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= intro =


'''Kalo''' is intended to be a minimalist [[wp:Artistic_language|artlang]], not an [[wp:International_auxiliary_language|auxlang]]. It draws primarily on vocabulary from the five most spoken languages in the world; [[wp:List_of_languages_by_number_of_native_speakers|Mandarin, Spanish, English, and Arabic]] ('''Hindi''' is used sparingly although it is spoken by more speakers than Arabic). The grammar is mostly isolating with very few elements of inflection, mostly to show plurality or possession.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Help:Wikitext
 
= Heading 1 =
 
* In syllable codas, {{IPA|[ʃ]}} replaces {{IPA|[s]}}.
* In syllable codas, {{IPA|[ʒ]}} replaces {{IPA|[z]}}.
* {{IPA|[β]}} and {{IPA|[ʙ]}} are in free variation.
* {{IPA|[ʁ]}} and {{IPA|[ʀ]}} are in free variation.
 
Because of its small phoneme inventory, '''Miyu''' allows for extensive allophonic variation. For example, /p t k/ may be pronounced [b d ɡ] as well as [p t k], /s/ as [z] or [ʃ] as well as [s], /l/ as [ɾ] as well as [l], and vowels may be either long or short.
 
== Heading 2 ==
=== Heading 3 ===
==== Heading 4 ====
 
<nowiki>
 
{{col-begin}}
{{col-break}}
 
words
 
{{col-break}}
 
ety
 
{{col-break}}
 
abbs
 
{{col-end}}
 
</nowiki>
 
===== Heading 5 =====
====== Heading 6 ======
 
 
: = indentation
 
* Item1
* Item4
** Sub-item 4 a)
*** Sub-item 4 a) 1.
**** Sub-item 4 a) 1. i)
** Sub-item 4 b)
* Item5
 
# Item1
# Item4
## Sub-item 1
### Sub-sub-item
#### Sub-sub-sub-item
## Sub-item 2
# Item5
 
; Term : Definition1
 
; Term
: Definition1
: Definition2
: Definition3
 
To ''italicize text'', put two consecutive apostrophes on each side of it.
 
Three apostrophes each side will '''bold the text'''.
 
Five consecutive apostrophes on each side (two for italics plus three for bold) produces '''''bold italics'''''.


'''Kalo''' is NOT meant to mimic, replace, or be inspired by Toki Pona or any [[wp:International_auxiliary_language|IAL]]. Any similarities are based on design aesthetic coincidences and the minimalist nature of the language.
'''''Italic and bold formatting''''' works correctly only within a single line.


= phonology =
For text as {{smallcaps|small caps}}, use the template {{tl|smallcaps}}.
'''kalo''' has nine consonants (/p, t, k, s, m, n, l, j, w/) and five vowels (/a, e, i, o, u/). Stress is word final.


== consonants ==
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align: center; width: 300px;"
!
! Labial
! Coronal
! Dorsal
|-align=center
! Nasal
| m
| n
|
|-align=center
! Plosive
| p
| t
| k
|-align=center
! Fricative
|
| s
|
|-align=center
! Approximant
| w
| l
| j ('''y''')
|}


== vowels ==
* [[WP:Lingua Franca Nova|LFN]]
{| class="wikitable"
|-
!''Vowels''!!Front!!Back
|- align="center"
!Close
|i||u
|- align="center"
!Mid
|e||o
|- align="center"
!Open
| colspan="2" |a
|}


=== diphthongs ===
* [[Wiktionary:亡|tokomo]]
There are two diphthongs [ai̯] '''ai''', and [au̯] '''au'''. These are rare and typically only occur word-finally.


== syllable structure ==
= old / wrong =
All syllables are of the form (C)V(N), that is, optional consonant + vowel + optional final nasal, or V, CV, VN, CVN.
== phonotactics ==
A few syllables sequences are disallowed; /ji, wu, wo/. Also, a syllable-final nasal may not occur before /m/ or /n/ in the same root.


== syllables ==
'''Kalo''' is intended to be a minimalist [[wp:Artistic_language|artlang]], not an [[wp:International_auxiliary_language|auxlang]]. It draws primarily on vocabulary from the five most spoken languages in the world; [[wp:List_of_languages_by_number_of_native_speakers|Mandarin, Spanish, English, and Arabic]] ('''Hindi''' is used sparingly although it is spoken by more speakers than Arabic). The grammar is mostly isolating with very few elements of inflection, mostly to show plurality or possession.


