BASIC GRAMMAR, SLOVIO 1.5:
The vocabulary of Slovio is based on that of the largest European language group, and
includes many internationally known words from Latin, English, French, German, Spanish
etc. Because Slovio is based mainly on the mutually intelligible Slavic languages, as soon
as one learns Slovio it should be possible to communicate with over 400 million people
around the world, and especially in such countries as: Poland, Russia, Ukraine, Czech
Republic, Bulgaria, Slovakia, Croatia, Macedonia, Bosnia, Slovenia, Kazakhstan, Belarus,
Moldavia, etc. The flexibility and the richness of the Slavic languages lies in their
ability to form new words with prefixes and sufixes. This ability of the Slavic languages
had been copied by Esperanto and by most other planned languages. Naturally, Slovio has
this ability too.
Words of particular types are in most cases indicated by their endings (suffixes), and
this makes it easy to see the structure of sentences. The root of each word is never
varied. Most words have special endings, other words (nouns, some verb forms,
prepositions, conjunctions and some adverbs) do not have any special suffixes.
PREFIXES AND SUFFIXES.
Explanation: the vowels or consonants in parentheses are
optional and are used only to facilitate pronunciation. Their use (or not use) depends on
the root to which they are attached. Generally, the optional vowels/consonants are used in
such a way so we wouldn't have two vowels or two consonants following each other. Example:
if the root ends with a consonant, then a consonant at the beginning of a suffix can be
omitted; if the root ends with a vowel, then a vowel at the beginning of a suffix can be
omitted. The optional vowel and consonant most frequently used are: "e"
and "n".
NOUNS and WORD ORDER:
Nouns: don't have any special endings, don't have any inclinations, have
always the same form. Exceptions: singular-plural, and subject-object.
-(i)s.= PLURAL. Plural nouns ending in a vowel are formed by
adding -s. Plural nouns ending in a consonant are formed by adding -is. Examples: okno
(window), oknos (windows); dom (house), domis (houses). (Only nouns have a plural form.
Adjectives don't have a any.)
Word order: The adjective can be before or after the noun, but unlike in
English, it has to have the adjective ending -ya. "Dobrya mlodec". or
"Mlodec dobrya."
Subject-Object: Normally the subject comes before the object. If we want to reverse the
order we must denote the subject with suffix "-(u)m" which is
added to the subject in cases where it is necessary to make clear which noun is the
subject. "Mlodec lubil mlodica." (Boy loved a girl). Or: "Mlodicam
lubil mlodec." Both sentences have the same meaning only the subject/object order are
reversed. As shown here, to make the meaning clear, we use the ending -(u)m. In plural,
the ending -(u)m becomes -(i)ms. If the word order is "normal"
(subject before object) then no changes, no suffixes are necessary.
ADJECTIVES:
Word order: The adjective can be before or after the noun, but unlike in
English, it has to have the adjective ending -ya. "Dobrya mlodec". or
"Mlodec dobrya."
-(n)ya = ADJECTIVES. Examples: dobrya = good; velya =
big; silaya = strong. As in English, adjectives do not change their form. They may
be placed either before (as is usual in English) or after (as is usual in Spanish) the
noun which they qualify. For example, zelonya trava (green grass) or trava zelonya, velya
dom (big house) or dom velya. Adjectives don't have a plural form.
OTHER POSSIBLE ADJECTIVE-ENDINGS:
-(e)na, -(e)ska, -(en)ska,
-(e)lska, -(e)lskya, -(e)vskya, -yelska.
(Your suggestions when/where to use which adjective form are
welcome.)
COMPARATIVES AND SUPERLATIVES: Comparatives and superlatives are made using the words
plus, minus, maxim and minim. For example: plus velya =
bigger, and minus velya = less big, maxim
velya = the biggest, minim razumya = the least wise, mlodya =
young, plus mlodya = yonger, maxim mlodya = the youngest. Opposites are formed with
preposition bez-: dobrya = good, bezdobrya = bad, opasya = dangerous, bezopasya = safe,
opasnost = danger, bezopasnost = safety, opasyo = dangerously, bezopasyo = safely.
-va = BELONG. The ending means to belong. Example:
Peterva automobil. / Peter's car. // Natasxava cxai. / Natasha's tea.
ADVERBS:
-(n)yo = ADVERBS. Adverbs are formed by adding -(n)yo: dobryo
= well; bistryo = quickly. From adjectives: replace -ya with -yo.
-om = ADVERBS. Example: raz (one time), raz-om
(together), utro (morning), utro-m (in the morning).
