Pwr: An Essential Grammar
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Transcript of Pwr: An Essential Grammar
Marcas Brian MacStiofáin Ó Mhaitú Ó Domhnaill
24 September 2015
Pwr: An Essential Grammar and Dictionary
Pwr: Ddé Riofà é fiddíy-nonrac'ha
PWR !1
Introduction
0.1 The Sumric languages
Chapter 1 - Pronunciation
1.1 Consonants
1.2 Vowels
1.3 Stress
Chapter 2 - Nouns
2.1 Suffix hierarchy
2.2 Nouns and cases
2.3 Noun Formation
2.4 Reflexive suffix
2.5 Noun Enforcement
Chapter 3 - Pronouns and demonstratives
3.1 Pronouns and cases
3.2 Demonstratives
3.3 Definite Articles
Chapter 4 - Adjectives and adverbs
4.1 Adverbialisation
4.2 Adjective formation
4.3 Comparative and Superlative constructions
4.4 Agreement
Chapter 5 - Verbs
5.1 Suffix hierarchy
5.2 Infinitives
5.3 Present tense
5.4 Simple past tenses
5.5 Future tenses
5.6 Subjunctive mood
5.7 Negation
5.8 Imperative
5.9 Interrogative copula
5.10 Passive voice
PWR !2
5.11 Causitive verbs
Chapter 6 -Similies
6.1 Similes
Chapter 7- Mastering Pwr
7.1 Text examples
7.2 Further reading
Pwr - English Dictionary
English-Pwr Dictionary
Pwr phrasebook
Sound Changes from Maifri > Pwr
PWR !3
Introduction The Sumric Languages: a short history
In 1300AM (the 13th century by our standards) the modern day of this world on the
snowy mountainous continent called Malomanan (meaning land of deer). there are 10
Sumric languages which belong to 6 branches
in the Moicha branch is Moicha and Foriab
in the Lelic branch is Lelic
in the Lemre branch is Lemre
in the A-Sumric branch is Shúfre and Somi
in the M-Sumric branch is Pwr and Terch
in the Nümmezse branch is Émde an Iriaid (created by /u/Tarheelscouse)
PWR !4
All of these languages descend from a common ancestor, Old Sumrë. Back in the good old days when that was spoken in Malomanan the Sumric peoples were one people with one tongue. They lived by hunting wild deer and followed the herds along their migrations giving them a nomadic lifestyle. As such Old Sumrë is abound with words deriving from the roots sum (travel) and loman (deer). The constant moving around meant no regional varieties could develop. But that changed when a giant wolf spirit called Ôä Éru (evil wolf) came and gorged on the deer population, it ate so much that there was hardly any left for the Sumnë (the name of the people) to hunt, causing a famine. But all was saved when another spirit called Màä Ric'ha (buzzard of language) came and fought Ôa Éru. After 12 epic battles the evil wolf was defeated. But the deer population took a long time to recover, in fact it never did recover to its previous numbers. This caused many Sumnë to leave the nomadic life and settle in small villages. The first to do this settled on a nearby island called Mulelwe lamnan and lived by fishing, they were known as the Lamnë (settled people). Over time the speech grew apart from those on the mainland becoming Lemre (settled language) but the Antagan Empire invaded that island and imposed their own language in the natives causing the extinction of Lemre, the Island was renamed by the empire to Lem Pars (Lem Island in the Tåns tongue.) Lemre has since been "revived" due to nationalist sentiment against the Antagan Empire which outlawed the language. it was recorded by Antagan scholars before its death, the record they created founded the base of Lemre's revival many generations later During this time the mainland language also changed into Middle Sumri
picture: a 5th century text written in Tåns by Antagan scribe describing Lemre verb conjugations
A century or so later more Sumnë left the nomad life and settled on the Southeastern coast. They developed a very basic form of agriculture (as much as the harsh land would allow) but also fished the seas and hunted in the nearby forests, over time these settlements grew into small towns and began trading when the Antagan Empire discovered them, causing the settlements to grow further, attracting even more trading from other nations. The language of these people became Moicha.
Sometime after that more of the Sumnë abandoned the nomad life and settled on a small group of islands to the south west, over time the speech grew apart from Middle Sumri and became Malelweri (island language) but as the population on the islands grew they people expanded their settlements around the South West coast. By this time the languages changed once more to become Maifri. Some of these people continued further up the western coast into a more mountainous and forested area, their language became Pwr. Those who remained on the South West coast and islands now speak Terch, a sister language to Pwr.
During the seventh battle between Ôä Éru and Màä Ra, which took place in the centre of the continent by the eastern mountain range, Màä Ra being the language spirit screeched a booming call in the divine tongue to the skies to herald an epic rain storm. The heavy rain caused the surrounding land to become a quagmire of wet and quick mud which trapped Ôä Éru and allowed Màä Ra to attack from the air (for it had the form of a
PWR !5
buzzard, hence it name Màä which means ‘buzzard’) though through trickery the wolf spirit escaped, leaving a great depression in the ground where it had been stuck which quickly filled with water to become a great lake. The battle itself and the now marshy land had trapped a band of Sumnë and separated them from the rest of nomads. These people learned to take advantage of the marshy habitat by living off the new life the marshy wetlands would bring. They became the Lericnaté , a quaint and isolated people and in time their speech became Lelic.
Now back to the remaining nomads, now speaking Late Middle Sumri. The deer populations still not back to their past numbers was putting more pressure on the remaining nomads. So yet again a great number of them left the nomad life, they left Malomanan altogether. They set out on boats and headed south, praying that the winds would blow them somewhere plentiful. And those prayers were answered. They came upon a tropical archipelago bustling with natural resources. The islands were already inhabited by natives who spoke an isolating tongue called Gāl Nâg, they called the islands Trez Gal meaning 'three warriors' referring to the 3 main islands. But no conflict happened. None. Everyone was welcomed with open arms and it wasn't long before the two people interbred in race and language, the Sumric tongue was the dominant language but it took on the voiced sounds of Gāl Nâg and became Zūvri, after more time and more mingling with natives the language simplified greatly, dropping all cases and much of the tenses and became Shúfre. In the Shúfre language 'Trez Gāl' became Trégal. There the people became great seafarers and sailors known around the world for their nautical prowess. Back home to Malomanan, the very few nomads left now speak Somi, which in itself changes greatly in terms of sounds but simplified by dropping all cases, though this process started way back in Late Middle Sumri.
A language map of Malomanan, you will notice that Somi has no fixed boundary and is spoken throughout the island due to to its nomadic nature. Shúfre isn’t spoken here and so isn’t on the map.
PWR !6
Chapter 1 - Pronunciation 1.1 Consonants
When a word ends in <ð> /ð/ and takes a suffix which begins with <ð>. Both are assimilated into one <ð>
/ð/ is deleted when beforeaithr consonant e.g édd + -na = éna
Letter IPA value Example
b b bat
c'h x Scottish loch
d d dad
dd ð that
f f fast
g g get
l l (or /l̩/ when before /w/) let
m m mat
n n not
r r brick
s s sat
t t bat
ŵ w wind
PWR !7
Lenition Consonants in Pwr can be lenited in several conditions, these specific conditions will be mentioned later.. Here is a table which shows how the consonants lenite.
1.2 Vowels
if a word ends in w and takes a suffix beginning with w then an interruptive c'h is placed between them
Original consonant Lenited consonant
b v /v/
d dd /ð/
g gh /ɣ/
m v /v/
p f /f/
s h /h/
t h /h/
Letter IPA value Example
a a apple
à aɪ sky
é e day
i ɪ pin
í i flee
o ɔ thought
ô o bone
ò ɔɪ toy
ou ʌu plow
w u pull
y i (only when in the Definite article) or /ø/ elsewhere
flee
PWR !8
Vowel mutation Just like how a the final consonant in a word can become lenited in certain conditions, the final vowel can get mutated. This happens mostly in participles and participles . In the mutation back vowels get fronted and rounded while front vowels just get rounded. Here is a table to show how how each vowel mutates
1.3 Stress
Stress in Pwr is fixed on the penultimate syllable which has a falling tone and the second syllable has a rising tone. This is fixed in every word so it is unmarked in the orthography .g
foría ‘plains’ /fɔ̂rǐa/
ddinw ‘soon’ /ðînǔ/
épa ‘cold’ /êpǎ/
lirwminna ‘wise’ /lɪ̂rǔmɪna/
Although when a monosyllabic word follows a definite article the article takes the falling tone and the noun takes the rising tone e.g
y fi 'the friends' /ɪ̂ fɪ̌/
Original vowel Mutated vowel
a ä /Œ/
à no mutation
é y /ø/
i î /ʏ/
í ŷ /y/
ô y /ø/
o u /ʉ/
ò no mutation
w ŷ /y/
PWR !9
Chapter 2 -Nouns
Thanks to the noun cases in Pwr, word order relative freedom by having an interchangeable order of SOV or OSV. The subject and object can be absolutely anywhere in a sentence as the case endings show each word's role in a sentence, so long as the verb goes at the end.
