Umpunda

Basic Grammar
DEMONSTRATIVE:

PLURAL always modifies the first component of the noun phrase, and is an invariable -ia. Ex: 'Bu-ia heja, "The houses we can't see". He kántu, "This book within my reach". Kida 'ndé-ia kántu?, "Where are those books [they must be nearby but I can't find them]?". He ko he-ia kantú!, "Here are the books! [In the place within my reach, are the books within my reach"]. Kida um kántu???, "Where is that damn book??? [I have been looking and looking and can't find the friggin' book and maybe I never will- where is it???]". Kida um-ia kántu??? "Where are those damn books???"

'''Um Ëropa, 'bu-ia heja olodúr. Um USA, 'më-ia heja olodú-mindár. (In Europe, houses (we can't see and are far away from) are old. In the USA, houses (we can't see) are not old.) Adjectives can be used without a copula, but must take the suffix -r''', pronounced as in English or Mandarin. As part of an adjective phrase, the plural shifts to the demonstrative, the uninflected adjective precedes the noun, and the noun takes a different suffix -r indicating that it is a modified noun.

Adjectives are negated by taking the root form, adding -mindë/-mindár depending on the construction (-mindë is attributive, -mindár is predicative). Pëna-mindë púmar = Not a big man.''' Ai púma pëna-mindár. = 'That man over there is not big.''

That is, there are two suffixes -r. When it appears after a noun, it means the noun is modified. When it appears after an adjective it means the adjective is being used as a predicate.

Wo-ia heja olodúr. = These houses are old.

Wo-ia heja pënar. = These houses are big.

Wo-ia olodú hejar. = These old houses.

Wo-ia pëna hejar. = These big houses.

Wo-ia olodú hejar pënar. = These old houses are big.

Wo-ia pëna hejar olodúr. = These big houses are old.

Wo-ia pënang olodú hejar. = These big old houses. (The suffix [-ng] or [-eng] is used to link adjectives, like "and".)

Wo-ia heja pënareng olodúr. = These houses are big and old.

Common nouns cannot appear without modifying morphemes. That is "*heja" cannot constitute a phrase on its own. It must be heja-wan = a house, heja-ia = houses, wo heja = this here house in sight, 'më heja = a certain house around, im heja = that damn house, im pëna-mindë hejar = that damn too small house (not big, in a frustrating way).

VERBS:

pambu (root)

pámbu

pambúe

SVO