VERBS.
The verb roots can have various endings; they often (but not always) end
with a vowel. The neutral is formed by adding -(i)t to the
root. The future, present, the past and the conditional tenses can be formed with the
use of help words: BU (will do, will be), YE (does, is), BIL (did, has done, was), BIBIL
(would have done, would have been). The imperative form is created by ending the verb with
-(i)te. More detailed discussion follows further in
this section.
-(i)vat = VERB FORMATION. In some cases of verb formation from
a noun to make the meaning clearer we add -(e)vat. Example: cxudo (wonder), cxudo-vat
(admire, admire with awe).
-(i)nie = ACTION. The suffix -(e)nie means some action. videt
(to see), videnie (seeing, vision). This is how we can derive nouns from
verbs.
-(n)atya = Present passive participle. Example: drug (spouse),
drug-atya (married).
SEX. (GENDER).
The words as such have no gender. They are all gender-neutral. Also the majority of words
denoting living things, animals, plants etc are sex neutral. If we want to be specific
that a certain living thing is of a male sex or of a female sex, or that it is a young
offspring we use the endings: -ec (male), -ica (female), -incxa (young, offspring).
-(n)ica = FEMALE.
-(n)ec = MALE.
-(n)incxa = OFFSPRING, YOUNG.
Examples: kot (cat, a general gender-free term), kot-ec (tom-cat), kot-ica (female cat),
kot-incxa (kitten); lud (human, person), lud-ec (man), lud-ica (woman), lud-incxa (child),
lud-is (people).
QUALITY.
bez- = OPPOSITE or the lack of a quality. Denotes the direct
opposite. Examples: dobrya (good), bezdobrya (bad).
nai- = THE-MOST. Example: Naikrasivya drugica.
(The most beautiful girl.)
pre- = VERY. Example: Prekrasivya drugica. (Very beautiful girl.)
pra- = REMOTE. Denotes something very old (or very young) or a
distant ancestor, distant age, distant descendant. Examples: otec (father), pra-otec
(distant grandfather);
zla- = BAD, defect. Examples:
vel- = BIG. Examples:
mal- = SMALL. Examples:
pol- = HALF. Semi, demi, mid-. Examples: pol-den (noon),
pol-nocx (midnight).
nad- = ABOVE, SUPERIOR. Examples:
pod- = VICE, UNDER. Denotes deputy, vice or a lower function.
Example: "prezident", "podprezident" (vice president). It can also
denote describe something that is lower. For example:
proti- = ANTI. Examples:
-(n)ost = QUALITY. Formation of a noun from an adjective.
Equivalent to English -ness. Examples: dobr-ya (good), dobr-ost (goodness), vel-ya (big),
velnost (size), bistr-ya (fast), bistr-ost (speed).
THING.
-(n)ina = MATERIAL. To denote a thing originating from certain
material. Example: drev (tree), drev-ina (wood), goviad (cattle), goviad-ina (beef), svin
(swine, pig), svin-ina (pork).
-(e)lo = THING (usu from verb). The suffix -(e)lo means
a thing used for a specific purpose.
-(n)ik = THING . Examples:
-(n)ok = THING . Examples: (molot-ok??)
-(n)ak = THING . Examples:
-(n)ov = THING . Examples:
-(i)n = THING . Examples: rast-it (to grow),
rast-in (plant).
-(e)dlo = TOOL (usu from verb). The suffix -(e)dlo means a tool
used for a specific purpose.
-(e)tok = THING. Examples: pit (to drink) na-pi-tok (a
drink).
-(e)cxka = THING. Examples: side-t (to sit), side-cxka (a
seat).
PERSON OR OCCUPATION.
-(e)nik = DOER. The ending , signifies a person who is doing
something...
rob = work, robnik = worker,
-(n)ar = DOER.
-(n)ikar = OCCUPATION. The ending , signifies a person who is
doing something...
-(e)tel = OCCUPATION. Example: ucxi-t (teach), ucxi-tel
(teacher).
-(n)itel = OCCUPATION.
-(n)ist = FOLLOWER. Example: komunizm (communism), komun-ist
(communist).
-(n)an =
-(n)ian =
PLACE.
-(e)lna = ROOM. The suffix -lna means a room used for a
certain specific purpouse. So for example from the verb spa-t (to sleep)
we get spa-lna (bedroom, sleeping room); and from the verb eda-t
(to eat) we get eda-lna (dining room). Or from the word vana
(bathtub) we get the word vana-lna (bathroom); umiva-t
(wash), umiva-lna (washroom), zabava-t (entertain), zabava-lna
(living room).