{| class="wikitable" style="text-align: center; width: 400px;"
'''Kalo''' is NOT meant to mimic, replace, or be inspired by Toki Pona or any [[wp:International_auxiliary_language|IAL]]. Any similarities are based on design aesthetic coincidences and the minimalist nature of the language.
|-−
! a || ka || sa || ta || na || pa || ma || ya || la || wa
|-
! i || ki || si || ti || ni || pi || mi ||  || li || wi
|-
! u || ku || su || tu || nu || pu || mu || yu || lu ||
|-
! e || ke || se || te || ne || pe || me || ye || le || we
|-
! o || ko || so || to || no || po || mo || yo || lo ||
|}


=== writing ===
Voiced plosives and affricates, and /f/ occur only in the Southern Tujia dialects.
[n] and [l] are in free variation.
[ɲ] is an allophone of /n/.
/x/ has allophones [ç] before /i/ and [ɸ] before /u/.


[[File:Kaloji.png|thumb|alt=All of the Kalo syllables in Hangul|right|upright=0.75|Kalo Hangul]]


If desired, an adaptation of Hangul may be used to write '''Kalo'''.


* <font face="gungsuh"><big><big><b>ㄱ ㄴ ㄷ ㄹ ㅁ ㅂ ㅅ ㅇ</b></big></big></font>
=== writing ===
: '''k n t l m p s -'''


* <font face="gungsuh"><big><big><b>ㅏ ㅑ ㅓ ㅕ ㅗ ㅘ ㅛ ㅜ ㅝ ㅟ ㅠ ㅡ ㅣ</b></big></big></font>
[[File:Kaloji.png|thumb|alt=All of the Kalo syllables in Hangul|right|upright=0.75|Kalo Hangul]]
: '''a ya e ye o wa yo u we wi yu - i'''


==== Examples ====


* <font face="gungsuh"><big><big><b>와로 너 고머 사 </b></big></big></font>
: '''walo ne kome sa'''
: <small>1pl NEG eat FUT </small>
: ''We will not eat.''


[[File:Kaloji2.png|thumb|alt=A katakana method for writing Kalo|right|upright=0.75|Kalo Katakana]]
[[File:Kaloji2.png|thumb|alt=A katakana method for writing Kalo|right|upright=0.75|Kalo Katakana]]
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= Syntax =
= Syntax =


[[wp:Classical_Arabic|Classical Arabic]] is primarily [[wp:Verb–subject–object|VSO]], but [[wp:Modern_Standard_Arabic|MSA]] (Modern Standard Arabic) tends to be [[wp:Subject–verb–object|SVO]], favoring full agreement over partial. [[wp:Chinese_grammar|Chinese]] is classified as an SVO language. Transitive verbs precede their objects in typical simple clauses, while the subject precedes the verb. [[wp:Spanish_grammar|Spanish]] unmarked word order for affirmative declarative sentences is SVO; however, as in other Romance languages, in practice, word order is mostly variable. [[wp:English_grammar|English]] word order is almost exclusively SVO. [[wp:Hindustani_grammar|Hindi]] is primarily an SOV language.
Based on the above information about the main source languages for '''Kalo''', it is primarily an SVO (subject-verb-object) language. Modifiers generally follow what they modify, as do prepositional phrases and subordinate clauses.


* '''wa kome''' - <small>1S eat</small> - ''I eat.'' (SV)
* '''wa kome''' - <small>1S eat</small> - ''I eat.'' (SV)
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:
:
* '''o mala amo''' - <small>DO woman love</small> - ''The woman is loved.'' (OV)
* '''o mala amo''' - <small>DO woman love</small> - ''The woman is loved.'' (OV)
== questions ==
The interrogative particle '''ma''' (taken from Chinese ([[wiktionary:嗎#Chinese|嗎]]) is used in conjunction with various nouns, adverbs, and adjectives to form specific questions.
=== non-polar questions ===
{{col-begin}}
{{col-break}}
* '''ma''' - what; which
* '''ma ko''' - who, whom
* '''ma koyo''' - whose, of whom
* '''ma tenpo''' - when
{{col-break}}
* '''ma loka''' - where
* '''ma moto''' - how
* '''ma laka''' - how much, how many
* '''ma sapa''' - why
{{col-end}}
=== polar questions ===
Any statement can become a polar question by adding the interrogative particle '''ma''' at the end of the sentence.
{{col-begin}}
{{col-break}}
* '''wa wite le kasa'''
: <small>1S see PST house</small>
: ''I saw the house.''
{{col-break}}
* '''ni wite le kasa ma'''
: <small>2S see PST house Q</small>
: ''Did you see the house?''
{{col-end}}


= Nouns =
= Nouns =
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= Verbs =
= Verbs =


Verbs do not change and are only ever modified by particles. There are three basic tenses in Kalo, past, present, and future. The simple present is not marked, the past is marked by '''le''' from the Chinese particle ([[wiktionary:了|了]]), and the future is marked by '''sa''' from the Arabic construction ([[wiktionary:س#Etymology_2|سَـ]]).
Verbs do not change and are only ever modified by particles.
 