2.1 Suffix Hierarchy
Being a highly inflecting language, nouns very often do take on several suffixes so there is a specific order in which these suffixes attach to the noun which is as follows. The brackets denote a suffix may or may not be included, depending on context.
noun + (simile affix) + (case) + (reflexive)
éru > éru= wolf
éru +ŵa> éruŵa= into wolf
éru +ŵa + g> éruŵag = into wolf's self
2.2 Noun case
Pwr has 15 noun cases which inflect for gender and number. the 15 cases are:
Nominative: marks the subject Inessive: inside something
Accusative: marks the direct object
Genitive: marks possession
Dative: marks the indirect object
Superessive: ‘on’ the surface
Subessive: ‘under’ something
Illative: movement into something
Perlative: movement through or along
Allative: movement to or towards something
Apudessive: beside something
Delative: movement from the surface, from
Supressive: above something
Paressive: beside something
Prolative: through something, by way of
PWR !10
In the development from Maifri to Pwr a large change happened in the noun case system, namely where previously singular nouns became plural and singularitives were used to form singular forms of each noun. As such the plural is the default state of a noun with the singular being marked with vowel mutation + case ending.
A table showing all the noun case endings according to Number. If the noun ends in a vowel and the suffix begins with a vowel place <c'h> /x/ between the two. (Unless that vowel is /y/ or /i/ or /a/ in some instances):
vm=vowel mutation
c'hwa= forests
édd =stars/suns
*the allative case ending -dda /ða/comes from the Maifri allative case ending -cha /tʃa/, the /tʃ/ was dropped intervocalically which resulted in -a coming into contact with word final vowels so /ð/ was inserted to separate them. A similar thing happened to édd 'stars' which is from Maifri asi 'sun', the a became é and the intervocalic/s/ was dropped so dd was inserted to part the vowels é and i resulting in éddi. A later sound change dropped word final i in many words (though it was hardly a thorough change as some words still retain word final i)
Case Pl Sg Pl Sg
Nominative -- vm c'hwa, édd c'hwä, ydd
Accustive -w vm + -w c'hwaw, eddw c'hwäw, yddw
Genitive -a vm+ -a c'hwac'hw, édda c'hwäc'ha, ydda
Dative -é vm + -é c'hwaé, éddé c'hwäé, yddé
Superessive -ro vm + -ro c'hwaro, éro c'hwäro, yro
Subessive -na vm + -na c'hwana, éna c'hwäna, yna
Illative -ŵa vm + -ŵa c'hwaŵa, éŵa c'hwäŵa, yŵa
Perlative -í vm + -í c'hwaí, éddí c'hwäí, yddí
*Allative -dda vm + -dda c'hwadda, édda c'hwädda, ydda
Delative -ddwf vm + ddwf c'hwaddwf, éddwf c'hwäddwf, yddwf
Suppressive -a vm + -a c'hwac'ha, édda c'hwäc'ha, ydda
Paressive -én vm + -én c'hwaén, éddén c'hwäén, yddén
Prolative -éna vm + -éna c'hwaéna, éddéna c'hwäéna, yddéna
Inessive -é vm + -é c'hwaé, éddé c'hwäé, yddé
PWR !11
2.3 Noun Formation
A verb can be turned into a noun by mutating the final vowel. The resulting noun can then be declined like any other noun. In Maifri, the mother language of Pwr, the vowel mutation complemented the gerund suffix -i. But Pwr dropped that suffix and instead used the vowel mutation alone to form gerunds.
mwlm to hunt > mŷlm hunting
mŷlmw loré I like hunting
sifw to be hungry > sifŷ hunger
sifŷw lorémw I don’t like hunger
rin to speak > rîn speaking
rînw loré I like speaking
An adjective can be turned into a noun by adding the suffixes -na (if the noun is human) and -a (if the noun is not human). This causes vowel mutation on the last vowel in the adjective and if a consonant comes directly before the suffix it gets lenited. These suffixes derive from the agent suffixes below.
lwo heavy > lwuna heavy ones, fat person (human) > lwuc'ha heavy things (nonhuman)
sai brown > saîna brown ones (human), > saîc'ha brown things (nonhuman
no different > nuna different, unique ones (human), > nuc'ha different things
Agent nouns come in two forms which are human and nonhuman. If the agent is human then the agent suffix -na is attached to the verb (from na 'person) or if the agent is not human then the agent suffix -a is used
mwlm to hunt > mwlmna hunter (human) or mwlma hunter (non human)
Pwr has five diminutive suffixes which correspond to man, woman, child, human and nonhuman. Diminutives in Pwr are used to give a sense of littleness or intimacy (more so the female and child diminutives) or are used to derive nouns from associated concepts (more so the male and nonhuman diminutives)
• The male diminutive to derive from an associated concept is -w mwlmw male hunter
• The human diminutive for a sense a intimacy or familiarity is -na réna strong one (mostly used for men but can be applied to women or children, most often used to noun adjectives)
PWR !12
• The female diminutive is -i mwlmi woman hunter
• The child diminutive is -ga (or -a if the root ends in a vowel) mwlmga child hunter
• The nonhuman diminutive is -í mwlmí hunting creature/tool
An adjective can be made into a noun by placing the suffixes na or a onto the adjective
if the noun is human then it takes the suffix na (sg. nä)
if the noun is not human then it takes the suffix a (if the ends in a vowel then an interruptive
c'h is placed between the adjective and the suffix) (sg. ä)
e.g
ora yellow > orana yellow humans, orac'ha yellow things
épa cold > épana cold humans, épac'ha cold things, the cold
2.4 Reflexive Suffix
In Pwr the reflexive suffix is -g (when noun ends in vowel) or -id (when noun ends in consonant) which roughly translates as 'self' or 'own' when attached to a noun in the genitive case. -g can be placed onto any noun to emphasise it e.g
y érug c'hwä the wolf's own death
2.5 Noun Enforcement
Pwr has a way of enforcing the quality or meaning of a noun. Much like how an intensifier works on adjective, but for nouns. This is done by placing ddô before the noun. In English this can roughly translate as 'very much a X'
E.g
iu hero
Édadd imwnw iu Édadd is a hero
Édadd imwnw ddô iu Édadd is undoubtedly/very much a hero
PWR !13
Chapter 3 - Pronouns and demonstratives 3.1 Pronouns
The reflexive forms of each pronoun can be formed by adding the reflexive suffix which also places emphasis on the pronoun even when in the nominative case e.g
màg yw odäw éddwa, mw da I ate the bread, not you.
mwgw siféa I hit myself
yw odä limwg éddwa the bread ate itself
Pwr has no word for 'to have' although technically there is isdaf but that is archaic and long fallen from speech. So in Pwr instead of saying I have X you say X under me is. The subject of such a sentence goes in the subessive case
e.g
I have a dog ruc'hw màna imwnw
They have the forest yw c'hwac'hw lifwni imwnw
The dog has the forest ye runa yw c'hwac'hw imwnw
Case 1st.sg 2nd.sg 3rd.sg 1st.pl.inc 1st.pl.exc 2nd.pl 3rd.pl
Nominative
mà da lifw màri màfi dari lifi
Accustive mw dw lifw màrw màfwm darw lifwfà
Genitive mà da lifà màra màfàn dara lifàna
Dative mà dé lifà màra màfàn dara lifàfà
Superessive
màroa daroa lifwroa màroi màmroi daroi limroi
Subessive màna dana lifwna màrwni màfwni darwni lifwni
Illative màfa défa lifwfa màréi màfôi darôi lifôi
Perlative màí dàí lifwí màrsí màmsí darsí limsí
Allative màa dé lifwa màrai màfà darai lifài
Delative màwfa dawm lifwfà màrwfi màfwfi darwfi lifwfi
Superessive
màpa dapa lifwpa màrw màfwpi darwpi lifwpi
Paressive màéna daéna lifwéna màrséni màfiéni darséni lifiéni
Prolative màfina dafina lifwna màrini màfini darini lifini
Inessive mà dé lifwa màrw màfa darw lifw
PWR !14
3.2 Demonstratives
Demonstrative pronouns in Pwr don’t agree with noun case or number and are distinguished instead by animacy. Though sound changes made some of the adjective, inanimate animate demonstratives look and sound exactly the same.
e.g
si màa si odac'hw éddw ‘that buzzard is eating that bread’
si oda si màagw éddw ‘that bread is eating that buzzard’‘
notice how when the nouns inflect for case, the demonstrative pronouns don’t inflect at all.
