05 - Wemeri wa nomayugu - Seya wa Koboxora

Let come in the Kobolds forest... a little kingdom on the web.

Wemeri wa nomayugu

Parts of nominal group

Demonstratives Adjectives
Comparatives & superlatives
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Demonstratives (dikesema) : I- ; O- ; Ye-

Basic demonstrative adjective is I :

I pawu This child

I wepawu These children

I wepawu yunewa These young children

Close demonstrative adjective is I and far demonstrative adjective is O :

I pawu This child I wepawu These children

O pawu That child O wepawu Those children

Retrophoric ye is about previous utterance and can be put before as demonstrative or put after as casual suffix :

Ye yoho adugowøte.
Those people do not count.
Adugohøye domuni weyohoye.
There is no count at home of those people.

Or, following order of ideas in french song from Brel :

Domuni weyohoye, Sunetoko, adugohøye.
At home of those people, Mister, there is no counting.
(NB : domu-ni = house-in = at home = french chez)
Other examples :
Gunetoko yemewa vetuyete sesasoma dekaka yanuma. Ka uma yeseye ?
(female-toko me-of old-pres-3p six-twenty ten-and year-qty. And howmuch you-of ?)
My daughter is old of hundred thirty years. And how much (is) yours ?
Wefuruhoro weyathika ilawoke. Uye gewake ?
(pl-fruit-garden pl-flower-and here-were. Question-those become-pl-perfect-it ?)
Here were orchards and flowers. What did they become ?

NB : Furuhoro yathika ilaxoke = Here were an orchard and a flower.

Filoyote venaye lepoza ka ayeyøte bayi.*
He liked to hunt hare and he dont (like) that yet.
Filoyote lepovenaza ka ayeza bayi.
He liked the hare hunt and he dont (hunt) yet.
Yeza seyayate... Yexa seyayate...**
He said that... Thus he spoke...

(*) bayi, "past-since", since undetermined time, meaning different of a-... reba = not again.
(**) Yeza, object, and yexa, manner complement (modal case), are here put before the verb in order to make an intensive form.
Other demonstratives are made with adding case suffix to demonstrative prefix.
Kobold language has three gradations in demonstrative : close, far, out of look

Close

Far

Out of look

Place

ila (here)

ola (there)

yela (yonder)

Person

iya (this one)*

oya (that one)

yeya (him yonder)

Time (past)

iba (then)

oba (then)

yeba (then)

(*) Kobold distingishes two personal demonstrative :
- animated :
Ida diwo kuniza. Iya deyedeyute. Oya dedareyute.
Here are two rabbits. This one will be eaten. That one will be given.

- unnimated :
Ida diwo voluza*. Iye yeseda. Oye yeteda.
Here are to books. This one for thou. That one for him.
(*) volu or gerivolu : literaly "roll" (+ geri = to write), original meaning of "volume".
A book made with sheets ("codex") is named pelu = "fold".
See complete table

That as relative

Dareyesu wanaza yesewa yeteda.
(Give-imperative want-accusative thou-genitive he-dative")
Dareyesu wanaye yeteda.
(give-imperative want-that him-to)
Let thou give that (you) want to him.
Dareyesu yemeda wanaza yateyi.
Let thou give to me that he wanted.
Fareyume hudareza yemeyi.
("do-shall-I future-give-acc me-from")
I shall do that I promise (to do).
Agonoyemi seyaliniye yokuza yemeyi.
(no-know-pres-Ishould speak-draw-that see-acc me-abl)
I should not know (how) describe that I saw.

It exists too a relative-accusative zaye :
Aba gonoyame zaye fareyate yela.
I never knew that he did there.

NB : this idiomatic is looked as barbarism by many grammarians because zaye looks here in the same time as object of main clause and object of subordinate clause.

The adjective (wahasema) is made with genitive : -wa

wino* one winowa first

domu house domuwa domestic

daga day dagawa diurnal**

mare lake marewa lacustral

wika magic wikawa magical

yathi flower yathiwa floral

(*) Cardinal numbers have no declension :
Yedeyame diwo piruza.
I ate two pears.

(**) Daily is said kedagawa ("of each day")
Adjectives derived from verbs have two forms :

Active form Passive form

seki

(to follow)

sekiya

(following)

sekiwa

(followed)

yede

(to eat)

yedeya

(eating)

yedewa

(ate)

sibi

(to whistle)

sibiya

(whistling)

sibiwa

(whistled)

Examples : yathi yedeya : carnivorous flower

wawi sibiya : whistling bird

yodi sibiwa : whistled song

Some adjectives are not genitive (see too complement of noun) :

Vale wa faresema
Vale wa radisema farexa
= meaning of a verb
= meaning of a root verbly
= verbal meaning of a root

Comparatives and superlatives
Comparative of superiority (mehekazu) is made with -me ...-yi
-me is an augmentative (ex : mexa = "more-manner" = "more")
and -yi is the ablative suffix.
Examples :

Bigger than your house Game domuyi yesewa

Longer time than a month Gabame muneyi

Smaller than a bug Lime buguyi

More beautiful than your sister Yolime guneburuyi yesewa

To' Yeva vetumeyøte yeseyi.
Yeva (1) is older than thou.