* '''maka''' - do; make; cause (from [[wiktionary:make|make]])
* '''yo''' - possess; have; hold (from [[wiktionary:有#Definitions|有]])
 
== tense, aspect, and mood ==
 
Past tense is indicated by the particle '''le''' ([[wiktionary:了|了]]) following the verb. Future tense is indicated by the particle '''sa''' ([[wiktionary:س#Etymology_2|سَـ]]).


{| class="wikitable" style="text-align: center; width: 400px;"
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align: center; width: 400px;"
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|}
|}


* '''wa kome le''' - <small>1s eat PST</small> - ''I ate.''
* '''ko ne kome le''' - <small>3sg NEG eat PST</small> - ''He didn't eat.''
* '''aki koyo kome''' - <small>brother 3sg.GEN eat</small> - ''His brother eats/is eating.''
* '''nilo ne wite sa ko''' - <small>2pl NEG see FUT 3sg</small> - ''You all will not see her.''
 
Uncertainty is marked by '''ki, kisa''', or '''kile'''. These are taken from Spanish ([[wiktionary:quizá|quizá]]) and used across the three basic tenses. It can also act as a subordinating conjunction, and conditional constructions, “''if, whether''”. It is also used to express possibility or probability.  
 
* '''tela wa ki ni wite ko''' - <small>tell 1s if 2s see 3s</small> - Tell me if you can see her.
* '''ki ni amo yawe te pu yuma ne inpo'''  - <small>if 2sg like weather of today NEG important</small> - Whether you like today’s weather does not matter. 
* '''kisa pu yuma yuwa''' - <small>maybe this day rain</small> - It may rain (later) today.


* '''walo wite sa ko''' - <small>1pl see FUT 3sg</small> - ''We will see her.''


== positional verbs ==
== positional verbs ==
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= Number =
= Number =


{| class="wikitable" style="text-align: center; width: 500px;"
|+
|-
! Kalo
! number
! English
! Kalo
! number
! English
|-
| '''sunya''' || 0 || zero || '''na''' || 7 || seven
|-
| '''wa''' || 1 || one || '''pa''' || 8 || eight
|-
| '''li''' || 2 || two || '''nun''' || 9 || nine
|-
| '''san''' || 3 || three || '''ye''' || 10 || ten
|-
| '''si''' || 4 || four || '''aku''' / '''-ku''' || 100 || (one) hundred
|-
| '''pen''' || 5 || five || '''mila''' || 1000 || (one) thousand
|-
| '''we''' || 6 || six  || '' '' || '' '' || '' ''
|}


When numbers one through ten occur independently, the indicator "'''ke'''" precedes the number.
When numbers one through ten occur independently, the indicator "'''ke'''" precedes the number.
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* '''sankuweyepen''' - 365; three-hundred-sixty-five
* '''sankuweyepen''' - 365; three-hundred-sixty-five


= lexicon =


The working lexicon for [[Kalo]].


{{col-begin}}
__NOTOC__
{{col-break}}
* '''ARA''' - Arabic
* ELL - Greek
* '''ENG''' - English
* FRE - French
* GER - German
* '''HIN''' - Hindi
{{col-break}}
* JPN - Japanese
* KOR - Korean
* PIE - Proto-Indo-European
* '''SPA''' - Spanish
* TUR - Turkish
* '''ZHO''' - Mandarin
{{col-break}}
* ''adj'' - adjective
* ''n'' - noun
* ''num'' - number/numeral
* ''part'' - particle
* ''prep'' - preposition
* ''pro'' - pronoun
* ''v'' - verb
{{col-end}}




