1. ste – a. connects a noun to adjective-modifiers:
the house ste big white (note: there is no “and” between adjectives!)
b. ste serves to form the infinitive of the verb:
ste hagrala: to be rich; ste bre: to shave
c. as seen in the section on Verbs, ste, placed in front of a verb that is otherwise in the normal, indicative form, turns that verb into a Continuous Adjectival Participle; thus, inserting ste into "the boy sings", like this: "the boy ste sings", changes the phrase's meaning into "the singing boy." (REMEMBER: ste is NOT equivalent to English "who/that/which"; the boy ste sings" does not mean "the boy who sings"; the Vayoti word for "who/that/which" is gu.)
c. as seen in the section on Verbs, ste, placed in front of a verb that is otherwise in the normal, indicative form, turns that verb into a Continuous Adjectival Participle; thus, inserting ste into "the boy sings", like this: "the boy ste sings", changes the phrase's meaning into "the singing boy." (REMEMBER: ste is NOT equivalent to English "who/that/which"; the boy ste sings" does not mean "the boy who sings"; the Vayoti word for "who/that/which" is gu.)
Remember that the one class of object-modifier that does not require ste is the Perfect Adjectival Participle that ends in -tu. ste can be used before this participle, but it is not mandatory. For example: “There was a man sent from God” = ye zhun jon vretra sheltu id edwo”; ye zhun = there was; jon = a; vretra = man; sheltu = sent; id = from; edwo = God.
2. The Self-Referential Suffix -ps
This suffix functions in several ways. Suffixing -ps to a verbal form emphasizes the action's intrinsic link to the will, desire, personal benefit or, in general, the "person" of the subject.
When the reflexive ending –zha has been sacrificed for an emphatic ending (-zhe or -zhu), then the suffix -ps added to the Aspectual suffix restores the reflexive sense of the verb. It is not mandatory to use this suffix to assert the reflexive sense of a verb; even without both -zha and -ps the sense will be clear from the context. All the same, native Vayoti-speakers do generally add -ps in such instances.
Consider these examples:
bo brezha "I am shaving"
bo shan brezha "I was shaving"
bo zhun brezha "I shaved"
bo zhun brezhu "I have shaved"
bo zhun brezhups "I have shaved/given myself a (good) shave"
The connotation of the ending -ps is that you have performed the action for yourself. The nuance of the last example could be expressed in English as, "I've just had a nice shave."
Also, -ps can be added to the intransitive suffix -zhi. This will seem, at first, a blatant self-contradiction, since an intransitive action cannot be perform upon oneself. But this peculiar construction conveys a very particular nuance.
Consider the verb "think" = mnra. In both English and Vayoti, mnra is intransitive. I cannot "think you", though I can think about you. "Think" does not take a direct object in either language the way that, say, "hit" does in both languages.
Therefore, the default Aspectual Suffix for mnra is -zhi, though at times it will be the perfective -zhu (I have thought) or the inceptive/incomplete -zhe (I'm just starting to think about that). You could never say mnrazho, as this makes no sense at all.
If you add -ps to mnrazhi, thus, mnrazhips, it nuance may be expressed as "having a good think for oneself". The action is intransitive (you are obviously not thinking yourself in the sense you might see yourself in a mirror), yet the suffixed -ps adds the nuance that this activity is in some way for oneself.
Thus, the nuance of:
bo zhun mnrazhips da sif (da=about; sif=this)
would be:
I have let myself have a good think over this.
Finally, -ps can be added to the possessive ending -ksa or directly to a noun, creating a nuance similar to "(one's) very own."
So, blu priksa vigov means "my friend’s book" (blu = my; pri = friend; -ksa = possessive suffix; vigov = book).
But, blu priksaps vigov = my friend’s very own book.
Obviously, in the absence of the possessive suffix -ksa, you can't add -ps to -ksa! But you can add -ps to the noun indicating the object possessed.
So, blu vigov = my book
And blu vigovps = my very own book, or, my book!
So, blu vigov = my book
And blu vigovps = my very own book, or, my book!
