Katayü

Divisions and Harmonies
The classical Katayü Division of vowels, consonants, and diphthongs.

Light sounds go with heavy sounds, strong pairs with weak, low pairs with high. This pairing up of sounds illustrates a view of balance and also acts as a base for the formation of words. Although this system of balance may not apply to a word, much less an entire sentence, but it is a general rule found in traditional Katayü vocabulary.

Copula
Katayü copula hayo 係 요 is used to equate one thing with another. So, the structure is "A = B", or "A is B".

Examples:

先師 sonshi teacher

Conjugation
Verbs will have attachments [from the list of markers].

The order of attachment is as follows: stem + aspect + tense + negation + misc. + politeness

Example: 寫요 (寫, 세 To write.)

Note that all conjugations in the chart below are in the polite form. Sample sentences:

工요 (工, 궁 To work.)

Compound Verbs
For example, 始寫 요 (sijaseyo) "start writing" or "start to write", the first (helper) verb 始 요  modifies the second (main) verb, 寫 요. The first verb will conjugate to whatever is necessary, while the second verb will remain unchanged.

General rule for modification: Take the two unconjugated verbs and attach the "helper" verb's root to the main verb.

Modal Verbs
Modal verbs indicate likelihood, ability, permission, and obligation. Modal verbs in Katayü will bind similarly to verbs like the compound verbs. The modal verbs in Katayü are: 會요(wi.jɔ), 能요(nɔːŋ.jɔ), 可요(hɔ.jɔ), 必요(pi.jɔ), 該요(kɔ.jɔ).

會요: possibility 能요: ability(deontic) 可요: ability(epistemic), permission, possibility

必요: obligatory(deontic)

該요: obligatory(epistemic)

To bind modal verbs to the main verb: take the perfect stem of the main verb and place it between the modal verb stem and 요.

Examples:

Sentences:

Adjectives and Adverbs
All adjectives are separated into two groups: attributive adjectives and predicative adjectives. All adjectives have a stem; a branch; and, for predicative adjectives, the copula. Their role is to modify a noun or pronoun, so more information about the noun or pronoun is presented. Adjectives conjugate to tense, but do not conjugate to politeness. Also, adjectives can be changed into nouns (or nouns attributed to the adjective's meaning) by adding 者.

Attributive Adjectives
To conjugate, attach the appropriate endings to the stem. Then, to modify a noun or a pronoun, place the link 다 between the adjective and the noun.

Thus, the order: Adj. + 다 + Noun.

When listing multiple adjectives to modify a noun, the order, with n number of adjectives: Adj 1 나 + Adj 2 나......Adj n 다 + Noun.

Negation is applied directly before 다.

Examples:

高다先師. kai-da sonshi. (The) tall teacher.

Predicative Adjectives
For predicative adjectives, only the copula shall conjugate. To modify a noun or a pronoun, make a simple sentence with subject (the noun), adjective (with 디 attached) and verb.

Thus, the order: Subject (Noun) + Adj. + 디+ Copula

When listing multiple adjectives in this form, with n amount of adjectives: Noun + Adj 1 나 + Adj 2 나......Adj n 디 + Copula.

Examples:

先師온 高다 係 요. sonshi-on kai-da hayo. (The) teacher is tall.

先師온 高다 係唔 요. sonshi-on kai-da hanoyo. (The) teacher is not tall.

先師嘅高者워 平다 係요. sonshi-ko-kamyo-wi ping-da hayo. (The) teacher's height is average.

Adverbs
Adverbs modifiy verbs, adjectives, clauses, sentences and other adverbs. Most adverbs are derived from adejctives. To convert an adjective into an adverb, change 다 into 둘.

Comparision
The comparisons are varying degrees in emphasis. There are the positives, comparatives, and superlatives.

재 Superlative; 잔 Comparative

慢  Slow; 잔 慢  Slower; 재 慢  Slowest

잔아이 highest emphasis of degrees; 감 emphasis of degrees; 일 simple extent

잔아이慢  Too slow, So slow; 감 慢  Very slow;  일 慢  Pretty slow

Examples:

카이們오 慢 둘  行요. kaimun-o man-dul hanyo. They walked slowly.

先師온 잔아이 慢 둘 行요, 煩  係요. sonshi-on janai man-dul hanyo, ban-da hayo. Teacher walks so slowly, it's annoying.

其워 베你이 잔快다 行요, 카, 我예다. kei-wo be-nei-i janpai-da hanyo, ka, hanye-da. He walks faster than you, and so do I.

伊온 잔아이쿄애디 係요! koi-on janai kyoei-di hayo! She's so cute!

Helping Words
Helping words have a variety of purposes. Some act as markers and transitions. Others act as postpositions. In general, helping words are found after the word they are assigned to.

Other Helping Words
¹ 니, 아, and 에 all serve as question markers. 아 and 메 are used with a slightly negative connoation. 아 is informal, and sometimes implies a mocking tone. While 메 also does this, it may only be used in conjunction with 係. 니 serves as a general question marker.

² 나 is used when a list is has a finite amount of items in its set and is usually used with a list of 10 items or less. 토 is used when the list may be finite or infinite. 토 is placed after the final item mentioned and implies that the list continues.

Basic Numerals
The numerals in writing are partially based on the Chinese numerals and the grouping of larger numbers follow the Chinese grouping of ten-thousands rather than thousands. To link numbers to nouns, add the numbers right before the noun. Zeros are usually implied and are not mentioned. Exceptions to that rule include decimals and the listing of numbers.

Ordinal and Negative Numbers
Ordinal number forms are made by adding 第 (대다이) before the actual numeral.

Negative number forms are made by adding 負  (구) before the numeral.

Decimals and Fractions
Decimal number forms are made by adding  팡 between the whole numbers and the decimal places.

Fraction number forms are made in this format:  denominator then numerator.  So,  상之야  (상주야 ) would be 1/3.