A Grammar of Vabungula
Part 4 - Word Formation and Roots |
About Roots
A distinctive characteristic of Vabungula is word formation from a pool of roots. Most roots consist of one syllable of the form consonant + vowel; others consist of two syllables; others may be of the form vowel + consonant. Every root has a basic meaning and can be used as a component in building new words.
JA big neago hill janea mountain ("big hill") sekûp stick jasekûp tree trunk ("big stick") zûmba hole jazûm cave ("big hole") RO music ge sound rogel music ("music sound") pêntês mouth pênêros whistle ("mouth music") AGU speak (also AG or GU) agula speak agu story aguda discuss (da = about, concerning) aguk promise gulen express fwiag deny (fwi = no, not)
Common Roots
A few common roots are:
AGU speak MA(S) go KA(M) thing SU(M) person LA(R) time LAM place F(W)I no, not, un- FA(L) do, make DA cause DO good; up NA bad; down SI small JA big HA(LJA) dead; dark DZZU take; give DZZÛ give NI think PE part of the body AL(E) see GE sound EN want GA male PO female MU(G) word; language MU(H) sky; blue RA(P) water; liquid HA light DWA ground; soil; floor MO opposite MOM center PA(K) end FJA(L) cover SE(K) tree; wood ON one; whole ÛN part, piece TO laugh; humor NO(S) animal ZE(R) same ZZU deep BI picture
Using Roots
The meaning of many Vabungula words may be deduced from a knowledge of the roots:
from the roots: GEZ motion AL(E) see BI picture LAM place the words: gezal motion (-al is a noun ending) gezalbi motion picture, movie (here the noun ending -al and the root ALE happen to coincide) gezalbilam movie theater
from the roots: FA do, make LU(N) health NI know; think SUM person the word: falunisum doctor
from the roots: MU word, letter DZZU give KA(M) thing the words: dzzula put dzzulakam table (put-thing) famu write (make-letters) famudzzulak desk
Prefix and Suffix Roots
Some roots function mainly as prefixes:
FI not, non-, un- figas artificial (sometimes shortened to FJ) LE intense lessim love ÊN abstract ênsul society E abstract; a concept ekamo thing (intangible)
Others function mainly as suffixes:
-SUM person gasum man -KAM thing famidokam bed -LAM place karalam restaurant -LAR time kaclar summer
False Roots
Although the large majority of Vabungula words are made of roots, some words are not, and have no relation to any existing roots, even though they appear to contain them. The most important class of non-root words are names of most plants and animals:
samela mouse (no relation to SA, ME, or LA) kanto pig (no relation to KA or TO) saro oak (no relation to SA or RO) havara coffee (no relation to HA, VA, or RA) nava chocolate (no relation to NA or VA) hodela moon (no relation to HO, DE, or LA) vedel frog (no roots) heaman banana (no roots)
However, some names of plants and animals have roots:
matore Matoga recemisa, plant of Matoga (a kind of plant) hodere hodela recemisa, moon plant (a kind of plant) sekano sekara nosule, tree animal (squirrel) ugekos Uprênda + ge + komanos, Uprênda noisy bird (red-winged blackbird)
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Page last modified on December 9, 2000 |
Vabungula is an artificial language invented by Bill Price in 1965. |
Vabungula co nûsk mugola famêlêtke onudzz Bill Price larla alara idekuzorekol. |
Copyright © 1999 by Bill Price |