Vocabulary Key to « Shadakis Boucaniers »

 

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.

“Shadakis Boucaniers” is an adaptation in Sambahsa of a gamebook from the famous “Lone Wolf” series. A young Kai warior, Hakimiech, has to bring back a powerful magic item, the “Moonstone”, to a forlorn island in the south of the continent Magnamund. But the sea are infested with pirates while the coastal lands are full of dangers, including jungles. This text can be downloaded here : SHADAKIS BOUCANIERS.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.

 

 

Prepositions:

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

Abord : on board

Bayna : among

Con : with (accompanied by)

Do : (in)to

Ender : beneath, underneath

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.

Ob : because (of)

Per : through

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”.

Trans : beyond

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.

Uper : over

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

Ghom : down (irregular comparative : “niter”)

Hol (adjective): whole

Kam : like

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

Kun : as, when

Meg : very (adjective : megil = great ; comparative : meger; superlative : megst)

Meis : more

Menxu : while

Ne : not

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

Oku : quick

Quan(do) : when

Quer : where

Quo : what (as a relative pronoun)

Sem : some

Stayg : suddenly

Taiper : presently

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)

Yed : yet

 

Numbers:

One = oin ; prest = first

Two = dwo

 

 

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)

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

Gwehm (to come) = gwohm (came)

Kwehr (to do) = kwohr (did)

Lyehg (to lie) = lyohg (lay)

Sprehg (to ask to) = sprohg (asked to)

 

Verbs in “a” turn it to “ie”.

 

 

Ay (consider, say) = iey (considered, said)

It is used in dialogues.

Ex: “Bet ho naiwo likwt mien land” iey is. = “But I’ve never left my country” he said.

And with adjectives:

“Io iey iom mien prient” = “I considered him as my friend”.

Magh (can, may) = miegh (could, might)

Man (to stay) = mien (stayed)

Safer (to travel) : siefer (travelled)

Sayg (to say) = sieyg (said)

 

Some verbs are submitted to the “Von Wahl rules”:

Vid (to see) = vis (saw)

 

 

Nouns:

 

“Monwolf” comes from “mon” = “lone”, and “wolf”. Hakimiech is a fusion between “hakime” = “wise” and “miech” = “blade (weapon)”. Their Order is the “Kawi”, i.e. the “lookout”.

The “Lunapetra” means “Moonstone”. “petra” is “stone”, while “Luna” is the proper name of the satellite. The common name of the moon is “meun”.

 

Azan : call to prayer (and name of one of Hakimiech ships)

Boucanier : bucaneer

Cap : head

Capitan : captain

Citad : (big) city

Dien : day

Dom : house

Dwer : door

(di)ghom : earth

Guardia : guard (military unit); a member of it is a “guarde”

Hyt : hut

Jenchi : warrior

Liman : harbour

Magh : power

Nav : ship

Nieute : crew

Noct : night

Pieut : food

Safer : trip, journey

Swamen : lord

Wed : water

Wir : man (male)