*while translated as “each person”, pona refers to any animate object
examples:
pi mà odäw éddwa? who ate my bread?
pa mà odäw éddw? what ate my bread?
y vàä mà odäw éddwa po? where did the buzzard eat my bread? (literally: buzzard ate my bread where?). Here ‘where’ goes at the end due to a rule in Pwr that says Locative Phrases (or words dentoning where an action happened) go at the end of the sentence.
y vàä mà odäw éddwa pi? when did the buzzard eat my bread? (literally: buzzard ate my bread when?). Here ‘when’ goes at the end due to a rule in Pwr that says Time Phrases (or words dentoning when an action happened) go at the end of the sentence.
pw y vàä mà odäw éddwa? why/how did the buzzard eat my bread? (Literally: how/why buzzard ate my bread) Pwr doesn’t distinguish between ‘how’ or ‘why’.
Interrogative
This That Some None Every Each
Adjective pa (which) si (this) so (that lé (some) mw (no) fài (every) po (each)
Animate pi (who) si (this) si (that) léna (someone)
mwna (no one)
fàna (everyone)
pona (each person)*
Inanimate pa (what) si (this) si (that) lwa (something)
mwa (nothing)
fàa (everythung)
pwa (each thing)
Location po (where) sw (here) sw (there) léfw (somewhere)
mwo (nowhere)
fào (everwhere)
poppo (each place)
Time pi (when) ddí (now) ddw (then) léna (sometime)
mw (never) fài (everytime)
poddina (each time)
Way/reason
pw (how,why)
sw (because, this way)
sow (that way)
lo (somehow)
mw (noway) fàw (everyway)
popw (each way)
PWR !15
si màä si odäw éddwa. this buzzard ate this bread
si màä si odäw räpna sw éddwa. that buzzard ate that bread under the tree there. (literally: that buzzard ate that bread tree-under there). When a sentence has both a locative phrase and a time phrase, the time phrase goes to the very end of the sentence following the locative phrase)
si màä si odäw éddwa pw ondac'hi pari that buzzard ate that bread 4 days ago. “pw ondac'hi pari” is a time phrase and so is placed at the end of the sentence.
si màa si odäw éddwg simwc'hwg sw those buzzards ate that bread because they were hungry (literally: that buzzards ate that bread they hungered because). again the pronoun sw goes at the end of the sentence. Also notice how even though the subject màa is plural the demonstrative pronoun doesn’t change.
The demonstrative pronouns can be used at relative pronouns also. Although none of the interrogative pronouns can be used as relative pronouns as they are in English e.g “The man who walks, the mountain where he lived, when he walked”. instead Pwr uses the pronouns in the ‘That’ column to fill this role
e.g
y nŷ si ôfw the man who walks (man that walks)
y mŷ sw lafwa the mountain where he lived (he-lived mountain there). As said earlier words or phrases that denote where the verb happened go at the end of the sentence, though words or phrases that denote when it happened always go at the end after locative phrases.
ddw lafwa when he walked (he-walked then). Again. the time phrase (here it is the verb) is at the end.
3.3 Definite Articles
The Pwr definite articles derive from the Malelweri demonstrative i which became i and then i in Maifri which then took on the case of the noun to produce the following forms. Pwr doesn't distinguish between singular or plural articles due to a sound change which caused the singular and plural forms to look and sound exactly the same. Pwr has no indefinite articles.
Case Definate article
Nominative y
Accustive yw
Genitive ya
Dative yé
Rest of the cases y
PWR !16
The Definite article causes the initial consonant of the noun to be lenited e.g
màa buzzards > y vàa the buzzards
pi friends > y fi the friends
sà stories > y hà the stories
Chapter 4 - Adjectives and adverbs
4.1 Adverbialisation
The process of creating adverbs is relatively simple as én can be added to any adjective to make it an adverb which always follows the subject. In Pwr the adverbs don't agree with the subject as they did in Maifri
Example:
y vàä biroén yw odäw éddwa buzzard quickly ate the bread
y vàa biroén yw odäw éddwg the buzzards quickly ate the bread
y larnä laén pirwa the soldier fought well
y larna laén pirwg the soldiers fought well
There are a few irregular fixed adverbs which do not bear the adverbial suffix such as répia 'mightily', dia 'immediately' though these are few and far between.
4.2 Adjective formation
To turn a verb into an adjective the participle adjective suffix -lo (sg. -lu) is attached to the verb and mutates the last vowel in the verb and lenites a consonant if it comes directly before the suffix, this corresponds with the English participle adjective -ing. Which can in turn be made to agree with the number and case of the noun it modifies.
mwlm to hunt > mŷlvlo hunting
mŷlvlu màä hunting buzzard
o mŷlvlo màa two hunting buzzards
o mŷlvlow màaw loré I like two hunting buzzards
mŷlvlu rwmlirä hunting leader
o mŷlvlo rwmlira two hunting leaders
o mŷlvlow rwmliraw loré I like two hunting leaders
PWR !17
To turn a verb into a past participle adjective the suffix -í (sg. -ŷ) is attached to the verb which mutates the final vowel and any consonant that comes directly before the suffix, this corresponds the the English participle -ed. Which can in turn be made to agree with the case of the noun it modifies.
mwlm to hunt > mŷlví hunted
mŷlvŷ màa hunted buzzard
o mŷlví màa two hunted buzzards
o mŷlvíw màaw loré I like two hunted buzzards
To turn a noun into an adjective the suffix *-dda (sg. -ddä) is attached to the noun, this corresponds with the English suffix -ly/-y/-ish. Which can in turn be made to agree with the number and case of the noun it modifies. Though adjectives formed this way are placed after the noun
nwfa fools> nwfadda foolish
màä nwfaddä foolish buzzard
o màa nwfadda two foolish buzzards
o màaw nwfaddaw loré I like two foolish buzzards
*dda comes from Maifri -isa which was cognate to the comitative case endings (which were dropped in Pwr). It literally translated as ‘with’ and so was placed after the noun. Even though Pwr lost the comitative case it retains this word order as a fossilised feature
4.3 Comparative and Superlative constructions
A comparative sentence structure is as follows:
subject + to be + adjective + object (paressive case)
Where in English one would simply add the suffix -er to an adjective or place more before the adjective, Pwr uses the sentence structure above to form a comparative sentence e.g
Ddoc'ha ru ir Daroc'ha ruéna imwnw
[john.gen dog.sg big daro.gen dog.par.sg is.3rd]
John’s dog big Daro’s dog beside is
(John’s dog is bigger than Daro’s dog)
When using the comparative in a subordinate clause (dog that is bigger) then the following sentence structure is used
(subject) (verb) subject/object + demonstrative +to be + adjective + object (paressive case)
PWR !18
e.g.
ruw si ir Daroc'ha ruéna imwnw ddaé
[ dog.acc.sg dem big daro.gen dog.par.sg be.3rd want.1st.sg]
dog that big Daro’s dog beside is I want
(I want a dog that is bigger than Daro’s dog)
A superlative sentence is formed in much the same way as the comparative.
subject + to be + adjective + all (paressive case)
Where in English one would simply add the suffix -est to an adjective or place most before the adjective, Pwr uses the sentence structure above to form a superlative sentence e.g.
Ddoc'ha ru ir nwéna imwnw
[john.gen dog.sg big all.par is.3rd]
John’s dog big all beside is
(John’s dog is biggest)
When using the superlative in a subordinate clause (dog that is biggest) then the following sentence structure is used
(subject) (verb) subject/object + demonstrative +to be + adjective + all (paressive case)
e.g.
ruw si ir nwéna inwnw ddaé
[dog.acc.sg dem big all.par be.3rd want.1st.sg ]
dog that big all beside is I want
(I want a dog that is biggest/I want the biggest dog)
Example
ruw si ir nwséna imwnw da odäw éddwa swléa si onda
I saw the biggest dog today eat your bread
[ dog.acc dem big all.par be.3rd your bread.acc eat.3rd.pst see.1st.pst today]
PWR !19
4.4 Agreement
Adjectives must agree with the nouns they modify in both number and case. This is done by adding the exact same inflections that the noun takes e.g
Mo 'fast
SG
Nominative: y mu vwru the fast fox
Accusative: yw muw vwruw the fast fox
Genitive: ya muc'ha vwruc'ha of the fast fox
Dative: yé mué vwrué to the fast fox
PL
Nominative: y mo vwro the fast foxes
Accusative: yw mow vwrow the fast foxes
Genitive: ya moc'ha vwroc'ha of the fast foxes
Dative: yé moé vwroé to the fast foxes
Chapter 5 - Verbs 5.1 Suffix Hierarchy
Being a highly inflecting language, a verbs very often do take on several suffixes so there is a specific order in which these suffixes attach to the verb which is as follows, the brackets denote a suffix which isn’t essential and can be left out, though they often are included depending on context.