== ka ==


* '''kasa''' /ˈka.sa/ from SPA [[wiktionary:casa#Spanish|casa]]
<center>
: ''n'' - house; building
[[#ka|ka]] [[#sa|sa]] [[#ta|ta]] [[#na|na]] [[#pa|pa]] [[#ma|ma]] [[#ya|ya]] [[#la|la]] [[#wa|wa]] [[#a|a i u e o]]
: ''v'' - dwell; reside
</center>


* '''kan/a''' /ˈka.na/ from ARA [[wiktionary:كان|كان]]
= ka =
: ''n'' - existence; occurrence
: ''v'' - be; exist; occur
 
* '''kai''' /kaɪ̯/ from ZHO [[wiktionary:該#Definitions|該]]
: ''v'' - should; ought to; need to; have to


* '''kisa''' /ˈki.sa/ from SPA [[wiktionary:quizá#Spanish|quizá]]
* '''kisa''' /ˈki.sa/ from SPA [[wiktionary:quizá#Spanish|quizá]]
: ''part'' - perhaps; maybe; if; conditional particle [COND]
: ''part'' - perhaps; maybe; if; conditional particle [COND]
* '''kula''' /ˈku.la/ from ARA [[wiktionary:كل|كل]]
: ''n'' - all; whole; entire; every; complete; each


* '''kute''' /ˈku.te/ from FRE [[wiktionary:écouter|écouter]]
* '''kute''' /ˈku.te/ from FRE [[wiktionary:écouter|écouter]]
: ''v'' - listen; hear
: ''v'' - listen; hear
* '''kun''' /kun/ from SPA/ZHO [[wiktionary:con#Spanish|con]]/[[wiktionary:跟#Definitions|跟]]
: ''prep'' - with; by means of
: ''v'' - use; employ
* '''ke''' /ke/ from ZHO [[wiktionary:個#Definitions|個]]
: ''part'' - number marker
* '''ko''' /ko/ from JAP [[wiktionary:個#Japanese|個]]
: ''n'' - person; individual
: ''pro'' - he; she [3sg]


* '''kono''' /ˈko.no/ from SPA [[wiktionary:conocer#Spanish|conocer]]
* '''kono''' /ˈko.no/ from SPA [[wiktionary:conocer#Spanish|conocer]]
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: ''v'' - eat; consume; drink
: ''v'' - eat; consume; drink


* '''koyo''' /ˈko.jo/ from '''KALO'''
= sa =
: ''part'' - whose; of who(m)
 
== sa ==


* '''sa''' /sa/ from ARA [[wiktionary:س#Etymology_2|سَـ]]
* '''sa''' /sa/ from ARA [[wiktionary:س#Etymology_2|سَـ]]
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: ''n'' - heat; warmth / fire
: ''n'' - heat; warmth / fire


* '''san''' /san/ from ZHO [[wiktionary:三#Definitions|三]]
: ''num'' - three; 3


* '''sana''' /ˈsa.na/ from ARA [[wiktionary:سنة|سنة]]
* '''sana''' /ˈsa.na/ from ARA [[wiktionary:سنة|سنة]]
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: ''n'' - juice; sauce; gravy; dressing
: ''n'' - juice; sauce; gravy; dressing


== ta ==
= ta =
 
* '''ta''' /ta/ from ZHO [[wiktionary:大|大]]
: ''v'' - be large; big; grand


* '''tanka''' /ˈtaŋ.ka/ from ENG/GER [[wiktionary:thank|thank]]/[[wiktionary:danke#German|danke]]
* '''tanka''' /ˈtaŋ.ka/ from ENG/GER [[wiktionary:thank|thank]]/[[wiktionary:danke#German|danke]]
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: ''v'' - be identical; same; equivalent; equal
: ''v'' - be identical; same; equivalent; equal


== na ==
= na =
 
* '''na''' /na/ from JPN [[wiktionary:なな|なな]]
: ''num'' - seven; 7


* '''nai''' /naɪ/ from ZHO [[wiktionary:內#Japanese|內]]
* '''nai''' /naɪ/ from ZHO [[wiktionary:內#Japanese|內]]
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: ''n'' - night; darkness
: ''n'' - night; darkness


== pa ==
= pa =


* '''pa''' /pa/ from ZHO [[wiktionary:八|八]]
* '''pa''' /pa/ from ZHO [[wiktionary:八|八]]
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: ''v'' - to put, to place, to set
: ''v'' - to put, to place, to set


== ma ==
= ma =


* '''ma''' /ma/ from ZHO [[wiktionary:嗎#Chinese|嗎]]
* '''ma''' /ma/ from ZHO [[wiktionary:嗎#Chinese|嗎]]
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: ''n'' - mood; manner; way; method
: ''n'' - mood; manner; way; method