3. –ksa This is the possessive suffix; a variant is k’tsa , when it is easier to say
blu priksa vigov = my friend’s book
blu priznksa vigovzn = my friends’ books
(pri = friend; -zn = plural suffix; -ksa = possessive suffix; thus, pri-zn-ksa = priznksa = friends')
4. –zn This is the plural ending for nouns.
5. –zhor for the sake of; on X’s part: blu prizhor = for my friend’s sake
khristuzhor = for Christ’s sake (khristu+zhor)
bozhor = for my sake; for my part (bo+zhor)
Note! This suffix is unique in that it is added to the pronoun but the pronoun remains in the absolute form (bo, not bro).
6. ye See "Verbs"
7. iteste This is a contraction of the preposition ites and the particle ste. It connotes “so that, in order that, in order to”. Naturally, a verb follows it, and the ste contained in iteste serves to make the following verb an Infinitive. Just as with any infinitive or subjunctive, the stem form of the verb will follow iteste, with no Time Particle or Aspectual Suffix. The subject will follow the verb, just as it does in an Imperative.
Note! The only instances where subject follows verb are:
1) imperative
2) subjunctive
3) question-words like “who” or “what” placed after to verb to convey a "generalized" sense, such as expressed in English via prefixes and suffixes like "any-" or "ever". Thus, a Vayoti formulation that goes "If will come who” means “If anybody comes...”, and "If will happen what" means "If anything happens..." or "Whatever happens...."
1) imperative
2) subjunctive
3) question-words like “who” or “what” placed after to verb to convey a "generalized" sense, such as expressed in English via prefixes and suffixes like "any-" or "ever". Thus, a Vayoti formulation that goes "If will come who” means “If anybody comes...”, and "If will happen what" means "If anything happens..." or "Whatever happens...."
Apart from these exceptions, subject must precede verb and the order cannot change, not even for poetic reasons.
8. Interrogative particles
In general, questions can be formed simply by intonation, without either the alteration of word order or the addition of any other words. To specially accent the fact that a question is being posed, however, the following particles may be employed:
a. prech, prechi (the second is a variant of the first). These turn a sentence into a question. Prech(i) is always the first word in the sentence. Intonation can be further used to put an “interrogative emphasis” on a particular word in the question.
c. prechidur is an exceptionally strong interrogative, conveying a sense like “Really?” (Is it really so that…?)
d. chidur serves as a cohortative, as in “Shall we…?”, “How about we…?”, “Let’s… shall we?” It can also be used to ask “How about (e.g., pizza tonight)?” without any grammatical subject.
9. baps This word connotes “self, oneself, alone”. Before the subject, it expresses independence of activity or accomplishment, as in “I did it all by myself!” Anywhere else in the sentence, it suggests solitariness, even loneliness.
baps ka zhun fogiruzho klu tumft = You built your house all by yourself.
di fwi baps = he was all alone, all by himself.
bwit baps = they are alone.
baps ka zhun fogiruzho klu tumft = You built your house all by yourself.
di fwi baps = he was all alone, all by himself.
bwit baps = they are alone.
Also, when baps is used before the subject, and then the subject is stated a second time, the formulation expresses "As for X, X...."
Example:
baps bo, bo prigar ste demari..." = "As for me, I love to sleep."
In the following sentence baps us used in both its senses, "As for..." and "alone, by oneself".
baps iti, bwit baps = "As for them, they are alone."
10. -tsi This suffix is attached to a noun to make it adjectival, similar to the way -ed can be attached either to a regular verb in English, like in "the finished work", or to a noun, like in "a high-spirited horse" or "a good-natured man" or "a single-celled organism." Vayoti is much more liberal in adding -tsi to nouns than English with adding -ed to nouns.
Example:
baps bo, bo prigar ste demari..." = "As for me, I love to sleep."
In the following sentence baps us used in both its senses, "As for..." and "alone, by oneself".
baps iti, bwit baps = "As for them, they are alone."
10. -tsi This suffix is attached to a noun to make it adjectival, similar to the way -ed can be attached either to a regular verb in English, like in "the finished work", or to a noun, like in "a high-spirited horse" or "a good-natured man" or "a single-celled organism." Vayoti is much more liberal in adding -tsi to nouns than English with adding -ed to nouns.