verb + tense + (subjunctive) + (negation) + (imperative)
swm + arw > swmarw = you will travel
swm + arw + o > swmwrwo = you might travel
swm + arw + o + mw +> swmarwomw = you might not travel
swm + me + i> swmmwi = don’t travel
PWR !20
5.2 Infinitives
Pwr verbs lost the infinitive ending -i so a new way to form the infinitive of a verb is with the prefix i' (when the verb begins in a consonant) and n' (when the verb begins in a vowel). These prefixes both come from the Old Pwr verb imwni 'to be' (in Modern Pwr imwn) which was placed before verbs to form the infinitive. Over time
however it became shorten to i' (from imwni) and n' (from imwni)
e.g
to rejoice n'én
to smell n'i
to smile i'lafi
to hunt i'mwlm
to walk n'ôw
to tempt n'orc'h
to blow i'fwm
to build i'ddof
5.3 Present tense
Due to the specific nature of the verb endings the pronouns can be dropped entirely when they are the subject.
*only context distinguishes between the 3rd.sg and 1st.pl.inc persons
Person Suffix Example Meaning
1st.sg -é swmé I travel
2nd.sg -a swma You travel
3rd.sg -w swmw He/she/it travels
1st.pl.inc -w swmw We travel*
1st.sg.exc -a swma We travel
2nd.pl -ag swmag You travel
3rd.pl -wg swmwg They travel
PWR !21
5.4 Simple past tenses
5.5 Future tenses
5.6 Subjunctive mood
The subjunctive mood is relatively simple to form in Pwr. it is formed by adding the suffix -o which is placed after all other inflections.
swméo I may be travelling
swméao I may have travelled
swmôo I may travel/I would/might travel
y vàä da odäw éddwrwo the buzzard may/would/might eat your bread
Person Near past Far past
1st.sg -éa -épa
2nd.sg -ara -arpa
3rd.sg -wa -wpw
1st.pl.inc -wlsa -wlpir
1st.pl.exc -ale -alpa
2nd.pl -ia -ipa
3rd.pl -insa inpa
Person Near future Far future
1st.sg -ô -édde
2nd.sg -arw -ari
3rd.sg -wrw -wi
1st.pl.inc -wlw -wli
1st.pl.exc -alnw -alà
2nd.pl -inw -à
3rd.pl -inw -idde
PWR !22
5.7 Negation
Negation in Pwr is achieved by placing the suffix -mw onto a verb
y vàä da odäw éddwamw the buzzard didn’t eat your bread
5.9 Imperative
The imperative suffix -i turns a verb into a demand. When a verb is imperative it can only take on the suffixes -i and -mw meaning that it can’t inflect for person or tense so in imperative phrases the subject is implied (though the subject can only ever be singular you or plural you so the ambiguity is small to begin with) , with locative and time phrases being optional and taking their respective second last and last places of the sentence.
da da odäw éddi! eat your bread! da da odäw éddmwi! don’t eat your bread!
da odäw da éddi y vàä limw éddwrwo ddinw! eat your bread before the buzzard eats it! (your bread you eat the buzzard may eat it before)
5.10 Interrogative copula
interrogative sentences can be formed by using interrogative forms of the verb 'to be', the interrogative copula in Pwr originated from the grandmother language Malelweri where the subjunctive suffix po became a copula which was then treated as a verb which can conjugate for person and tense using the conjugations mentioned earlier and placed at the beginning of a sentence. Sound changes have since distorted the regular interrogative copulas
Present tense interrogative copula Meaning
gŵa am I?
gŵa are you?
ow is he/she/it?
ow are we? (inclusive)
gŵa are we? (exclusive)
ò are you?
oí are they?
PWR !23
5.11 Passive voice
The passive voice in Pwr is formed in several ways according to tense. The suffixes come in two forms which are singular and plural which agree with the number of the subject.
Present passive:
The suffix -lo (sg. -lu. from Old Sumrë present participle -lon) is attached to the verb which then has verb conjugation endings placed after that, the suffix -lo causes final vowel mutation and lenites a consonant which is directly before the suffix. The object is placed in the prolative case
E.g
Active voice: yw firéäw y vàä c'hŵarw the buzzard is killing the duck
Passive voice: y firéä y vàäéna c'hŵärluw the duck is being killed by a buzzard
past tense interrogative copula Meaning
gŵé was/did I?
gŵara were/did you?
owa was/did he/she/it?
owa were/did we? (inclusive)
gŵai were/did we? (exclusive)
òa were/did you.pl?
òina were/did they?
Future tense interrogative copula meaning
ow will I?
gŵarw will you?
owrw will he/she/it?
ow will we? (inclusive)
gŵainw will we? (exclusive)
ònw will you.pl?
òinw will they?
PWR !24
Past passive:
The suffix -ígh (sg. -ŷgh. from Old Sumrë past participle -íc) is attached to the verb which then has verb conjugation endings placed after that, the suffix causes no mutation or lenition. The object is placed in the prolative case.
E.g.
Active voice: yw firéäw y vàä c'hŵarwa the buzzard killed the duck
Passive voice: y firéä y vàäéna c'hŵarŷghwa the duck was killed by the buzzard
Future passive:
The suffix -lo (sg. -lu) is attached to the verb with verb conjugation endings placed after that. the suffix -lo causes final vowel mutation and lenites a consonant which is directly before the suffix. The object is placed in the prolative case
E.g.
Active voice: yw firéäw y vàä c'harwrw the buzzard will kill the duck
Passive voice: y firéä y vàäéna c'hŵarluwrw the duck will be killed by the buzzard
Interrogative passive
The interrogative forms of each passive tense is formed by placing the interrogative copula at the beginning of the sentence, which in turn causes the verb to drop verb conjugations as the interrogative copula carries that information e.g
Past affirmative Passive voice: y firéä y vàäéna c'hŵarŷghwa the duck was killed by the buzzard
Past interrogative passive voice: owa y firéä y vàäéna chŵaraŷgh? Was the duck killed by the buzzard?
Present affirmative passive voice: y firéä y vàäéna c'hŵärluw the duck is being killed by a buzzard
Present interrogative passive voice: ow y firéä y vàäéna c'hŵärlu? is the duck being killed by the buzzard?
Future affirmative passive voice: y firéä y vàäéna c'hŵarluwrw the duck will be killed by the buzzard
Future interrogative passive voice: owrw y firéä y vàäéna c'hŵarlu? will the duck be killed by the buzzard?
Conditional Passive
To form the conditional for any of these tenses place the suffix -o at the end of the verb after any other suffix (except the negative). E.g
y firéä y vàäéna c'hŵarluwrwo the duck may be killed by the buzzard
PWR !25
Imperative passive:
the imperative in the passive voice is formed with the suffix -li
E.g
y firéä y vàäéna c'hŵarluwrwli may the duck be killed by the buzzard
5.11 Causitive verbs
A verb can be made causitive or volitional by adding the suffix -lir. This suffix means that the verb was done voluntarily by the subject. Context distinguished between whether the verb is causitive or volitional
E.g
i'sà 'to forget' > i'sàlir 'to forget on purpose, to erase a memory'
n'édd 'to eat' > n'élir 'to force feed, to est when not hungry'
Usually the suffix is volitional when the object is the agent (marked inthis instance with the reflexive suffix). And is causitive when the agent is not the subject
E.g
éliréa mwg I ate (when I wasn't hungry) -Volitional
éliréa dw I force fed you -Causitive
Chapter 6 -Similes 6.1 Similes
Where in English a simile is formed by using 'like' or 'as' e.g you are noble like a hero or you are as noble as a hero. Pwr handles this by adding the suffix -dda (sg. -ddä, or -a/-ä if the noun already ends in 'dd') onto the descriptor (or the thing being compared to, here it is 'hero'). This suffix derived from the Maifri comitative case ending -sa which was used to mark similies. Pwr dropped the comitative case but in this instance it survived as a simile forming suffix.
e.g
mu iuddä imwna
you are noble like a hero
this literally translates as 'you are noble with hero'
A few more examples:
PWR !26
y ddwc'hä dw y ddu-nonsäddä imwnw
The crow is as black as the night sky
yddä piric'ha
you fight like an antlerless male deer
(antlerless male deers are held to be 'weak' or 'less worthy' in Sumric culture)
y émsä bríaén y yddä émswa
the fire burned as bright as the sun
(The fire brightly burned like the sun)
When a phrase is used as a simile like the spear is as high as a crow in the sky the noun being compared to (here it is 'crow') takes the Simile suffix just like before e.g
y vwlmàrä imwnw ira dwc'häddä y nonsäé
the spear is as high as a crow in the sky
(the spear is high like crow in the sky)
Chapter 7- Mastering Pwr
7.1 Text examples
The following texts is an ancient Sumric legend called about how a great and famous healing tree came to be.