== ya ==
= ya =


* '''ya''' /ja/ from ARA [[wiktionary:يا#Arabic|يا]]
* '''ya''' /ja/ from ARA [[wiktionary:يا#Arabic|يا]]
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: ''v'' - have; possess; carry; hold; keep
: ''v'' - have; possess; carry; hold; keep


== la ==
= la =


* '''laka''' /ˈla.ka/ from ARA [[wiktionary:رقم|رقم]]
* '''laka''' /ˈla.ka/ from ARA [[wiktionary:رقم|رقم]]
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: ''n'' - place; location; point; spot
: ''n'' - place; location; point; spot


== wa ==
= wa =


* '''wa''' /wa/ from ARA/ZHO [[wiktionary:واحد|واحد]]/[[wiktionary:我|我]]
* '''wa''' /wa/ from ARA/ZHO [[wiktionary:واحد|واحد]]/[[wiktionary:我|我]]
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: ''num'' - one; 1; single
: ''num'' - one; 1; single
: ''v'' - be alone; be singular
: ''v'' - be alone; be singular
* '''wan''' /wan/ from ENG [[wiktionary:want#Verb|want]]
: ''v'' - want; desire; wish for


* '''waya''' /ˈwa.ja/ from HIN [[wiktionary:वयस्क|वयस्क]]
* '''waya''' /ˈwa.ja/ from HIN [[wiktionary:वयस्क|वयस्क]]
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: ''n'' - adult; mature thing
: ''n'' - adult; mature thing


* '''wite''' /ˈwi.te/ from PIE [[wiktionary:econstruction:Proto-Indo-European/weyd-|weyd]]
 
: ''v'' - look; see; observe; watch; read


* '''wino''' /ˈwi.no/ from SPA [[wiktionary:vino#Spanish|vino]]
* '''wino''' /ˈwi.no/ from SPA [[wiktionary:vino#Spanish|vino]]
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: ''v'' - leave; exit
: ''v'' - leave; exit


== a ==
= a =
 


* '''aku''' (-'''ku''') /ˈa.ku/ from JPN [[wiktionary:百#Japanese|ひゃく]]
: ''n'' - a very many, lots, a lot; much
: ''num'' - hundred; 100


* '''alima''' /a.ˈli.ma/ from ARA [[wiktionary:علم|علم]]
* '''alima''' /a.ˈli.ma/ from ARA [[wiktionary:علم|علم]]
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: ''part'' - direct object particle
: ''part'' - direct object particle


* '''ola''' /ˈo.la/ from SPA [[wiktionary:hola#Spanish|hola]]
:''part'' - hello; goodbye; general greeting/farwell


= phrasebook =


* wikitravel.org/en/Spanish_phrasebook
* wikitravel.org/en/Spanish_phrasebook
* en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Category:Phrasebooks_by_language
* en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Category:Phrasebooks_by_language


== Essentials ==
 
A working phrasebook for [[Kalo]].
 
= Essentials =




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* '''tipa''' - "(That's) OK."
* '''tipa''' - "(That's) OK."


== Greetings & Goodbyes ==
= Greetings & Goodbyes =


* '''ola yuma''' - "Good morning/day/afternoon"
* '''ola yuma''' - "Good morning/day/afternoon"
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* '''salama''' - "Hey/Hi/Hello/Bye"
* '''salama''' - "Hey/Hi/Hello/Bye"


=== Civilities ===
== Civilities ==


* '''moto (niyo) ma''' - <small>manner 2s.POSS Q</small> - ''How are you?''
* '''moto (niyo) ma''' - <small>manner 2s.POSS Q</small> - ''How are you?''
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* '''tenpo ta ne wite''' - <small>time big no see</small> - ''Long time no see''
* '''tenpo ta ne wite''' - <small>time big no see</small> - ''Long time no see''
== problems ==

Latest revision as of 10:48, 8 April 2025

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Help:Wikitext

Heading 1

  • In syllable codas, [ʃ] replaces [s].
  • In syllable codas, [ʒ] replaces [z].
  • [β] and [ʙ] are in free variation.
  • [ʁ] and [ʀ] are in free variation.

Because of its small phoneme inventory, Miyu allows for extensive allophonic variation. For example, /p t k/ may be pronounced [b d ɡ] as well as [p t k], /s/ as [z] or [ʃ] as well as [s], /l/ as [ɾ] as well as [l], and vowels may be either long or short.

