |
…ual (zual / …) | closed empty invert-add | everything / everyone |
…uam (zuam / …) | open empty invert-add | everything, as far as I know |
…uan (zuan / …) | stock empty invert-add | everyone / everything (stock); + SHARED kind → the kind itself |
…uol (zuel / …) | closed empty invert-menu | anything (goes) |
…uom (zuem / …) | open empty invert-menu | anything offered |
…aol (zael / …) | closed empty inclusive | all set / nothing more needed |
…aom (zaem / …) | open empty inclusive | nothing needed, as far as I know |
…ul (zul / …) | closed empty deny | no |
…um (zum / …) | open empty deny | no, as far as I know |
…un (zun / …) | stock empty deny | No (stock) |
…ar (zar / …) | unspecified empty add | something / someone |
…or (zer / …) | unspecified empty menu | anything / anyone |
…ur (zur / …) | unspecified empty leftover | something else / someone else |
Exclusivity and denying a whole list
When English would allow several listed items at once (and/or), stack a then e (ae). e alone is still at most one: closed -l is pick one; open -m is (optional). On ae, even -m still needs at least one of the listed items.
When English would deny a list as a whole (not both), close the list with its own join, then add a u join after it. The inner list is the one item before the u join, so this is single-item not X with the whole list as X. To deny each item instead (neither A nor B), put the items straight before the u join, as in Beginner negation.
vowurol veruvol val vul.[[v-walk | v-run | v-and] | v-not]
"not both walk and run."
vowurol veruvol vel vul.[[v-walk | v-run | v-or-exactly-one] | v-not]
"not exactly one of walk and run." (both, or neither)
| Ageben | English |
|---|---|
vowurol veruvol vul | neither walk nor run |
vowurol veruvol val vul | not both walk and run |
vowurol veruvol vel vul | not exactly one of walk and run |
Fence nesting
When one list sits inside another ((tea or coffee) and water), write the inner items, then their join, then the outer item, then the outer join. Each join sits after only the stretch it closes. You nest by stacking right-close joins; a flat list still uses a single join after all its members. Clause joins group by position instead (clause joins).
| Pattern | Ageben | English |
|---|---|---|
| flat | zedudal zogudal zowulal zel | tea or coffee or water |
| nested | zedudal zogudal zel zowulal zal | either tea or coffee, and water |
| nested adjectives | gerulol gamezem gul gelazem gal | big, and neither red nor small |
Practice
Short drills for Intermediate. Try each item before opening Show answer.
Setting: a wedding
New words:
| English | Ageben | Cue |
|---|---|---|
| ring | orebel | 💍 |
| veil | ovobul | 👰 |
| dress | edobal | 👗 |
| kiss | veguyal | 💏 |
| respectively | wubam | 🧦 from socks: sort them into matched pairs |
Review:
| English | Ageben |
|---|---|
| Azozon | azozon |
| Alazun | alazun |
| Ahelan | ahelan |
| wine | owudal |
| beer | urudal |
| walk | vowurol |
| punch | vabuvul |
| see | vayebel |
English → Ageben
1. Azozon and Alazun, both in a dress
Show answer
zazozon zalazun zal gedobal.
[z-Azozon | z-Alazun | z-and | g-dress]
2. either wine or beer, and a ring
Show answer
zowudal zurudal zel zorebel zal.
[[z-wine | z-beer | z-or-exactly-one] | z-ring | z-and]
3. Azozon kisses first, then Alazun.
Show answer
zazozon zalazun zaol veguyal.
[z-Azozon | z-Alazun | z-in-order] | v-kiss
4. not both kiss and walk
Show answer
veguyal vowurol val vul.
[[v-kiss | v-walk | v-and] | v-not]
Ageben → English
1. zovobul zuel.
Show answer
[z-veil | z-anything-but]
anything but the veil
2. zahelan zaem.
Show answer
[z-Ahelan | z-and/or.open]
at least Ahelan
3. zazozon zalazun zal vayebel dorebel dovobul wubam dal.
Show answer
[z-Azozon | z-Alazun | z-and] | v-see | [d-ring | d-veil | w-respectively | d-and]
Azozon and Alazun see the ring and the veil, respectively.
4. zahelan zuol.
Show answer
[z-Ahelan | z-rank/less]
Ahelan last
Pick one
1. Ahelan, then Alazun, then Azozon. (a turn order) zahelan zalazun zazozon zaol. or zahelan zalazun zazozon zol.
Show answer
zahelan zalazun zazozon zaol.
[z-Ahelan | z-Alazun | z-Azozon | z-in-order]
Sequence ae makes the first item the start; rank e would make it the most important.
2. neither kiss nor punch veguyal vabuvul vul. or veguyal vabuvul val vul.
Show answer
veguyal vabuvul vul.
[v-kiss | v-punch | v-not]
Items straight before vul are each denied; veguyal vabuvul val vul only denies doing both.
Fix it
1. Azozon and Alazun see the ring and the veil, respectively zazozon zalazun zal wubam vayebel dorebel dovobul dal.
Show answer
zazozon zalazun zal vayebel dorebel dovobul wubam dal.
[z-Azozon | z-Alazun | z-and] | v-see | [d-ring | d-veil | w-respectively | d-and]
wubam sits immediately before the join word it pairs, not before the verb.