Oshwc'ha Räp
Ddo lofàni-noní séla pari, y hínä lamwac'ha a épac'ha, Oshw po saŷ nŷ lamwac'ha, lifw lifà lafàw y iraé irafà Màfona nonswmwa pofmidda. Lifw Nonifà Nonswansac'ha isdafíwa, to Oshwc'ha nonsŷvlo lamwa sé Màfona dofw. Oshw Nonifà Lafwpivadda swmwa a lifw ddísrwdwa. Y nonswansa Nonifà Lafwpivaro swmédwa dw énwa. Ra Nonifàdda swmwa a lifw ddísrwdwa. Y nonswansa Ra Nonifàro swmédwa dw énwa. Nonifà Lefshadda swmwa dw mw lifw nunséna ríw ddinw. Oshw bríäw a énäw sŷläw...y nisínä lamlomnic'ha a môc'ha swlwa, Ési. Ési omwdda mwlifidda swmwa to nonisdafwa y vàw sé lamwa. Lifà sà fi a sà swla bríärlw Oshwc'ha ônafäé nonifàrwa. Oshw Ésis nonimwbriô ddàwa, brioräc'ha rapwtpäw isdafíwa. Lifà isdäw nonifàrwa a Ési nonimwbriô lifw ríwa. Ési yé hínäé lamwa rinwa "mà mwc'hw píarlona a lifwfà dísrwda, níla nonswanswna, i dw nonimwbriôc'hô, gŵarw yw nonsŷm lamlomnic'ha na?" Sonia Oshw rinwa "Ési, mà lamlomni, to onda sé dwvddina nonisdafw, to lafiro sé c'hwa nonisdafw, to lamlomni sé lamwa nonisdafw, lamlomnic'ha nonsŷm naomw, mà ônafäw lifw nonw". Asi rinwsa "a mà ônafäw lifw nonw" Sonia Ési Oshwc'ha idsäw sifwa a y rapwtpwäw íwa y vwdda. Y Omwdda mwlifidda Ési swmwa a sa lifw lamlomîw isdafíwa. Oshw lifà briô swmwa. Sa pa lifà ónafäé a sa pía lifà fié, rŷw fwmwa, lwow nonswansaw a soríw épaw. Màfona isdafwamw do ryw ddinw po pari. Y rapwtpä biroén pinea a i sífirīíir, ddo isda a ni i noni isda räp y rapwtpä lafwa imwnwa pi. Irswmàriddina, y räp sa y yr Oshwc'ha Räp. Y risda éípäw lomswc'hw éddí pi.
PWR !27
Oshw's Tree
One autumn long ago the god of winter and cold, Oshw, also known as Old Man Winter, was moving from his home in the high mountains of Malomanan to the lowlands. He took with him his kingdom of Snow, for Oshw’s coming heralds winter for Malomanan. Oshw travelled to Nonifà Lafwpifa (territory of forest dwellings) and declared it his. He was happy when the snow fell on the land of forest dwellings. Next he travelled to Ra Nonifà (long territory) and declared it his own. He was happy when the snow fell on the long territory. Next he travelled to Nonifà Lefsha (territory of deer’s birthing) but before he declared with his voice of howling wind, Oshw saw a bright and beautiful sight..he saw the goddess of summer and warmth, Ési. Herself travelling to the southern islands as summer gives way to winter. Her brown hair and brown eyes put a warmth in Oshw’s heart, such that Oshw wanted to make Ési his wife. He took a seed of the brëolaracwt tree and put forward his hand and asked Ési to marry him. Ési said to the winter god “You take my lands and make them your own, burying green grass under white snow, if I marry you will you stop the retreat of summer?” to which Oshw said “Ési, ma lamlomnëye (my summer one), day must give way to night, life must give way to death and so summer must give way to winter, it breaks my heart but I can’t stop the retreat of summer. “it breaks my heart too, lamwäna (winter one). And with that she slapped Oshw’s hand and sent the seed flying away and down to the ground. Ési travelled to the southern islands taking summer with her. Oshw saw his love go away with sorrow in his heart and rage in his blood. He blew a screaming wind, heavy snow and a fierce cold. Malomanan has not had such a cold winter before or since. The snow buried the seed and under the snow it lay until spring came and the wind and snow stopped. And the seed grew so fast that within a few minutes a 25 foot tall tree stood where a seed once was. Thousands of years later the tree still stands, bearing the name ‘Oshwa Räp’ (Oshw’s tree). When eaten the leaves are said to help cool down a fever.
Riora Shfinydwf Éddodda
Darw ifé, bé mwfy,
Y éíswmà émébíc'hinpa, Mw màra bé béinéc'ha soniép ddinä lirlafinpa. Màri noddaén mw lí nonimw c'hwlwo. Orac'hw si pinw bríaén nwéna isdafépa, sé mà swmà nonswmépa. Yw vwc'hw élanonisdäna, é yw irw nochw lafiroc'hw ye ondaí swlinpa. Ir no imwnwg mw ir iro. Ir nonpa ddina mà éféiy nonisdaŷgh é ir ddina ye lamàwa mà ifŷgh. Mà swmaí byc'hw byc'hw ye naéna ya byc'hw rioräw sw. Dilŷc'hw ya Hwfiaic'ha swlinépa, y ddoby swmna si yai lofàc'hw Môfànac'ha mwlminpa mw y Oä Éru y vàc'hw éddäéna nonwpw é yw lofàc'hw màra fifirônaddwf piarlonwpw. Dic'hw lamwc'hw Môfànac'ha ddofinpa é lí nonimwc'hwpwmw. Mw si ddí. Mà mwnac'hi sac'ha swfinic'ha, ye Éngagianddaénamw ôawénamw. Y ôa éfna si, si ddí, màc'hw Lifwnic'ha piarlonwg. Màri mwéc'hi é màra saíc'hw mwfwc'hw màra lwnîc'hi'
Shfinyddyf
A Letter from Shfinô to Éddo hello, dear brother.
The years have glided, but our bonds of family have held fast against the time. We have grown separately, but we can join together once more. I have had a vision, growing clearer by the day, ever since I left on my journey. I saw the mountains at dawn, the ocean at sunset, and the different lives of many throughout the day. They are all so different, yet so close: so few times was I turned away, so often was I welcomed, as a stranger, into the home. Throughout my journeys I saw a common vein run among the people of the land. A similar face here, a similar enscription there. I saw a shadow of the Sumnë, the First Nomads, watched over the deer of Malomanan, until the Evil Wolf Ôä Éru scoured the land with his maw and took the deer from our ancestors, scattering them, so that they formed small communties around Malomanan, never again united. Until now. My vision is of a New Sumnë, united against the Antagan menace, the vile oppressors who are, at this moment, occupying Lemne territory - we must make haste and defend our brothers of old!