Xeri yemewa nigumeweke weyeyi yokiwa.
My cherries are more black than the ones of the neighbour.
Gunetoko yemewa yodiyøte guteme yeyi yesewa.
My daughter sings better than yours.
Sapiperayame hedagaba kazeza guteme yeyi hadagawa. (2)
I tasted today a cheese better than the one of yesterday.

(1) To' is an abreviation from toko, "son/daughter".
This prefix is used if ambiguous proper names like Yeva ("spring"), Libu ("dragon-fly"), Tutu ("dove"), not neccessarily for Rubikuru ("Red Squirrel"), Niguyeto ("Black Eagle"), etc, and never for Yona, Lulu, Toto, etc.
(2) hedagaba : complement of time
     hadagawa : qualificative adjective (= genitive) related to "cheese".

Superlative of superiority (memekazu) is made with -meme

the biggest gameme the most green golumeme

the smallest limeme the most beautiful yolimeme

the highest homeme the most beautiful girl gune yolimeme

Koleyøme sarila golumeme.
I dwell glade-in greenest.
Vetiyose yolimemexa.
Thou was clothed the most beautifully.
I serata, yolimemeyume tazifa.
Tonight, I shall be the most beautiful for dance. (french song)
Ramuno homeme, rusi yodiyote.
On the highest branch, a nightingale sang. (french song)

Equality comparative (simikazu) is made with simi ...-wa/-ya   -yi

As tall as thou Simihowa yeseyi

As tricky as a fox Simidoluya vupeyi (1)

As small as his Similiwa yeyi yetewa

As easy as that Simiyiziwa oyi

As tiring as boring Similasiya teduyi (2)

Asimibenoyayøte pizeyeyi / Abenoyayøte simixa yi pizeye.
He is not as cleaver as (he) thinks.

(1) Litteraly : doluya = tricking ; doluwa should mean "deceived" :
Vupe doluya koraza = the fox deceiving the crow
Kora doluwa vupeyi = the crow deceived by the fox
(2) It is not necessary to use the participle for the second word when this participle is the same than for the fist word :

Similasiwa teduyi = As tired as bored

But : Similasiwa teduyayi = As tired as boring

Inferiority comparative (lehekazu) is made with -le ...-yi

Less far than the river Wikile rehuyi

Less good than strawberry Gutele faraberiyi

Rapiyame male maluza piruyi.
I gathered less apples than pears.

NB : ma-le = quantity-less, ma-me = quantity-more ;
One can say also : Rapiyame maluma lexa piruyi.
Comparative is for adjectives and adverbs and no for nouns, except nouns used as adjectives or adverbs :
Yeti mexa yahuza zonoyi.
Yeti yahume zonoyi.
The yeti (is) more (an) human than (an) animal.

Other examples :
Gonoyete yebu lexa yi pizeyese.
(Know-pres-he-ind. that-about less-maneer than believe-pres-thou-ind.)
Gonoyete yebu leyi pizeyese.
Gonoyete lebu yi pizeyese. (ou : Gonoyete lebu pizeyi yesewa.)
He knows about less than thou believe.
Domu yemewa galeyeke yeyi yesewa.
My house is less big than thours.
And not :
Domu yemewa galeyeke yeseyi.
My house is less big than thou. (!)

Inferiority superlative (lelekazu) is made with -lele

The least big (of) Galele... -yi

The least quick Takilele

Rama gonolele yeteyi.
The play (theater) least known from him (his work)
Rama gonolele yetewa.
The play (theater) least know of him (his play)

[Because : gono yeteyi = the knowledge come from (-yi) him.
                 gono yetewa = the knowledge belongs to him (-wa)]

Iye ramaleleyøke koramayi.
This is the play least played from repertory.
Ramahaye.
Acta est fabula.

Do not confuse :
Timiyeme Rubiyetoza lexa Sasuyokoyi.
I fear Red Eagle less than (I fear) Snake Eye.
Timiyeme Rubiyetoza lexa Sasuyokoye.
I fear Red Eagle less than Snake Eye (fears him).

The progressive meaning (more and more, less and less) is made with the translative ge- (or negative translative gi-) + comparative (le- or me-) + manner suffix (-xa) :

Gekuleheye mexa ka daga giluweke mexa.
It's more and more cold and the days become more and more short.
("become-no-long more")
NB : ... ka daga geluweke lexa, "and days stretch out less" doesn't match.

