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.

Helping Words
¹ 모`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.

Copula
Katayü copula hayo 係 오` 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오`; Voluntary-class verbs end with 做오`. 係오` has the meaning of "to be", while 做오` 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오`/ 做오`; for 係오`/做오`, remove 오`. To obtain the imperfect stem, remove 오`. 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오` (寫, 세; 寫做, 세자, To write.)

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

工做오` (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오`(wi.jɔ), 能오`(nɔːŋ.jɔ), 可오`(hɔ.jɔ), 必오`(pi.jɔ), 該오`(kɔ.jɔ).

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

必오`: obligatory(deontic)

該오`: 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 오`.

Examples:

Sentences:

Adjectives
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.

Attributive Adjectives
For attributive adjectives, ~몬` ~myon acts as the branch. To conjugate to tense, attach the appropriate endings to the branch. 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몬`디先師. kamyon-di sonshi. (The) tall teacher.

Predicative Adjectives
For predicative adjectives, ~몬` ~myon will still act as the branch. 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몬`디係 오`. sonshi-on kamyon-di hayo. (The) teacher is tall.

先師온高몬`디係唔 오`. sonshi-on kamyon-di hanoyo. (The) teacher is not tall.