Heading 2

Heading 3

Heading 4

{{col-begin}} {{col-break}} words {{col-break}} ety {{col-break}} abbs {{col-end}}

Heading 5
Heading 6
= indentation
  • Item1
  • Item4
    • Sub-item 4 a)
      • Sub-item 4 a) 1.
        • Sub-item 4 a) 1. i)
    • Sub-item 4 b)
  • Item5
  1. Item1
  2. Item4
    1. Sub-item 1
      1. Sub-sub-item
        1. Sub-sub-sub-item
    2. Sub-item 2
  3. Item5
Term
Definition1
Term
Definition1
Definition2
Definition3

To italicize text, put two consecutive apostrophes on each side of it.

Three apostrophes each side will bold the text.

Five consecutive apostrophes on each side (two for italics plus three for bold) produces bold italics.

Italic and bold formatting works correctly only within a single line.

For text as Template:Smallcaps, use the template {{smallcaps}}.


old / wrong

Kalo is intended to be a minimalist artlang, not an auxlang. It draws primarily on vocabulary from the five most spoken languages in the world; Mandarin, Spanish, English, and Arabic (Hindi is used sparingly although it is spoken by more speakers than Arabic). The grammar is mostly isolating with very few elements of inflection, mostly to show plurality or possession.

Kalo is NOT meant to mimic, replace, or be inspired by Toki Pona or any IAL. Any similarities are based on design aesthetic coincidences and the minimalist nature of the language.

Voiced plosives and affricates, and /f/ occur only in the Southern Tujia dialects. [n] and [l] are in free variation. [ɲ] is an allophone of /n/. /x/ has allophones [ç] before /i/ and [ɸ] before /u/.


writing

All of the Kalo syllables in Hangul
Kalo Hangul


A katakana method for writing Kalo
Kalo Katakana

allophony

The nasal at the end of a syllable can be pronounced as any nasal stop, though it is normally assimilated to the following consonant. That is, it typically occurs as an [n] before /t/ or /s/, as an [m] before /p/, as an [ŋ] before /k/, and as an [ɲ] before /j/. Because of its small phoneme inventory, kalo allows for quite a lot of allophonic variation. For example, /p t k/ may be pronounced [b d ɡ] as well as [p t k], /s/ as [z] or [ʃ] as well as [s], /l/ as [ɾ] as well as [l], and vowels may be either long or short. Both its sound inventory and phonotactics (patterns of possible sound combinations) are found in the majority of human languages and are therefore readily accessible.

Syntax

  • wa kome - 1S eat - I eat. (SV)
  • wa amo ko - 1S love 3S - I love her. (SVO)
  • o mala amo - DO woman love - The woman is loved. (OV)

Nouns

Nouns only decline for number and possession. They are altered with -lo to show plurality, and possessiveness with -yo.

pronouns

kalo has three basic pronouns; wa [1sg], ni [2sg], and ko [3sg]. These do not indicate gender. These can be made plural using the suffix "-lo", and possessive with "-yo".

singular plural possessive
1st person wa
I; me
walo
we; us
wayo
my; mine; our(s)
2nd person ni
you
nilo
you (all)
niyo
your(s)
3rd person ko
he; she; him; her; it
kolo
they; them; those
koyo
their(s)
  • walo wite ni - 1pl see 2s - We see you.
  • kolo ne kono wa - 3pl NEG know 1s - They don't know me.

Verbs

Verbs do not change and are only ever modified by particles.

  • maka - do; make; cause (from make)
  • yo - possess; have; hold (from )

tense, aspect, and mood

Past tense is indicated by the particle le () following the verb. Future tense is indicated by the particle sa (سَـ).

tense/mood particle example translation
present - wa ila I go
past le wa ila le I went
future sa wa ila sa I will go
conditional kisa wa ila kisa I would go
  • ko ne kome le - 3sg NEG eat PST - He didn't eat.
  • walo wite sa ko - 1pl see FUT 3sg - We will see her.

positional verbs

Kalo does not use prepositions, but instead uses positional verbs as auxiliaries. These are also used as temporal adverbs in certain situations.

  • yu - in; at; within; inside; during; between | from ()
  • ila - be toward; at; in the direction of; go; walk; travel | from (إلى)

Particles

determiners

Determiners in kalo precede the noun they modify.

deixis

  • pu - this; these
  • su - that; those

amount

  • aku - many; much (one hundred)
  • kula - all; every; each
  • ne - no; none; zero
  • poka - some; several; a few
  • meno - less; fewer / few; a little
  • maso - more

other-ness

  • asi - such
  • ayo - whichever; whatever
  • oto - other
  • tonye - same

Number

When numbers one through ten occur independently, the indicator "ke" precedes the number.

