Numbers & Counting
Numbers have been decided. They are usually written in their 'numeral' equivalent form with no written (word) form existing. They are arranged the same way the Japanese numbers are.
The numbers are:
- 0 - be
- 1 - sa
- 2 - mek
- 3 - jie
- 4 - ez
- 5 - lam
- 6 - tep
- 7 - fid
- 8 - gi
- 9 - row (more like row as in an argument row not like the boat)
- 10 - haab
- 100 - shaw
- 1000 - peth
- *10,000 - aiso
- *100,000 - airk
- 17 - haab-fid (10+7)
- 70 - fid-haab (7x10)
- 77 - fid-haab-fid ((7x10)+7)
- 321 - jie-shaw-mek-haab-sa ((3x100)+(2x10)+1)
- 302 - jie-shaw-mek ((3x100)+2)
ie. jie-shaw OR jie-be-be
Usually they are done as 'jie-shaw' because it's shorter.
Tenses:
Unlike English (which has 12 tenses) this one only has 4 with the possible option of a continuous form. These tenses are past, present, future and neutral. The neutral, similar to the infinitive form in English, is used when you are talking about an unspecified time or an unknown time. It is possible I will combine the continuous form into the neutral tense later on but I haven't decided.
There has been a recent contemplation of an extra tense. An extra past tense to have differentiation between the recent and distant past. This idea has not been decided.
Pronouns:
Taking a page from a book by Marge Piercy there are 3 pronouns with each having singular and plural form. These are: I, You (singular), He/She, We, You (plural), They. He and she, although they exist separately in Selmari they are rarely used. As Piercy did in a book of hers generally the combined term is used for the third person which can be male or female. The word is a combination of the word for 'her' and the word for 'his' although they do exist separately - they are VERY rarely used.
Grammar:
In English the form is Subject>Verb>Object - OR - I (subject) eat (verb) bread (object). In Selmari the object is the focus and becomes Object>Subject>Verb - OR - Bread (object) I (subject) eat (verb). The more complex structures have not yet been decided.
Plurals:
Plurals are indicated by a 'k' at the end of the word. If the word ends in a 'k' already or a consonant then 'ak' is added instead.
ie. A Pentamnic (which is a kind of instrument) becomes Pentamicak when there is more than one.
A vezetka (which is a storm) becomes vezetkak when referring to more than one.
Character Sounds:
The alphabet, called characters at the moment consists of 40 sounds which make up the letters. Each character makes one sound and spelling is phonetic within those characters.
Images of the characters will be included shortly (when I've decided on them and haven't changed them for at least a month. LOL).
