Appearance
Roles and viewpoints
Name event participants (fighter, the one fought), compass sides, and whose left / right you mean.
On this page
Beginner
Role compounds (a / u / o × root)
Name an event or relation participant from the event or relation stem: a fighter, the one fought, that other party of a bond.
Write a role vowel, then mid-word x, then the stem, then an ordinary reference ending:
PoS + {a|u|o} + x + ROOT + {-l|-m|-n|-r}Mnemonic: the vowel-series jobs on the left of x: a adds a doer, u takes the undergoer, o picks the other party of a relation (the /b/ slot: the reltum).
`zazawan dululon vuvugul.`
`zaxuvugur vurunul.`
gloss: `z-grace@` · `d-courage@` · `v-fight`
gloss: `z-←agent-x-fight` · `v-run`
*Azawan fought Ululon. The fighter fled.*Prefer /z/ /d/ /b/ when the word is a person or thing in the clause. To say Azawan is a fighter, put the role on /ɡ/ (zazawan gaxuvugum). The noun zaxuvugul is a fighter as a participant.
| ROLE | Form | ROOT type | Referent | Mnemonic |
|---|---|---|---|---|
a | …axROOT… | event (verb / event-noun stem) | agent: the doer of that event | a add: a doer |
u | …uxROOT… | event | patient: the undergoer of that event | u undo: undergoes it |
o | …oxROOT… | relation (describing / manner stem) | reltum: the /b/ party of that relation | o one: that other pole |
`zazawan dagadal vejel.`
`zuxejer vurunul.`
gloss: `z-grace@` · `d-cat` · `v-see`
gloss: `z-←patient-x-see` · `v-run`
*Azawan sees a cat. The one seen runs.*`zazawan gonogol bululon.`
`zoxonogor vurunul.`
gloss: `z-grace@` · `g-bond` · `b-courage@`
gloss: `z-←reltum-x-bond` · `v-run`
*Azawan is bound to Ululon. That bond-argument runs.*Endings
| Ending | Reading |
|---|---|
| -l | Indefinite / kind: a fighter, fighters as a type (zaxuvugul) |
| -m | Soft / hedged role |
| -n | Titled / epithet role label (rare) |
| -r | Definite: participant of the most recent matching event (a/u) or relation (o) for that ROOT |
-r matches ROOT to the most recent verb, event noun, or relation word with that stem (including a ROOT half inside a prior role compound). ROLE then picks that frame’s agent, patient, or /b/ party. That still works when the participant first showed up as unspecified-member zar / dar / … (coordination).
A bare event noun is still the event: zuvugul / zuvugur = an / that fight. Content -r on a verb resumes the event; use ax/ux when you mean the people.
| Agalan | Gloss |
|---|---|
zaxuvugul | a fighter (kind; no discourse event required) |
duxuvugur | the one fought (as object now) |
zoxonogor | that bond-argument (reltum of a salient …onogol b-…) |
zuvugur | that fight (the event) |
Can / can’t on a host puts the stance vowel right of x (vuvuguxal can fight). A participant puts the role vowel left of x (zaxuvugul a fighter). See ability.
Translation practice
Short drills on this Beginner band. Try each item before opening Show answer.
Roots used here: azawa grace (name Azawan) · ululo courage (name Ululon) · uhubu beauty (name Uhubun) · agada cat · uzumu smile → happy (-m) · awala walk · urunu run · elebe sleep · uzunu sing · eje see · uwuru write · aju sit · uvugu fight · onogo bond
English → Agalan
1. A fighter runs.
Show answer
zaxuvugul vurunul.
2. Azawan walks. The walker sleeps.
Show answer
zazawan vawalal. zaxawalar velebel.
3. Ululon sings. The singer sits.
Show answer
zululon vuzunul. zaxuzunur vajul.
4. Azawan sees a cat. The one seen runs.
Show answer
zazawan dagadal vejel. zuxejer vurunul.
5. A writer is happy.
Show answer
zaxuwurul guzumum.
6. Azawan is a fighter, in a manner of speaking.
Show answer
zazawan gaxuvugum.
7. Azawan sees a fight.
Show answer
zazawan duvugul vejel.
8. Azawan is bound to Ululon. That bond-argument runs.
Show answer
zazawan gonogol bululon. zoxonogor vurunul.
Agalan → English
1. zaxurunul vawalal.
Show answer
A runner walks.
2. zululon vuzunul. zaxuzunur velebel.
Show answer
Ululon sings. The singer sleeps.
3. zazawan dagadal vejel. zuxejer vajul.
Show answer
Azawan sees a cat. The one seen sits.
4. zaxawalal guzumum.
Show answer
A walker is happy.
5. zazawan vuvugul. zaxuvugur vurunul.
Show answer
Azawan fought. The fighter ran.
6. zuhubun dululon vuvugul. duxuvugur vawalal.
Show answer
Uhubun fought Ululon. The one fought walks.
7. zazawan duvugul vejel.
Show answer
Azawan sees a fight.
8. zazawan gaxuvugum.
Show answer
Azawan is a fighter, in a manner of speaking.
Intermediate
Viewpoint laterals (DIR × anchor)
Bare arrow-rose words are compass points (north-up map). Body-relative left / right / ahead / back use the same roots with an explicit viewpoint: whose facing counts as that map’s north.
Shape: direction root left of mid-word x, viewpoint root right of x, then an ordinary reference ending:
PoS + DIR + x + ANCHOR + {-l|-m|-n|-r}Mnemonic: x glues the rose to a face: the left-hand root is the map point; the right-hand root is whose facing is north.