from Shfinô
PWR !28
Pwr - English Dictionary
All the nouns given below are listed in by default plural exept for nouns which are inherently singular
A -a nonhuman agent suffix
B bé adj related; n relationships
béipné n relatives; family
bir v prefer
biro adj fast
bría adj bright
bríar v shine
bríärér n glory
bríarl n brightness
briô v love
-bw ordinal number suffix
C c'hw n married men
c'hw v to see what was once unseen
c'hw v forgive
c'hwa forests
c'hŵa n death
c'hwalir v to die
c'hwar v kill
c'hwi n sins
c'hwpa n arses
c'hwmédd v decide
c'hwmélir v to force a decision upon someone
c'hwndi n east
c'hwndi ydd n mornings; dawns
c'hwodda adj sickly
c'hwr v sin
cyw n mines; etymology: from the Somi côso 'hole, pit'. This word is an oddiy for Pwr as it is the only word to have /k/
D da jobs, tasks; v to work
ddà v want
-dda/-ddä -ly/like
ddí adv now
ddina n time
ddinà adv sometime soon
ddinanw adv very soon
ddinw adv soon
ddio adj special
ddir v to begin
ddirpw n antlers
PWR !29
ddísrwd v claim
ddof v build
ddofwfà v to begin (from Maifri dobūsūmà 'first travel')
ddomdira n bricks
ddopafirô n milk
ddopamsa n fire drinks
ddw n moons
dé adj thick
démà adj crazy
dí adj little
di adj sad
dia adv immediately
dilé n shadow of former glory (from di 'sad' + lé 'something')
dilwnic'hí n shields (from the Terch telúnechí 'shield' though literally meaning 'hard protector')
dín n boys
dínifà n little sections of land, fields
diramà n walls
diré n wood
dirénswmaí n wagons
dirmà n stones
dirp n bones
dirwb v admit
dô v to drink something that isn’t water
do conj for, as
do such
dof v to imply, to address, to herald
dof n north
dofa adj difficult to carry
dofag v tired; exhausted
dofŷmw adj forbidenn
dw then
dw adj black
dwc'ha n crows
dwfddina n nights
dw-nonsa n night sky
E é n/interj attention
-é multiple number suffix
é antlerless male deer
é conj and
é other
édd n suns; stars
édd v eat
édd adv against
édda n Ozhabel the dragon
édda n mouths
éddi v to fish
éddpía n fevers
éf v remove
éfmw v miss
éfna n oppressors
éfo n boobs; breasts
éíswmà n years
élàfw n morning
élanonisda n evening; sunset
élir v to force feed; to eat when not hungry
émébí v glide
émô v fly
ém v run
émsa n fires
éms v burn
én v to be happy, to rejoice
éna adj beautiful
énar n songs
PWR !30
énarin v to sing
Éngagian n Antagan
énso adj white
épa adj cold
ér n names
érba n cloaks; jackets
éré v to open
éro n birds (wen roosted or on the ground)
érwmloni v to be named
éw v agree
F fà every
faí everything
fà always
fào everywhere
fàna everyone
far v see at night
fi n blood
fi n air
fiddíy-nonrac'ha n dictionaries
fifi v fold
fífirôna n ancestors
finlafiro n mammals
finsora n wool
fiorí v flow
fior adj red
firéa n ducks
fo n traditional Sumric dish
fomol n horns (musical; instrument) etymology: from Somi fomomol (Pwr render the two identical syllables as one 'om') itself borrowed from the Middle Nümmezse fámhfymöl. The large musical horn is native to the Nümmezsic people but was copied by the nomadic Somoñi who adapted it into their own culture. When they traveled to Pwrlw they introduced
both the horn and the word for it to the Pwrina people.
foría n plains (habitat)
fwm v blow
G gŵíloc'hi interj sorry!
I í v smell
-i female diminutive suffix
–í inanimate object diminutive
í yes
i conj if
ídd v want to be happy
ídda adj easy to do
ipa n games
ifà n grown up children
ifé adj afterlife
if v to greet
imwn v to be
imwnlir v to create (more abstract than 'to make'. As in to create songs, poems, stories, paintings, drawings etc)
imwnwddé than
ir adj last
ir adj big, much, very
ira adj high
irafà n hills
iràfi n seas
irafi n highlands
irafiri n Gàidhlig
irbia adv final
irnla n villages
irn n fathers
PWR !31
irswmàriddina n eons, great passing of time, long wait, long amount of time
isda n hands
isdaf v have (archaic)
isdafí v take with permission
isdaflir v to own
isdwf n centres, middle
ist v carry
istwfilir v to catch
L la adj good
la n arm
la adj still
là n mothers
laddàí n honour
lafiro n life
laf v do dwell
lafi n shelters
lafí v smile
lafílir v to cheer someone up, to make someone smile
lafirolir v to live
lamà n homes
laminàrma n ‘hill dweller’ species
lamlifi n lakes
lamlomni n summer
lam n towns
lamwa n winter
lar v battle
lara n weapons
laramwlmàra n hunting weapons
laria adj warlike
larna n soldiers
larswmi n war marchs
lé n something
lé some
léddina sometime
lémw somwhere
léna someone
lépw somehow
li adj blue
li v hope
li n marshy meadows
lí adv again
líd v argue
lifsé n births
lifsél v to give birth
lifi n water
lifséc'hamw n birthplaces
lifiswm v sail
Lifwni n Lemne
lili v wrap
lina adj easy do learn
lir v do
lirénarsé n art
lirlaf v make it remàn
lirlà v succeed
lilir v to inspire
lirlué untill (noun after goes in genitive e.g lirlué y räpa pinwrw 'until, the tree grow' or literally 'event of the tree will it grow')
liro n colours
lirôminimwlmà n questions
lirona n/adj peachy skin colour
lirí v look
lirwm v know
PWR !32
lirwmina adj wise
lirwm adj secret
lo n piles
lo n paths
–lo participle adjective suffix
lofà n deer
lofànanonrà n consonants
lofàninoní autumn
lofànfa n boats
lomí n hunted deer
lomsw v cool down
lomwlmi n predetermined choices
lomwa n stags
lon v to drink water
lonaf v get
lori n rivers
lorí n streams
-lorna -phile
loft v help
-lw -ness
lwo adj heavy
M mà n lands
màc'h n worlds
màa adj angry
màa n buzzards
màon n rain
mànonrà n vowels
màfwf n coasts
mànons n horizons
mirlé n west
mirl adj normal
mí n top
mírmà n heads
mô only
mô v hang
mô adj fast
mo adj great of character; noble
mô adj warm
moég adj confident (from mo 'noble' + é 'and' + -g 'self')
momw adj slow
-mw un-
mw no
mw adj gray
mw conj but
mw n places
mw never
mwa nothing
mw n mountains
mw no way
mwfw n brothers
mwl n male descendants, male surname prefix
mwlifàro n hunter dogs
mwlifi n islands
mwlimlira n chiefs
mwlîrlu n unbecomings
mwlm v hunt
mwlm lirwmina v learn
mwlmàra n spears
mwlmàrà v to hunt birds
mwlmdi adj late
mwlmw adj lazy
mwlmwna n hunters
mwlorna -phobe
mwn v made
PWR !33
mwna no one
mwnà v think
mwnàc'hí n thoughts
-mwno –less
mwnswm v climb
mwo nowhere
mwro n foxes
N na n people
-na human agent suffix
nà v stop
né v to end
népa adj weird
né-sífiròw v to wake
niofà n large paths going through a village
ni adj short
ni n women
Ni Female patrynomic prefix
ní adj green
nílaf n grass
nim adj alone
nimé n daughters
nimp n married women
nirí n fauns
nirílifsé n spring
no n fractions
no adj different
noddäén adv separately
nona n tribes
noni v to divide
nonifà n regions
nonifàr v to put
nonimw v to unite
nonimwbriô v marry
nonimwlo adj united
nonisdaf v to disown
nonpa adj few
nonra n words
nonrà n letters
nonsa n sky
nons n breath
nonswansa n snow
nonswédda n blizzards
nonswanswn v to bury with snow
nonswm v to leave
nons n voices
nondà v to finish
nondàpa onda n yesterday
nw all
nw n men
nw- male patrynomic suffix
nwfa n fools
nwfdda adj foolish
nwmé n sons
nwméí n light
nwnifi n children
nwrmwlifà n hunting grounds
O o subjunctive suffix
o adj many
o n does
ôa adj bad
ôäc'ha n evil hares (fictional creature)
ôäw n menaces
PWR !34
oda n bread
ôdd v to understand
ôn v to give something that belongs to you to someone else
ônafa v to hear
om south
onda n days
ontw tomorrow
ora adj yellow
orà v to pause momentarily before resuming
orc'hô n temptations
orc'h v tempt
ori v to give something that doesn’t belong to you
ôw v walk
P -pa child diminutive
-pa past gerund suffix (finished, carved,written)-???