-(e)sko = COUNTRY1. Bulgar (Bulgarian), Bulgar-sko (Bulgaria).
-(n)ia = COUNTRY2. Bulgar (Bulgarian), Bulgar-ia (Bulgaria).
BEGINNING - END - COMPLETION.
za- = BEGINNING. Beginning of an action. ("on").
ot- = ENDING, REMOVAL. Ending of an action ("off"),
or removal of something into the distance.
Examples: klucx (key), za-klucx-it (to lock), ot-klucx-it (unlock); viaza-t (to tie),
za-viaza-t (to tie together), ot-viaza-t (to untie).
vi- = COMPLETION / OUT OF. The prefix vi- usually signifies an
action that has been completed. But it is a prefix that can take on several different
meanings. More exact deffinition will be discussed later.
OTHER PREFIXES.
e- = CLOSENESS. The prefix denotes something very close. Tot =
that, Etot = this.
pri- = ATTACHMENT. Prefix pri- means to make something close,
to attach something. For examle viaza-t (to tie) and pri-viaza-t (tie onto something).
raz- = SEPARATION. Same as dis- ...
mezx- = INTER-...
UNDEFINED, UNIVERSAL PREFIXES.
po- = UNIVERSAL prefix. This is a universal prefix which
is used to create new words from existing roots. Example: zdrav (health), zdrav-ya
(healthy), po-zdrav (greeting).
u- = another universal prefix.
OTHER SUFFIXES.
-(n)izm = MOVEMENT. Political or philosophical movement. (fasxizm,
kapitalizm...)
-ie = .............. Similar to english suffix
"-ment". Examples: razv-it (to develop), razv-it-ie (development)..
-ba = ............. Examples: sluzx-it (to serve),
sluzx-ba (service).
Other Slavic prefixes und Suffixes will be discussed in
a later version. Your suggestions and definitions are welcome.
QUESTIONS.
LI is the universal question word. A statement is changed to a
question not by changing the word order, but simply by starting the sentence with
"LI". (To turn any sentence into a question, simply add "LI" to the
beginning of the sentence.)
Examples: On ye mlodya. / He is young. // Li on ye
mlodya? / Is he young?
If a sentence contains a question word already, then we don't have to add "LI"
to its beginning. Examples: Sxto ye etot? / What is it? //
Gde ti ide? / Where are you going?
ARTICLES.
The definite article (in English "the") is "ta"
as in ta zxena (the woman), and ta pcxelas (the bees). Unlike English and some other
languages in Slovio there is no indefinite article.This is a compromise between
languages which have two articles, and those with none. The word "ta" is
invariable, like English "the" but unlike the corresponding words in Italian,
German, French and Spanish - which are variable. There is also no (grammatical) gender in
Slovio, consequently no need to learn wheather a word is masculine or feminine.
SOME IMPORTANT WORDS:
BASIC: i (and), bo (because), ili (or), li (universal question word), ak
(if), po (..at a time), o (about), pri (beside), no (but), ot (from), pol (half), cxem
(than),
COLORS: cvet (color): belya (white), sinya (blue), cxervonya (red), sedya (grey), zxoltya
(yellow), fioletya (violet), purpurya (purple), cxornya (black), kasxtanya (brown,
chestnut),
OTHER WORDS: muzx / muzxec (man), zxen / zxenica (woman), mlodec (boy), mlodica (girl),
drug (friend), drugec (boyfriend), drugica (girlfriend), drugatya (married), dete (child),
starya (old), starec (old man), starica (old woman),
ponedel |
monday |
vtornik |
tuesday |
sreda |
wednesday |
cxetverg |
thursday |
piatak |
friday |
subota |
saturday |
nedel |
sunday |
sekunda (second), minuta (minute), godzina (hour), den
(day), tizxden (week), mesiac (month), rok (year), vrema (time), buvrema (future), yevrema
(present), bilvrema (past),
Yanuar, Februar, Marec, April, Mai, Yuni, Yuli, August, September,
Oktober, November, December
vesna |
spring |
leto |
summer |
| osen |
autumn |
zima |
winter |
Solnce (sun), Luna (moon), Zemla (earth), Planeta
(planet), Kozmos (universe),
sever |
north |
yug |
south |
vostok |
east |
zapad |
west |
Slovio version 1.5 is the fifth
version released in the internet. It is being constantly improved and perfected. Your
cooperation and suggestions are welcome. Please contact us at: info@slovio.com.
WORK IN PROGRESS!!
(we thank all for their constructive contributions) |
