Umpunda

Basic Grammar
DEMONSTRATIVE:

PLURAL follows the noun, and is an invariable -ia. Order of noun phrase is DEMONSTRATIVE-NOUN-PLURAL. Ex: 'Bu heja-ia, "The houses we can't see". He kantu, "This book within my reach". Kida 'ndé kantu-ia?, "Where are those books [they must be nearby but I can't find them]?". He ko he kantu-ia!, "Here are the books! [In the place within my reach, are the books within my reach"]. Kida um kantu???, "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???]".

'''Um Ëropa, 'bu heja-ia olodúr. Um USA, 'më heja-ia mindë olodúr. (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.

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 heja-ia olodúr. = These houses are old.

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

SVO