pa that
pa which
pàona Scotland
parif since
péf v to buy
pfon v to graze
pi n valleys
pi who
pi n fights
pi n friends
pi when
pí adj tight
pía n rage
pía try
-pía suff suffix whch gives a verb a sense of duty to the agent
piaí adj bare; naked
píar v force
píarlon v to take forcefully
píarô n obedience; v to obey
pin v grow
pinlia Hauglen
pir v to fight
po or
po beer
po n health
po where
pof adj low
pofmi lowlands
pofmiri Scots language
poia adj healthy
pw why
pyfŷ íôlé n fines; fees
pyfŷíôlé v to fine; to give a fee
R ra adj long (distance, length); broad
rafa adj sharp
rafà n animal horns
rap n trees
rapwtpa n tree’s seed
ré adj strong
ré adj funny
réa n birds in flight
réi v bird to fly; y réä réic'hw 'the bird flies'
répia adv mighty
rí adj powerful screaming wind
rí v to ask
ri n languages, speech
PWR !35
ri adj difficult
rini v speak
risda n leves
riora n writings; letters
rior v writing
ro n dogs
ron v own a dog
rona n dog owners
ronim n stud dogs
roninim n castrated dogs
ronpi n companion dogs
rw n bitch dogs
rw n sweethearts (only used for women)
rwlm n bitch dogs in heat
rwmà n puppies
rwm v walk without a destination
rwmlir v to lead
rwmlira n leaders
rwp v to murder
S sa adj new, young, fresh
sa prep with
sa adj free
sà adj brown
sà v forget
saí adj old
sà n stories
saíddirn n grandfathers
saíddirn n judges
saíyirnw isdäflu n rights
safà n still young children of a person
sàlir v to forget on purpose, to erase a memory
sé for (Benefactive)
séfirô n nature
séla adj long (in reference to time)
shí n knives
shíc'hí n swords
si v to fix; repair; mend
si this
si that thing
si that
si ddina adv now
si onda today
sí adj holy
sif v hit
sífira v dream; sleep; sífira mwlmdién v sleep v to sleep in (conjugation goes on sífira)
síafiro n sacred deer
sína n gods
sipw this way
so cloth
sonc'h v give up
sor v owe
sorí adj pànful
sonia therefore
soranonifà n flags
sof n winds
sô v find
sow that way
sw there
sw n air
-sw (approximate) –ish
sw v go
swddi n face
swf v to travel
swla n day vision
PWR !36
swlilir v to witness
swlilîrna n witnesses
swlipía v to patrol
swlipíana n patrollers; guards, watchmen
swlipíac'hw n patrol
swm v to trsvel
swmédd v fall
swmélir v to trip someone up
swmà v come
swma n feet
swmà n travels
swmbiroddén v hurry
swméf v come inside
swmém v climb down
swmémlofà n flights
swmlir v guide
swmlira n travel guides
Swfini collective name for the Sumric people
swmwb v bring
W –wna able
wy v to be whisked away /uj/
English~Pwr
A
able –wna
address v dof
admit v dirwb
afterlife n ifé
again adv lí
against adv édd
agent suffix (human) -na
ago parif
agree v éw
air n sw
all nw
alone adj nimw
always fà
ancestors n fífirôna
and conj é
angry adj màa
antler ddirpw
PWR !37
antlerless male deer é
animal horns n rafà
Antagan n Éngagian
argue v líd
arms n la
arses n c'hwpa
art n liriénarsé
as conj to
ask v rí
attention interj é; n é
autumn n lofàninoní
B bad adj ôa
bare adj piaí
baseline in Rësora script n mànons
battles v lar
be v imwn
bear v ist
beautiful adj éna
beer n po
begin v ddir; ddofwfà
birds (when roosted) n éro. (when in flight) n réa
births n lifsé
big adj ir
villages n irnla
bind v nonim
birthplaces n lifséc'hamw
bitch dogs n rw
bitch dogs in heat n rwlm
black adj dw
blizzards n nonswédda
blood n fi
blow v fwm
blue adj li
boats n lofànfa
bones n dirp
boobs n éfo
born v lifsél
boy n dín
bread n oda
breaths n nons
breed v mwn
bricks n ddomdira
bright adj bría
brightness n bríarl
bring v swmwbi
broad adj ra
brothers n mwfw
brown adj sà
build v ddof
burn v éms
bury with snow v nonswanswn
but conj mw
buy v péf
buzzards n màa
C carry v ist
castrated dogs n roninim
catch v istwfilir
centres n isdwf
cheer someone up n lafílir
chiefs n mwlimlira
children n nwnifi
PWR !38
child diminutive -pa
claim v ddísrwd
climb v mwnswm
climb down v swmém
cloaks n érba
cloths n so
coasts n màfwf
coats n érba
cold adj épa
colours n liro
come v swmà
come inside v swméf
companion dogs n ronpi
confident adj moég
conserve v lirlaf
consonants n lofàna nonrà
cool down v lomsw
countries n nonifà
crazy adj démà
create v imwnlir (more abstract than 'to make'. As in to create songs, poems, stories, paintings, drawings etc) in
crow n dwc'ha
D dark adj dw
daughters n nifaí
dawns n c'hwndi ydd
days n onda
day vision n swla
death(s) n c'hwa
decide v c'hwlmédd
deer n lofà
descend v swmém
dictionaries n fiddíy-nonrac'ha
die v c'hwalir
different adj no
difficult adj ri
difficult to carry adj dofa
disown v nonisdaf
divide v non
do v lir
does (female deer) n o
dogs n ro
dog owners n rona
the dragon Ozhabel n édda
dream v sífira
drink v loni; to drink something that isn’t water; v dô
ducks n firéa
duty suff -pía (when attached to a verb gives a sense of duty to the agent)
dwell v lafi
E east c'hwndi
easy :to learn adj lina; to do adj í
eat v édd
end v né
eon n irswmàriddina
erase a memory v sàlir
evenings n élanonisda
every fà
everyone fàna
everything faí
everywhere fào
evil hare (fictional creature) n ôäc'ha
exhausted adj dofag
PWR !39
eyes n swla
F faces n swddi
fall v swmméd
fast adj biro; mo
fathers n irn
fauns n nirí
fees n pyfŷíôlé
female diminutive suffix -i
female patrynomic prefix Ni
fevers n éípía
few nonpa
fights n pi
fight v pir
final adv irbia
find v sô
fine v pyfŷíôlé
fines n pyfŷ íôlé
finish v nondà
fires n émsa
fire drinks n ddopamsa
first adj ddobw
fish v éddi
fix v si
flags n soranonifà
flights n swmémlofà
flow v fiorí
fly v émô; a bird to fly v réi
fold v fifi
follow v lirwmi
fools n nwfa
foolish adj nwfdda
for (Benefactive) sé
forbidenn adj dofŷmw
force v píari
force a decision upon someone v c'hwmélir
forests n c'hwa
forest shelters n lamwf
forget v sà
forget on purpose v sàlir
forgive v c'hwsà
feet n swma
foxes n mwro
fractions n no
free adj sa
friends n pi
funny adj ré
G Gàidhlig n irafiri
games n ipa
get v lonaf
giv; something that belongs to you v ôn; something that doesn’t belong to you v or
give up v sonc'h
glide v émébí
glory n bríärér (shining name)
go v sw
gods n sína
good adj la
grandfathers n saíddirn
grass n nílaf
gray adj mw
graze v pfon
great of character adj mo
green adj ní
PWR !40
greet v if
grow v pin
grown up children n ifà
guide v swmlir
H hair n fi
heads n mírmà
healths n po
healthy adj poia
hearts n ônafa
heavy adj lwo
hands n isda
hang v mô
happy v én
hard adj di
have v isdaf (archaic)
have sex v mwn
help v lof
herald v dof
hey! interj é
high adj ira
highlands n irafi
hills n irafà
histories n saímisaí
hit v sif
hold v là
holy adj sí
homes n lamà
honour n laddàí
hope v li
horizons n mànons
horns n fomol (musical; instrument) etymology: from Somi fomomol (Pwr render the two identical syllables
as one 'om') itself borrowed from the Middle Nümmezse fámhfymöl. The large musical horn is native to the Nümmezsic people but was copied by the nomadic Somoñi who adapted it into their own culture. When they traveled to Pwrlw they introduced both the horn and the word for it to the Pwrina people.
