Vocabulary Key to « id Archipelegv iom Cyclops »

 

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.

“Id archipelegv iom cyclops” is an adaptation in Sambahsa from a gamebook whose action takes place in a fantasy archipelago inspired by medieval Greece. The hero, Zabdiel, has to find back twelve lost amulets before malevolent priests can get them. This text can be downloaded here : ID ARCHIPELEGV IOM CYCLOPS.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 :

Barbut : bearded

Mier : big

Sert : late (contrary to “early”); “serter” = “later”

Smulk : small

 

Alyo : another (is declined). “Alter” = the other.

 

Plur : several

 

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)”

Dwo = 2

Tri = 3

 

 

Prepositions:

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

Ant : in front of

Apter : behind

Aun : without

Claus : at, close to; ex: “claus id table” = “at the table”

De : about

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).

Pos : after

Pre : before (in time)

Samt : with (as a quality). Ex: “is pryster samt sword berd” = “the preast with a black beard”.

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

Dind : afterwards, then

Fauran : immediately

Ghi : has no definite meaning; serves to stress the preceding word and often appears in the second position in sentences. It can be rendered as “then” or “for” when it comes after a comma. Ex: “Is kieup neid; is ghi ne hieb denars” = “He didn’t buy anything, for he had no money”.

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

Lakin : however, nevertheless

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

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

Kun : as, when

Meg : very, a lot; megil = great; comparative : meger; superlative : megst

Menxu : while

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

Oku : quick

Pior : too (much/many)

Quo : what (as a relative pronoun)

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

Tik : only

To : that (in general, not as a demonstrative pronoun)

Tun : then

 

 

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:

Aunstehg (to discover) = aunstohg (discovered)

Dehlg (must) = dohlg (had to)

Dyehrc (to see suddenly) = dyohrc (saw suddenly)

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

Kwehk (to seem) = kwohk (seemed)

Mehn (to think) = mohn (thought)

Wehs (to be in definite place) = wohs (was in a definite place)

 

Verbs in “a” turn it to “ie”.

 

Thus, “ay” = “say [in dialogues]” turns to “iey”.

“nak” = “to reach”; “niek” = “reached”

 

 

Other verbs are subjected to the “Von Wahl rules”. Ex: “vid” = “to see” : “vis” = “saw”.

“permitt” = “to permit, allow” : “permiss” = “permitted, allowed”

“decid” = “to decide” : “decis” = “decided”

 

Verbs that cannot alter their stem for the past tense must add the past tense endings.

Thus: “ghyah” = “to open (intransitive)”, “ghyahsit” = “he/she/it opened”; the “s”, called the “sigmatic aorist”, is here for euphonics.

 

Other example : “tente” = “to attempt” : “tentit” = “he/she/it attempted”

“duc” = “to lead” : “duxit” = “he/she/it led”  (here again duc + s + it = duxit; the “s” is for euphonics too)

 

Verbs with a “nasal infix” have an infinitive ending in “-es”.

Thus “linekw” = “leave” : “linkwes” = “to leave”

 

Nouns:

Amulett : amulet

Cap : head

Capitan : captain (of a vessel)

Chef : chief

Div : god

Dugter : daughter

Dwer : door

Eins : sword

Frater : (religious) brother; fraters = brethren

Galera : galley

Gurur : excessive pride

Insule : island

Kyal : room

Moni : necklace

Nam : name

Naut : sailor

Nav : ship

Ped : foot

Pryster : priest

Safer : travel, trip, journey

Segler : sailing ship

Smeugler : smuggler

Tajir : merchant

Wakt : time

Wed : water

Wir : man (male)