Speaking Haakish, Volume 2 (book)

Speaking Haakish, Volume II

Index

1. Numbers and Numbering Information
2. Miscellaneous
3. Syntax of the Simple Sentence
4. Syntax of the Complex Sentence

1. NUMBERS AND NUMBERING INFORMATION

1a. The Numbers
Common Cardinal Ordinal Adverb Multiplicative
1 dan danrum dangig danka
2 twon twonrum twongig twonka
3 drin drinrum dringig drinka
4 kwart kwartrum kwartgig kwartka
5 gaal gaalrum gaalgig gaalka
6 shan shanrum shangig shanka
7 hlat hlatrum hlatgig hlatka
8 knof knofrum knofgig knofka
9 twel twelrum twelgig twelka
10 hvad hvadrum hvadgig hvadka
11 hvad cha dan hvad cha danrum hvad cha dangig hvad cha danka
12 hvad cha twon hvad cha twonrum hvad cha twongig hvad cha twonka
20 twovad twovadrum twovadgig twovadka
21 twovad cha dan twovad cha danrum twovad cha dangig twovad cha danka
30 drivad etc. etc. etc.
40 kwarvad
50 gavad
60 shavad
70 hlavad
80 knovad
90 twevad

100 (dan) huntaal
101 (dan) huntaal dan
110 (dan) huntaal hvad
111 (dan) huntaal
..........hvad cha dan
200 twon huntaal
300 drin huntaal
1000 (dan) sundi
1111 (dan) sundi (dan)
..........huntaal hvad cha dan
9999 twel sundi twel
..........huntaal twevad cha twel

Note: In careful pronunciation (and occasionally in writing), "twovad" and twevad are sometimes further distinguished by saying (or writing) "twonvad" and "twelvad" to avoid any possible misunderstanding.

1b. Ordinals [first, second, third, etc.] are formed by adding -rum to the cardinal. So "dan" ["one"] becomes "danrum" ["first"].

1c. The adverbial forms of numerals [once, twice, thrice, four times, five times, etc.] are formed by adding the adverbial suffix -gig to the cardinal. So "dangig" ["once"]. The Common idiom "x times" is always represented adverbially in Haakish, never by something like "gaal hvilren," even for large numbers.

1d. The multiplicative adjectives [simple/single, twofold/double, threefold/triple, etc.) are formed by adding the suffix -ka to the cardinal, so "danka" ["simple/single"], "twonka" ["twofold/double"], etc. Theoretically any number can have a multiplicative form, though in practice only the multiplicatives up to 10 are commonly found as adjectives.

1e. The higher multiplicatives must be learned, since they are used as nouns in the common construction "sa/nin <multiplicative> ut <noun>" to mean "the/a <pair, set of three, etc.> of <something>." So "Ag kewpe nin twonka ut glif" ["I bought a pair of gloves," literally, "I bought a double of gloves"]. But even higher numbers are frequently seen in this use when the objects are considered a unit: "Sa ordhis giba shot nin sundika ut flinren at enmark sverfilisren" ["The general will soon give to his archers a thousand arrows." Literally, "a thousandfold (group) of arrows."]. Of course, "Sa ordhis giba shot sundi flinren at enmark sverfilisren" would be perfectly good Haakish as well.

1f. The distributives [by ones/singly, by twos/in groups of two, by threes/in groups of three] are formed with the preposition "kath," which has otherwise dropped out of usage. "Enren taka kath huntaal" ["They came by the hundreds"]. "Sa galdenisren viika kath dan" ["The mercenaries are fighting individually" or "one by one"]. In poetry the use of the distributives occasionally creeps into the territory of the multiplicative, and one sees "Ag atbaare berdh kath twon" ["I bring a pair of axes," literally, "axes by twos"], where one might have expected "Ag atbaare nin twonka ut berdh" or, even more simply, "Ag atbaare twon berdh." See above, 1e.