how pw
hunt v mwlm
hunt birds v mwlmàrà
hunted deer n lomí
hunter n mwlmna
hunter dogs n mwlifàro
hunting groups n nwrmwlifà
hunting weapons n laramwlmàra
hurry v swmbiroddén
I if conj i
immediate adv dia
imply v dof
inanimate diminutive –í
inspire v lilir
-ish (approximate)-sw
-ish (denotes origin e.g ‘Scottish’) -na
islands n mwlifi
J jackets n érba
jobs n da
judges n saíyirnw
K kill v c'hwar
knives n shí
know v lirwm
PWR !41
L lands n mà
languages n ri
last adj ir
late adj mwlmdi
lazy adj mwlmw
large paths going through a village n niofà
lead v rwmlir
leader n rwmlira
leaves n risda
learn v mwlm lirwminna
leave v nonswm
Lemne n Lifwni
-less -mwno
letters (graphemes) n nonrà
letters (written messages) n riora
lives n lafiro
lights n nwméí
like v lor
little adj dí
little sections of land dínifà
live v lafirolir
lakes n lamlifi
long (distance, lenght) adj ra 2) time; adj séla
look v lir
love v briô
low adj pof
lowland pofmi
-ly/like -dda/ddä
M make v ddof
make it remain v lirlaf
mammals n finlafiro
men n nw
many adj/adv o
married men n c'hwa
married women n nimp
marry v nonimwbriô
marshy meadows n li
mate v mwn
mean v dof
menaces n ôäw
mend v si
mightily adv répia
milk n ddopafirô
mines n cyw; etymology: from the Somi côso 'hole, pit'. This word is an oddiy for Pwr as it is the only word to have /k/
miss v épmw
moons n ddw
mornings n c'hwndi ydd; élàfw
mothers n là
mountains n mw
mouths n édda
much ir
multiple number suffix -é
murder v rwp
N naked adj piaí
names n ér
to be named v érwmlon
nature n séfirô
-ness -lw
never mw
new adj sa
PWR !42
nights n dwfddina
night sky n dw-nonsa
night vision n fira
no mw
nonhuman agent suffix -a
no one mwna
normal adj mirlw
north dof
nothing mwa
now adv ddí, si ddina
no way mw
nowhere mwo
O obedience n píarô
obey v píarô
odd adj népa
old adj saí
only mo
open n éré
oppressors n éfna
or conj po
ordinal number suffix -bw
other é
owe v sor
own v isdaflir
own a dog v ron
P painful adj sorí
participle adjective suffix –lo
paths n lo
patrol n swlipíac'hw; v swlipía
pause momentarily before resuming v orà
peach skin colour adj lirona
people n na
-phile -lorna
-phobe mwlorna
piles n lo
places n mw
plains (habitat) n foría
powerful winds adj rí
prefer v bir
predetermined choices n lomwlmi
protect v lwní
puppies n rwmà
put v nonifàri
Q question n lirôminimwlmà
R rage n pía
rain n màon
red adj fior
regions n nonifà
related adj bé
relationships n bé
relatives n béipné (can also mean 'family' when plural)
remove v éf
rejoice v én
repair v si
rights (as in a right to own or do something) n saíyirnw isdäflu (inflection goes on 'saíyirnw')
rivers n lori
run v ém
S
PWR !43
sacred deer n síafiro
sacred rituals n lirwsío
sad adj di
sail v lifiswm
Scotland pàona
Scots language pofmiri
seas n iràfi
secret adj lirwm
see; at night v fari; at day v swlin; what was once unseen v c'hw
separately adj noddäén
shadow of former glory n dilé
sharp adj rafa
shields n dilwnic'hí (from the Terch telúnechí 'shield' though literally meaning 'hard protector')
shelters n lafi
shine v bríar
short adj ni
sickly adj c'hwoia
sin(s) v c'hwri; n c'hw
since parif
sing v énarin
sky n nonsa
sleep v sífira; to sleep in v sífira mwlmdién (conjugation goes on sífira)
slow adj momw
smell v í
smile v lafí; to make someone smile v lafílir
snow n nonswansa
soldiers n larna
some lé
somehow lépw
someone léna
something v lé
sometime léddina
somewhere lémw
sons n nwmé; male patrynimic prefix nw Nwîné 'son of Iné'. Th prefix caues vowel mutation on the first vowel of the name.
songs v énar
soon adv very soon ddinanw; soon ddinw; sometime ddinà
sorry interj gŵíloc'hi
south omw
speak v rin
special adj ddio
speech n ri
spring n nirílifsé
spears n mwlmàra
stags n lomwa
still adj la
still young children of a person n safà
stop v nà
stories n sà
streams n lorí
stones n dirmà
strong adj ré
stud dogs n ronim
subjunctive suffix -o
succeed v lirléf
such do
summer lamlomni
sunsets n élanonsida
sweethearts n rw (only used for women)
swords n shíc'hí
T take; forcefully v píarlon; with permission v isdafí
tasks n da
tempt v orc'hi
PWR !44
temptations n orc'hô
territories n nonifà
than imwnwddé
that (thing) si
that si
that so
that way sow
then dw
there swn, sw
therefore sonia
think v mwnà
thick adj dé
this si
this way sipw
thoughts n mwnàc'hí
tie v nonimw
tight adj pí
time n ddina
tired adj dofag
today si onda
tomorrow ontw
top n mí
towns n lam
travel(s) n swmà; v swmi
travel guides n swmlira
trees n rap
tree’s see n rapwtpa
tribes n nona
trip someone up v swmélir
try v pía
U un- -mw
unbecomings n mwlîrlu
understand v ôdd
unite v nonimw
united adj nonimwlo
untill lirlué (noun after goes in genitive e.g lirlué y räpa pinwrw 'until, the tree grow' or literally 'event of the tree will it grow')
V valleys n pi
very ir
villages n irnla
voices n nons
vowels n màa nonrà
W wagons n dirénswmaí
wake up v né-sífiròw
walk v ôw; without a destination v rwm
walls n diramà
want v ddà
want to be happy v ídd
wars n la
warlike adj laria
war marches n larswmi
warm adj mô
watch v swlipíac'hw
water n lifi
weapons n lara
weird adj népa
west mirlé
wet meadows n li
what pa
when pi
where po
PWR !45
which pa
to be whisked away v í
white adj énso
who pi
why pw
winds n sof
winter lamwa
wise adj lirwminna
with prep sa
witness v swlilir
witnesses n swlilîrna
wolves n éro
women n ni
wood n diré
wool n finsora
words n nonra
work v da
worlds màc'h
wrap v lili
write v rior
writings n riora
Y years n éíswmà
yellow adj ora
yes í
yesterday nondàpa onda
Pwr phrasebook This section will tell you more about the everyday speech and phrases in Pwr. I will list the phrase in English followed by the phrase in Pwr, followed by a word for word translation of the Pwr in brackets
Greetings
Hello dw ifé (I greet you). Or when addressing two or more people darw ifé
How are you? pa gŵa lifà rin? (What are you to it saying?) or to two or more people pa ò lifà rin?
-I am great! énariné! (I am singing!)
-I am very good! éné! (I rejoice!)
-I am good/ alright laén riné (I say well)
PWR !46
-I am not so good rinémw (I am not saying)
-and you? é dw?
What's your name? pa da îrn dw érwpw? (What your father you named?)
My name is... ...mà yr imwnw (...my name is)
Where are you from? formal: po da lifséc'hamw imwnw? (Where your birthplace is?)
informal: gŵa pa mŷddwf (are you which place-from?)
I'm from ... ...-ddwf imwné (place-from I am. The location is put in the delative case and undergoes final vowel mutation and uses the suffix -ddwf)
-I'm from Pfunlumw (fictional Pwrdda village) Pfunlumŷddwf imwné
Pleased to meet you màra îf la imwnw (our meeting good is)
Good morning/afternoon lî nonsä (blue sky)
Good evening/night (a general greeting for after sunset) mô émsa (warm fires)
Goodnight (said before going to bed) dw ifô ontw (you tomorrow I will greet) or to two or more people darw ifô ontw
Bye! dw énarini (sing!) or to two or more people darw énarini
Good luck la daroa (good you-on)
Toast used when drinking sé màri é nw! (For us and all)
I don't understand ôddémw (I don't understand)
Please speak more slowly dw momwén lifwéna rini (you slowly beside it speak)
PWR !47
Please say that again pa rinara? (What you said?)
Do you speak Pwr? gŵa Pŷréna rin? (Do you by means of Pwr speak?)
Yes, a little í, nu (yes, a part)
How do you say... pw owo...rin? (how would I...say?)
-in Pwr? Pŷréna? (By means of Pwr?)
How do you say 'yes' in Pwr? pw owo 'yes' rin Pŷréna?
Sorry gŵíloc'h! (Calm! Said when the action was accidental)
-dw mw c'hwsàc'hi (forgive me, said when the action was done on purpose). Or to two or more people darw mw c'hwsàc'hi
Thank you: formal; dafina éné (I rejoice because of you)
informal: mwc'hí
Response to thank you/you are welcome: formal and informal: la (good)
I love you dw briôc'hé
Help! lofdi!
Stop! nàc'hi!
Dialogue1=speaker 1
2=speaker 2 1: dw ifé
PWR !48
2: dw ifé
1: pa gŵa lifà rin?
2: laén rin, é dw?
1: laén rin, po da lifséc'hamw imwnw?
2: Fòruddwf imwné (Fòru is a Pwrina village)
1: Pfunlumŷddwf imwné, pa da îrn dw érwpw?
2: Màro mà yr imwnw
1: màra îf la imwnw Màro, Wgofswo mà yr imwnw
Sound Changes from Maifri > Pwr t͡ ʃ→g/_
k→p/_
u→gw/#- (with a medial stage of /gu/)
b→f/V_V
g→ Ø/V_V
g→Ø/u_
u→Ø/w_
m→f/V_V
aɔ→o/_
ɪu→u/_
uɪ→u/_
h→Ø/_ (except when a lenited consonant)
g→x/_
v→f/_
aː→e/_
a→e/#_
s→Ø/V_V
d→ð/_V
t→ð/_V
j→ð/_V
ɶ→ʉ/_
PWR !49