Vocabulary Key to « Deusker quem Temos »

 

This analysis is based on the “Wordle” software; thanks to D.McLeod who made me discover it.

This aim of this document is to help people interested by Sambahsa who would like to foster their knowledges in this language, and who can find here some indications on the most used words in some translated texts.

“Deusker quem temos” (Darker than Darkness) is an adaptation in Sambahsa from a gamebook whose action takes place in Tolkien’s Middle-Earth, just before the War of the Ring. Five unexperienced adventurers explore barrows near Bree and encounter Aragorn and Gandalf. This text can be downloaded here : Deusker_quem_temos[1][1].doc

 

The most common words are pronouns and the diverse conjugated forms of the irregular verbs “ses” and “habe”. As all this is explained in detail in the “Sambahsa grammar in English”, we can only recommend the readers to refer to the informations contained in this document. Likewise, we haven’t included proper nouns and words similar to their equivalents in English.

 

 

Adjectives :

Deub : ghem

Ghem : low

Gwaur : heavy

Lent : slow

Mier : big

 

 

Oik : some, a few

Sem : some, certain

 

Hol = “whole”

Quant = “all”; but “all the” is “vasyo”, which is declined according to the “euphonic vocalisation”.

Oin = one

Un = a(n). Remember that all those three words can bear the optional declensional endings. A frequent encountered form is “uns” = “of a(n)”

 

 

Prepositions:

Ab : by (after a passive verbal construction). It turns (seldom indeed) to “af” before “h”. Sometimes, it can mean “starting from” too.

Ad : at

Apter : behind

Bayna : among

Con : with (accompanied by)

Do : (in)to

Ep : on (before “h”, it can turn to “ef”)

Ex : out of

Kye : in the direction of, towards. It merges with the following article or personal pronoun of the 3° person. “kyid” = “towards the/id” is frequently encountered.

Med : with (an instrument).

Nieb : beside

Ob : because

Per : through

Pos : after

Pre : before (in time)

Pro : for

Prosch : close to, near (with an idea of movement)

Sub : under

Ud : from

Unte : within a certain time/space. For example: “unte id wer” = “during spring”; “unte id dwer” = “through the door”. Can be used as an interrogative and relative pronoun too.

Ye : has no definite meaning, it expresses a circumstance, a condition. Examples: “ye mien surprise” = “to my surprise”; “ye mieno mayn” = in my opinion”.

As an hyphenated suffix to adjectives and even substantives, it serves to make adverbs.

 

 

Other invariable words:

Bet : but

Dar : still

Dind : afterwards, then

Ed : and

Her, ter, quer [ker]  correspond to English here, there, where.

Ja : already

Lyt : a little. “Lytil” = little; comparative and superlative : lyter, lytst

Kafi : enough

Kam : like, as; as an interrogative pronoun: how ?

kay : in order to. Often used as “to” before a verb.

Kun : as, when

Meis : more

Naiwo : never

Neti : no more

Nun : now

Od : that (as in “I know that...”). As in English, it can be often omitted.

Pior : too (much/many)

Quayque : although

Sei : if (to introduce a condition)

Tem... quem : as.... as. “Tem” alone is “so (much)”, while “quem” corresponds to “than”.

Tik : only

Tun : then

To : “that” when referring to a whole statement; its relative pronominal form is “quo” 

 

Verbs:

Most verbs occur at the past tense in this text. In Sambahsa, ehV verbs undergo ablaut in the past tense (they turn to ohV)

Thus:

Ghehd (to be able to) = Ghohd (was/were able to)

Gwehm (to come) = gwohm (came)

Kwehk (to seem) = kwohk (seemed)

 

Verbs in “a” turn it to “ie”.

 

Aur (to hear) = ieur (heard)

 

“-nt” is the ending of the 3° person plural of the present indicative, but, where there is no risk of confusion, it can be used as the present active participle, beside “-nd”.

Thus “stahnt” = “they stand” or “standing”, from “stah-“ = “to stand”.

 

 

Nouns:

Bren : thought

Cap : head

Clin : hill

Dien : day

Dikhliz : corridor

Drukh : evil spirit, ghost

Dwer : door

Eins : sword

Gwit : life

Ighnos : trail, track

Kamer : (sleeping) room

Kyal : room

Leuds : people, folks

Luce : light

Magh : power

Meja :  table (for eating)

Mierstieups : name of Aragorn : “big steps” = “Strider”. “mier” = big; “stieup” = step.

Noct : night

Pieut : food (as a verb: to feed)

Prient : friend

Seil : rope

Strad : street, road

Weik : town, borough, commune (as a verb : to dwell)