2. MISCELLANEOUS

(adjectival suffix) -ik
(noun agent suffix, added to verbs like -er) -is
(patronymic suffix, "child of") -ing
(patronymic suffix, "daughter of") -nag
(patronymic suffix, "son of") -mag
(suffix "like," "akin to") -gel
(suffix "needing") -skel
(suffix "protected from, safe from") -held
(suffix "worthy of") -urd
(suffix forming abstracts [rare, only after vowel]) -tho
(suffix forming abstracts) -ur
(suffix indicating measure) -mol
(suffix to indicate "lacking in") -laws
(suffx "capable of") -mit
-able, -ible (suffix "able to be") -lisk (suffix added to verbs)
-ful (possesses that quality) -sel
-ful (something inspires that quality) -sarn
-ing (suffix forms participles and gerunds) -lar

3. SYNTAX OF THE SIMPLE SENTENCE

3a. The word order of a simple declarative sentence is determined by the
following order of precedence:
1. The subject and any modifiers.
2. The verb, preceded by the negative ewn.
3. The direct object and any modifiers.
4. The indirect object (with or without the preposition at) and any modifiers. Also, a prepositional phrase with "hind" ["on behalf of, for"] will stand here after the indirect object if there is one.
5. Modifiers of the verb or the sentence as a whole, except the negative ewn.

En atbeere sa hraan mown sa smidh igarlaath. "He brought the clean ore to the smith yesterday."
Til thiga nin mint hind tilmark kild faar sa shodh. "She took a coin from the purse for her child."
Ag giba nin viikbardh en hind agmark barad atlaath. "Today I am giving him a battle-ax for my brother."

NOTE: In short, nominal sentences, those of the type "X is/are Y" the verb is often omitted. So "Til Debru" ["She is a Dwarf"] or "Aal ga smedstad" ["It is in the forge"].

3b. The word order of a question:
1. The interrogative particle gwor, which has no meaning aside from indicating that the sentence is a question.
2. The subject and any modifiers.
3. The verb, preceded by the negative ewn.
4. The direct object and any modifiers.
5. The indirect object and any modifiers.
6. Modifiers of the verb or the sentence as a whole, except the negative ewn.

Examples:
Gwor darg gorva gwal? "What are you doing?"
Gwor sa kweln hrare enmark galdenisren du turn chek? "Is the enemy
moving his soldiers against the tower now?"
Gwor vir mate hot? "When do we eat?"

3c. The word order of an imperative sentence:
1. The verb, preceded by the negative ewn.
2. The direct object and any modifiers.
3. The indirect object and any modifiers.
4. Modifiers of the verb or of the sentence as a whole. The negative ewn may be repeated here for strong prohibitions.

Examples:
Ewn gorva dath. "Don't do that."
Ewn gorva dath chek. "Don't do that now."
Ewn gorva dath ewn. "Do not do that!"
Duga ag ga smedstad. "Help me in the forge."
Atbaare sa chaan mown at smidh atlaath. "Bring the new ore to the smith today."

4. SYNTAX OF THE COMPLEX SENTENCE

4a. It is possible to join any two simple sentences together with a coordinating conjunction. The most common of these are "cha" ["and"], "awk" ["but"] and "ataw" ["or"]. No adjustments need to be made to the sentences.

4b. Common tends to insert conjunctions only between the last two elements of a series. The usual practice in Haakish is to include a conjunction between all elements. En thaga nin berdh cha nin hamar cha nin sisil cha nin snar stedh. ["He took an ax and a hammer and a saw and a small anvil." as opposed to "He took an ax, a hammer, a saw and a small anvil."] This is true also of coordinating sentences. En thaga enmark berdh cha en vende ganat kaal cha en kargsnapa nin iik. ["He took his ax and he went into the forest and he cut down an oak" as opposed to "He took his ax, went into the forest and cut down an oak."] Notice the repetition of the subject of the verb where Common would also omit it if the subject is repeated from the previous verb.

4c. There are a large number of subordinating conjunctions [some of which also function as prepositions].