`jel vawalal hewezel.`
gloss: `j-command` · `v-walk` · `h-west`
*Walk west.*`jel vawalal hewezexazawan.`
gloss: `j-command` · `v-walk` · `h-west-x-grace@`
*Walk left (Azawan’s left).*Speaker and listener anchors are the point when you mean my left / your left:
`jel zedonen vawalal hewezexedonen.`
gloss: `j-command` · `z-listener` · `v-walk` · `h-west-x-listener`
*You, walk left (your left).*| Piece | Role | Mnemonic |
|---|---|---|
| PoS | Slot as usual (/ɡ/ property, /h/ path / manner, /z/ /d/ /b/ side-region) | same slots as other content |
| DIR | An arrow-rose root (table below) | map point, or that point on a face |
x | Compound joiner (phonology) | x = whose eyes |
| ANCHOR | Whose facing = personal north: special ugobo / edone / aha, a name, or a content -r of a being that can face | glue the rose to a face |
| Ending | Ordinary reference-suffix senses on the whole direction word | ending scopes the compound |
Role compounds put a vowel left of x. Viewpoint laterals put a direction root left of x and a person (or facing being) on the right.
Arrow rose (compass vs face)
| Root | Image | Bare spatial | DIR × ANCHOR (facing = north) |
|---|---|---|---|
onoho | ⬆️ | north | ahead |
ohuhu | ⬇️ | south | back |
ezaza | ➡️ | east | right |
eweze | ⬅️ | west | left |
onore | ↗️ | northeast | forward-right |
onohe | ↖️ | northwest | forward-left |
ozozu | ↘️ | southeast | back-right |
ozohe | ↙️ | southwest | back-left |
Indoor headings may follow a local map (building north). Prefer a name or listener frame when you mean someone’s body rose (…xazawan, …xedonen).
Published metaphors of the same roots stay bare (ezaza → progress / discourse xezazal; eweze → return; ozohe → retreat). Generic heading ogomo stays compass / direction. Facing-relative ahead / back is onoho / ohuhu × ANCHOR.
Gravity (uba / odowo)
Skyward / toward the pull is a shared frame, not a face:
| Root | Image | Spatial job | Metaphor |
|---|---|---|---|
uba | ⏫ | up (gravity) | rise |
odowo | ⏬ | down (gravity) | fall |
evere | ↕️ | the vertical axis | (axis only) |
`jel vawalal habal.`
gloss: `j-command` · `v-walk` · `h-up`
*Walk up.*`jabal.`
gloss: `j-up`
*Up!*Viewpoint vs landmark
| Pattern | Job | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Bare DIR | compass / gravity | gewezel west; gabal up |
DIR x ANCHOR | that point on ANCHOR’s facing rose | gewezexedonen listener-left |
complex /ɡ/ + /b/ | region on a side of a landmark | gewezexazawan berel on Azawan’s-left of the tree |
The /b/ argument is the landmark, not the viewpoint. Put the facing being after x; put the tree / door / wall in /b/ when you need both. Bare compass + /b/ is a region on that heading of the landmark (gewezel berel west of the tree).
Endings and resume
| Ending | Reading |
|---|---|
| -l | indefinite / kind side-region or unmarked path |
| -m | soft / hedged frame |
| -n | proper name |
| -r | resume the most recent matching DIR x … compound (same DIR stem), or the DIR half when that is the latest match: ordinary pronoun rules |
| Form | Reading |
|---|---|
gewezel | west (shared map) |
gewezexazawan | Azawan’s left |
gewezexedonen | your left (listener facing) |
gewezexugobon | my left (speaker facing) |
gewezexahan | our left (shared facing) |
gabal / habal | gravity up |
xezazal | discourse therefore (progress) |
Translation practice
Short drills on this Intermediate band. Try each item before opening Show answer.
Roots used here: azawa grace (name Azawan) · ululo courage (name Ululon) · uhubu beauty (name Uhubun) · ohohu house · agada cat · odogo dog · abogo book · awala walk · eweze west / body left · ezaza east / body right · onohe northwest / forward-left · uba up (gravity) · ere tree · edone listener · ugobo speaker
English → Agalan
1. The house on Azawan’s left.
Show answer
zohohul gewezexazawan.
2. The cat on Ululon’s right.
Show answer
zagadal gezazaxululon.
3. Walk west.
Show answer
jel vawalal hewezel.
4. Walk up.
Show answer
jel vawalal habal.
5. The dog on Uhubun’s forward-left.
Show answer
zodogol gonohexuhubun.
6. The book is on Azawan’s left of the tree.
Show answer
zabogol gewezexazawan berel.
7. You, walk left (your left).
Show answer
jel zedonen vawalal hewezexedonen.
8. The house on my left.
Show answer
zohohul gewezexugobon.
Agalan → English
1. zohohul gezazaxazawan.
Show answer
The house on Azawan’s right.
2. zagadal gewezexululon.
Show answer
The cat on Ululon’s left.
3. jel vawalal hewezel.
Show answer
Walk west.
4. jel vawalal habal.
Show answer
Walk up.
5. zohohul gewezel.
Show answer
The house on the west.
6. zabogol gewezexululon berel.
Show answer
The book is on Ululon’s left of the tree.
7. jel zedonen vawalal hezazaxedonen.
Show answer
You, walk right (your right).
8. zohohul gewezexugobon.
Show answer
The house on my left.
See also
- Event resume vs participant: pronouns.md
- Mid-word
xfamilies: x-compounds.md - Join-relations as relation roots: join-extras.md
- Can / can’t (vowel right of
x): ability.md