Katayü

Alphabet


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

Classification and Terms
Verbs are divided into two large groups: involuntary and voluntary. Involuntary-class verbs end with 係요; Voluntary-class verbs end with 做요. 係요 has the meaning of "to be", while 做요 means "to do".

Dictonary forms of verbs will be the polite form of the verb and will end in either one of these two.

The stem of the verb, in Katayü, is used as the base for attachment. Stems are divided into two categories: Perfect and Imperfect. To obtain the perfect stem, remove 係요/ 做요; for 係요/做요, remove 요. To obtain the imperfect stem, remove 요. Perfect stems conjugate to perfect and perfect progressive aspects, and noun conversion. Imperfect stems conjugate to tense and simple, progressive, and continuous aspects. Note that noun conversion does not conjugate to politeness.

From this point onwards, new verbs shall be presented as such:

Dictionary form, perfect stem + pronuncation, imperfect stem + pronuncation, definition.

Examples:

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

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

Example: 寫做요 (寫, 세; 寫做, 세자, To write.)

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

工做요 (工, 궁; 工做, 궁자, To work.)

Compound Verbs
Katayü has compound verbs where the first verb will modify the second. This compound verb form only occurs when both verbs are 做오` style verbs.

For example, 始做寫오` (sijaseyo) "start writing" or "start to write", the first (helper) verb 始做(오`) modifies the second (main) verb, 寫(做)오`. 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 produce an imperfect stem from the "helper" verb, its ending 오`, and a perfect stem from the "main" verb. Then, arrange the products as such: Imperfect stem + Perfect stem + 오`.

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
For attributive adjectives, ~묜 ~myon acts as the adjective marker. To conjugate to tense, attach the appropriate endings to the end. To modify a noun or a pronoun, place the link 디 between the adjective and the noun.

Thus, the order: Adj. + 디 + Noun.

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

Negation is applied directly before 디.

Examples:

高묜디先師. kamyon-di sonshi. (The) tall teacher.

Predicative Adjectives
For predicative adjectives, ~묜 still acts as the adjective marker. 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묜디 係 요. sonshi-on kamyon-di hayo. (The) teacher is tall.

先師온 高묜디 係唔 요. sonshi-on kamyon-di hanoyo. (The) teacher is not tall.

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

Adverbs
Adverbs modifiy verbs, adjectives, clauses, sentences and other adverbs. Most adverbs are derived from adejctives. Since such adverbs are derived from adjectives, their markers will be the same as that of adjectives.The adverbs that are not derived from adjectives will have the marker 욛. To convert an adjective into an adverb, change 디 into 둘.

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

재 Superlative; 잔 Comparative; 묜/욛 Positive;

慢 묜 Slow; 잔 慢 묜둘 Slower; 재 慢 묜둘 Slowest

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

잔아이慢 묜디Too slow; 감 慢 묜디Very slow;  일 慢 묜디Pretty slow

Examples:

카이們오 慢 묜둘 行做요. kaimun-o manmyon-dul hangjayo. They walked slowly.

先師온잔아이 慢 묜둘 行做요, 煩 묜디係요. sonshi-on janai manmyon-dul hangjayo, banmyon-di hayo. Teacher walks too slowly, it's annoying.

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. ¹ 묘 is used for non-humans and 們 is used for humans.

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. 나...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.

³ 아, 니, 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.