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Quick Eurish Grammar Guide


  The prototype of the Eurish grammar is the system of classical Latin, which is reformed to a few regular used endings and prepositions for the various parts of speech. This works as follows:

Nouns (words for objects or states) end in -u in the singular, for example: hom-u = man (human being), dom-u = house.
In the plural the -u ending is changed to -i, so hom-i = persons, dom-i = houses.
The declension is quite regular.
Nominative: domu = the house, domi = the houses
Genitive: da domu = of the house, da domi = of the houses
Dative: a domo = to the house, a domoi = to the houses
Accusative: domo = the house, domoi = the houses

Adjectives (words for describing things) end in -a, and do not change in the plural. They follow the noun. Examples: long-a = long, filumu longa = long thread, domi bela = beautiful houses.

Adverbs (words which describe how something happens) are formed from adjectives by the ending -m: cit-a = quick, cita-m = quickly. So -am often corresponds to English -ly.

Verbs (words for actions) end in -e in the "infinitive", so for example: dic-e = to say, ir-e = to go.

1.) The present tense is identical to the infinitive -e. So we have: e = is, are, am, rid-e = laugh(s).

2.) To form the past tense, -ba is put behind the infinitive: eba = was, were, aud-eba = heard.

3.) To form the future tense,-ra is put behind the infinitive: era = will be, clam-era = will cry.

There is no definite or indefinite article in Eurish, so that the English the, a, an are not translated: imagu = the, a picture.

We can now form some simple sentences:
Europa e terru granda = Europe is a grand country.
Eurixu sone belam = Eurish sounds beautiful.
Loque o Sacra Romana Imperiu = He/she speaks about the Holy Roman Empire.

To ask a question, we can invert subject and predicate:
Pueru disce lingo Eurixa = The boy/girl is learning Eurish.
Disce pueru lingo Eurixa? = Does the boy/girl learn Eurish?
We could answer such questions with ite = yes or no = no.

To make a sentence negative, we place na = not before the verb: Pluvu na cadera = Rain will not fall.

The personal pronouns are:

Singular forms: mu = I, me, vu / tu = you (singular: formal/familiar), lu (ilu, elu), su = he, she, it. (lu stands for the male, female forms ilu, elu).
Plural forms: mi = we, us, ti / vi = you (plural), li (ili, eli), si = they.

To form possessive adjectives we simply add -a:

Singular forms: mu-a = my, mine, tu-a / vu-a = your(s), lu-a = his, hers, su-a = its. The short singular forms are ma = my, mine, ta / va = your(s) , la = his, hers, sa = its.
Plural forms: mi-a = our, ti-a / vi-a = your, li-a, si-a = their.

There are also anu = one, "you", people and se = reflexive pronoun (herself etc.).

Conjunctions join phrases together, for example y = [speak i as in hit] and, au = or, autem = but.

Prepositions are useful little words like in = in, sur = on, suba = under. So for example: Mensu eba in camu, libru eba sur mensu = The table was in the room, the book was on the table.

The use of distinguishing endings (-u, -a, -e etc.) allows easy derivation of words. For instance:
grandu = greatness, granda = great, grandam = greatly, grande = to get great

Affixes are also used,

which are either suffixes, such as:
-oz = full of: fruct-oza = fruitful
-an = relating to a nation: Eur-ana = European
-ix = language: Eur-ixa = Eurish

or prefixes, such as:
pre- = pre-, before: dice = say, tell, pre-dice = predict, foretell
re- = re-, again: turne = turn, re-turne = re-turn
ex- = ex-, former: ministru = minister, ex-ministru = ex-minister.


Specially prepared by Molla Muhammad Selim for travlang - Foreign Languages for Travelers , August 2000.


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