Sekiba wivikeye wema, geyodowote lexa.
After these numerous defeats, they became less and less courageous.
NB : same problem : it will be said giyodowote mexa, "they discouraged more".
Autre précision sur la formule sekiba wivikeye. Si on met un ordre SVO :
Giyodowote mexa i wivikeba wema.
Ils se décourageaient davantage lors de ces défaites nombreuses.
(-ba = complément de temps)
Giyodowote mexa sekiba wivike-? wema.
Ils se décourageaient davantage après ces défaites nombreuses.

Logiquement, il y a deux mots au cas temporel :
Giyodowote mexa sekiba wivikeba wema.

D'où l'emploi du référentiel -ye, sorte de sous-cas, ici à usage temporel.
Autres exemples :

Gesureyeme lexa yebu. / Gisureyeme mexa yebu.
J'en suis de moins en moins certain.
Gegonoyose mexa kedagaba.
Il était chaque jour plus instruit ("Il s'instruisait davantage chaque jour").

Lebeyeme mexa yeseza kedagaba.
Je t'aime davantage chaque jour.

"I yokuxa yesewa, lebeyeme yeseza mexa kedagaba,
"[Car,] vois-tu, chaque jour je t'aime davantage,
[Ce voir-manière toi-de, aimer-je toi-acc plus-manière chaque-jour-quand,
I-xa = ainsi ; I yoku-xa = Une telle vision ;
I yoku-xa yese-wa = Une telle vision à toi = Ainsi que tu le vois]
Hedagaba mexa hadagayi ka (ga)lexa hudagayi..."
Aujourd'hui plus qu'hier, et (bien) moins que demain!"
(Ka lexa hudagata = et demain encore moins!)

L'expression plus ou moins se rend par perixa ("autour-manière") :

Simimenewete perixa.
Ils sont plus ou moins d'accord.

L'expression péjorative de plus ou de moins se rend par mema ("en plus") ou lema ("en moins") selon le contexte :

Ayo yokena mema mopekuyite wemeza.
Ce n'est pas un convive de plus qui va nous ruiner.
NB : la différence entre mame, "plus", et mema, "en plus", est assez subtile...
adjectif : mewa = supplémentaire
adverbe : mexa = en plus,
le suffixe de manière pouvant être ici remplacé par le suffixe de quantité, mema.
mame est plutôt une contraction de maxa mewa, litt. "quantitativement supplémentaire".
Les adverbes si, tant, et tellement sont en fait des démonstratifs de quantité
(il est si beau ; il a tant plu ; c'est tellement loin) traduits par ima :

Anesuyete xanetexoza yi ima howayøte.
Il n'a pas besoin d'échelle tant il est grand.

Formule dont on peut inverser l'ordre des propositions en changeant de relatif :

Ima howayøte go anesuyete xanetexoza.
Il est si grand qu'il n'a pas besoin d'échelle.

NB : yi ("de, depuis"), relatif d'origine, et go ("donc"), relatif de conséquence, nécessaires en kobold. Le français est irrégulier là-dessus.
De même :

Ima yedepa, gelipoyise.
À tant manger, tu vas grossir.
Gelipoyise ma yedeyese.
Tu vas grossir tant que tu manges.

(Tant que n'est pas un relatif de temps, contrairement aux apparences...)
Même genre de construction pour rendre le pronom tel :

Oya derapiyate rapiwanaxa.
Celui-là fut pris en voulant prendre.
"Tel est pris qui croyait prendre."

Mais :
I yoridi munedagawa lariyute sunedagata.
Ce rieur du lundi pleurera dimanche.
"Tel qui rit lundi, dimanche pleurera."
Car une traduction littérale donne des redondances de suffixes :
Iya ya ridiyete = Iya ridiya

Le kobold aime faire court et ellipse certains adverbes :
Asuxe fahaza ima kixa!
Asuxe iki fahaza!
Échouer si près du but!

NB : Suxe (réussir) et asuxe (rater) sont transitifs en kobold (d'où fahaza), tandis qu'en français rater est transitif (rater son gâteau) et échouer est intransitif (échouer à).
On ne dit pas en français : J'ai échoué mon coup!

Asuxeyame yuvaye yeseza.
"J'ai échoué que aider lui." = Je n'ai pas réussi à l'aider.

Cette forme elliptique des démonstratifs fait que I peut suffire à renforcer une expression :

Surexa Certainement

I surexa! Bien sûr!

Ima traduit l'exclamatif quel :
Ima wotimiyese!   Quel couard tu fais ("Tant couard tu es")!
(timi = peur ; mutimi = effrayer ; yotimi = un effrayeur ; wotimi = un effrayé)

Les participes pouvant être actifs (agonoya = ignorant) ou passifs (agonowa = ignoré),
les comparatifs et superlatifs peuvent recevoir cette précision si nécessaire :

Yowika wa gonomeme = le sorcier le plus connu
Yowika ya gonomeme = le sorcier le plus savant

Cette distinction entre actif et passif est parfois une farce des grammairiens qui s'en tirent avec la voix pronominale, inexistante en kobold :

Koderu pelameme = la forêt la plus étendue, s'étendant le plus