Vocabulary Key to « Philippe is Revolutionar »
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.
“Philippe is Revolutionar” is an adaptation in Sambahsa from a gamebook which tells the fictional story of Philippe d’Auvergne during the French Revolution. This text can be downloaded here : PHILIPPE IS REVOLUTIONAR.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 :
Mohrt : dead
Smulk : small
Alyo : another (is declined). “Alter” = the other.
Maung : many, much
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; bo = both
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.
Apo : off
Aun : without
Bayna : among
De : about
Do : (in)to
Ep : on (before “h”, it can turn to “ef”)
Ex : out of
Inter : between
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).
Ob : because (of)
Pos : after
Pre : before (in time)
Pro : for
Prosch : near, with an idea of movement, closer to.
Samt : with (as a quality). Ex: “is pryster samt sword berd” = “the priest with a black beard”.
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
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”.
Ghom : down (irregular comparative : “niter”)
Ka : as a
kay : in order to. Often used as “to” before a verb.
Kun : as, when
Meis : more
Menxu : while
Od : that (as in “I know that...”). As in English, it can be often omitted.
Oku : quick
Perodh : forward
Quayque : although
Quo : what (as a relative pronoun)
Taiper : presently
Tem... quem : as.... as. “Tem” alone is “so (much)”, while “quem” corresponds to “than”.
To : that (in general, not as a demonstrative pronoun)
Tsay : again, back
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:
Dyehrc (to see suddenly) = dyohrc (saw suddenly)
Ghehd (to be able to) = Ghohd (was/were able to)
Kwehk (to seem) = kwohk (seemed)
Kwehr (to do) = kwohr (did)
Lyehg (to lie) = lyohg (lay)
Verbs in “a” turn it to “ie”.
Thus, “ay” = “say [in dialogues]” turns to “iey”.
Other verbs are subjected to the “Von Wahl rules”. Ex: “vid” = “to see” : “vis” = “saw”.
“ghend” = “to take” (in a material sense) = “ghens” (took)
Verbs that cannot alter their stem for the past tense must add the past tense endings.
Thus: “stah” = “to stand”; “stahsit” = “he/she/it stood”; the “s”, called the “sigmatic aorist”, is here for euphonics; “stahr” = “they stood”
Other example :
“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”. This nasal infix is dropped for the past tense: “likw” = “left”
Nouns:
Names of persons can be subjected to declensions. Ex: “Philippe”, but “Philippes” = “Philippe’s”.
Nouns can bear optional endings with declensions. Ex: “ekw” = “horse” can be declined this way, with the endings of the “undetermined gender”:
|
Case |
Nominative |
Accusative |
Dative |
Genitive |
|
Singular |
ekwis |
ekwem |
ekwi |
ekwes |
|
Plural |
ekwi |
ekwens |
ekwims |
ekwen |
Arme : weapon
Brev : letter (message)
Citad : (big) city
Civ : citizen
Dien : day
Dom : house
Dorver : farmer; “dorev” = farm buildings.
Dwor : gate
(di)ghom : earth
Guardia : guard (military unit); a member of it is a “guarde”
Ighnos : trail, track, traces
Land : country, land
Mater : mother
Meithel : (big) square
Menegh : crowd
Mohrt : death
Officier : (military) officer
Pater : father
Popule : people (as opposed to the upper classes)
Roy : king
Soldat : soldier
Stat : state
Strad : street, road
Urb : city
Vetat : estate, private property
Wir : man (male)
Wogh : wagon, chariot