  • ko yo le o kasa ke li
3s have PST O house NUM two
She had two houses.
  • wa wite o nano ke si
1s see O man NUM four
I see four men.

Higher Numbers

  • yewa - 11; eleven
  • yeli - 12; twelve
  • liye - 20; twenty
  • liyesi - 24; twenty-four
  • kuyeli - 112; one-hundred-twelve
  • sankuweyepen - 365; three-hundred-sixty-five




ka sa ta na pa ma ya la wa a i u e o

ka

  • kisa /ˈki.sa/ from SPA quizá
part - perhaps; maybe; if; conditional particle [COND]
v - listen; hear
n - knowledge; awareness; understanding; recognition
v - know; understand; be aware (of); recognize
  • kome /ˈko.me/ from SPA comer
v - eat; consume; drink

sa

part - future tense particle [FUT]
  • saka/na /ˈsa.ka.na/ from ARA سخن
v - be hot; be warm; burn
n - heat; warmth / fire


  • sana /ˈsa.na/ from ARA سنة
n - year; 365 days
  • sapa /ˈsa.pa/ from ARA سبب
n - cause; reason; purpose; rationale; motive
  • salama /sa.ˈla.ma/ from ARA سلم
n - peace; calm; tranquility; quiet
v - be peaceful; be calm
intj - Peace! Hey! Hi!
  • sawa /ˈsa.wa/ from ARA زوج
n - spouse; husband; wife; sweetheart; mate
v - marry
  • si /si/ from ZHO
num - four; 4
  • siya /ˈsi.ja/ from ZHO
prep - below; under; beneath
v - be under; be lower
  • su /su/ from TUR şu
part - that; those (over there)
num - zero; 0
n - nothing
v - be empty; be void
  • se /se/ from SPA se
pro - reflexive / reciprocal pronoun
  • sosa /ˈso.sa/ from SPA salsa
n - juice; sauce; gravy; dressing

ta

v - to thank; show appreciation; express gratitude
part/intj - thank you; thanks
  • tapo /ˈta.po/ from ZHO 打破
v - damage; wreck; break; destroy
n - destruction; damage
  • tipa /ˈti.pa/ (or tupa /ˈtu.pa/) from ARA طيب (or טוב)
v - be good; pleasant; agreeable; nice; sweet; OK
intj - great! good! thanks! OK! cool! yay!
  • tiya /ˈti.ja/ from SPA tía
n - aunt/uncle; extended family
  • te /te/ from SPA/ZHO de/
v - to move away from
prep - of; from
  • tenpo /ˈtem.po/ from SPA tiempo
n - time; moment; period
  • tela or talo /ˈte.la/ or /ˈta.lo/ from ENG tell
n - language; talk; speech
v - talk; speak; discuss; say; tell
  • tonpa /ˈtom.pa/ from ZHO 同胞
n - sibling; compatriot; friend
  • tonye /ˈto.ɲe/ (or ton /ton/) from ZHO 同一
v - be identical; same; equivalent; equal

na

  • nai /naɪ/ from ZHO
v - be inside; within
prep - inside; within; during; while
  • nano /ˈna.no/ from ZHO
n - man; male
  • nama /ˈna.ma/ from ARA نام
v - sleep; rest; relax
v - be new; fresh; young
  • nalu /ˈna.lu/ from JPN なる
v - succeed; finish; complete; accomplish; become; turn into
  • ni /ni/ from ZHO
pro - you [2sg]
num - nine; 9
  • ne /ne/ from ENG nay
part - no; not; negative [NEG]
v - need; require; must
n - obligation; need
  • nen/ka /ˈnen.ka/ from ZHO
v - be able to; be capable; be possible
n - potential; possibility; capability
  • note /ˈno.te/ from SPA noche
n - night; darkness

