Primer II: Lesson 12: Nouns 3

i Grammar

i.i Nouns 3: The Comparative

How does one compare one thing to another? In most languages, you use the comparative form. In English, this is generally adding the ending -er. The field is greener than the forest. The word "than" is also used to compare. The sentence "The field is greener the forest" makes sense, but not completely. However, adding the word "than" makes sure the meaning is clear.

In Diarenyë, the "er" is "pe". But this is not used as a suffix! It is also not used as a prefix, infix, or any other kind of affix. It is placed bfore the adjective that is more. Greener than is pe vagre so. "Pe" literally means "more." For example, from the previous Grestacol installment, we have: "iliarai omaringyas ios pe so gala umna las gayas telas" which means, "She wanted children of her [own] more than anything in the entire world."

i.ii Nouns 3: The Genitive 2

In the genitive case, there is a little quirk as of yet unexplained, but which needs to be concerning the previous passage. If a pronoun in the genitive is placed after the noun it possesses, it means "of (the pronoun's) own." So "omaringyas ios" means "child of her own."

i.iii Test

  1. Translate:
    1. I want a home of my own, and a family of my own more than anything!
    2. The green field [vagre domi] is greener than the brown [yeta] forest[abri] and the stoney [steya] mountain.
    3. How are you? I am better than I have been!

    Check the answers!

    ii Grestacol

    ii.i Instructions

    You are doing a great job! By this time you know a ton of grammar and vocabulary. From here it is a lot of smooth sailing. As usual, about ten words are introduced each lesson. Good Luck! Follow all previous instructions. Esar kan!

    ii.ii Grestacol

    L'ora diarai wista se iablai sias yadas, se l'atlen lof sukar.

    "Lef tiablar dras tenas curos ya tium, ma tiyesar umna tios hal," diarai l'ora. "Umna amba dios lef ticurar tium, tumra lef titesar las curas andra las halas. Ma tifelar andra las halas, dra lurya esare temar: si bend, ya si cyur. Manar las bendas, manar te las cyuras."

    ii.iii Vocabulary

    1. Wista -- Cautious
    2. Yad -- Spell
    3. Lof -- Could
    4. Sukar -- Try
    5. Ten -- Pail
    6. Cur -- Water
    7. Hal -- Bed
    8. Amba -- Each
    9. Lef curar -- Should wash
    10. Lef tesar -- Should pour
    11. Andra -- Under
    12. Lur -- Flower
    13. Cyur -- Strange
    14. Manar -- Eat

    Continue with Lesson 13