pa

  • pa /pa/ from ZHO
num - eight; 8
  • pan /pan/ from SPA/ZHO pan/
n - bread; food; sustenance
n - word; morpheme; lexeme
  • pina /ˈpi.na/ from ARA ابن
n - child; offspring; kid
  • pu /pu/ from TUR bu
part - this; these (here)
n - evil
v - be bad; spoiled; be broken; to break down; be wicked; be evil
num - five; 5
  • po /po/ from SPA por
prep - by; for; [be] about
v - [go] through; [move] across
  • poka /ˈpo.ka/ from SPA poca
v - be small; little
v - be few; less
  • ponte /ˈpon.te/ from ENG ponder
v - think; ponder; consider; weigh
n - thought; idea; consideration
  • pone /ˈpo.ne/ from SPA poner
v - to put, to place, to set

ma

  • ma /ma/ from ZHO
part - interrogative particle [Q]
  • maka /ˈma.ka/ from ENG make
n - cause; action; happening
v - do; make; cause; happen
  • maso /ˈma.so/ from SPA más
part - more; again
n - layer; repetition; addition
v - add; repeat; layer
n - woman; female; wife
  • mila /ˈmi.la/ from SPA mil
num - thousand; 1000
  • muki /ˈmu.ki/ from ARA مهم
n - importance; significance
v - be important; matter
  • muna /ˈmu.na/ from ENG moon
n - moon; month
  • me /me/ from FRE mais
part - but; however; although
  • moto /ˈmo.to/ from SPA modo
n - mood; manner; way; method

ya

  • ya /ja/ from ARA يا
part - vocative marker [VOC]; hey; let's ~
  • yati /ˈja.ti/ from ARA يد
n - hand; arm
v - give; transfer
  • yapu /ˈja.pu/ from ARA عفا
n - pardon; excuse; forgiveness
v - pardon; excuse; forgive
  • yame /ˈja.me/ from ARA جمع
n - collection; gathering; group; set
v - gather; collect; assemble; unite
  • yu /ju/ from ZHO
v - be in; at; out of
prep - in; at; to; by; than; out of
  • yuma /ˈju.ma/ from ARA يوم
n - day; daylight; 24 hour period
  • ye /je/ from KOR
num - ten; 10
  • yeko /ˈje.ko/ from ZHO 以后
prep - back; behind; rear; afterwards; after; later
adv - from now on; henceforth
  • yo /jo/ from ZHO
v - have; possess; carry; hold; keep

la

  • laka /ˈla.ka/ from ARA رقم
n - number; digit; amount
v - count; enumerate
  • lata /ˈla.ta/ from SPA lata
n - box; bucket; basket; container; vessel
v - carry; tote; transport
  • li /li/ from ZHO
num - two; double; duo
pro - some; a few
  • le /le/ from ZHO
part - past tense marker [PST]
  • loka /ˈlo.ka/ from SPA local
n - place; location; point; spot

wa

pro - I; me [1sg]
num - one; 1; single
v - be alone; be singular
v - grow; mature; develop
n - adult; mature thing


  • wino /ˈwi.no/ from SPA vino
n - alcohol; beer; wine
v - drink ~
num - six; 6
  • weko /ˈwe.ko/ from SPA hueco
n - door, hole, orifice, window; port
  • wento /ˈwen.to/ from SPA viento
n - air; wind; void; essence; spirit
  • wela /ˈwe.la/ from SPA fuera
prep - outside; exterior
v - leave; exit

a

  • alima /a.ˈli.ma/ from ARA علم
v - to discern, to find out, to learn
n - learning; education; knowledge
  • amo /ˈa.mo/ from SPA amor
n - love; affection; adoration
v - love; adore; like
  • ante /ˈan.te/ from SPA ante
n - front side; chest; fore area
prep - before; in front; forward; ahead
  • asi /ˈa.si/ from SPA así
part - like this/that; as [such]; thus; so
  • awa /ˈa.wa/ from ARA أو
part - either; or; other
  • ayo /ˈa.jo/ from ARA أي
part - whichever; whatever; something [INDEF]
  • e /e/ from SPA/ZHO e/
part - and; also; too
prep - toward; at; in direction of
v - go (toward); walk; travel
  • o /o/ from JPN
part - direct object particle


  • wikitravel.org/en/Spanish_phrasebook
  • en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Category:Phrasebooks_by_language


A working phrasebook for Kalo.

Essentials

  • ola - Used for "hello; goodbye; farewell; welcome" (analogous to aloha)
  • kan/a - "yes; it is"
  • ne - "no; it is not"
  • yapu wa - "Excuse me."
  • nenka ma - "Please." [lit: is (it) possible?]
by extension "Do you mind?"
  • tanka (ta) - "Thank you (very much)."
  • tipa - "(That's) OK."

Greetings & Goodbyes

  • ola yuma - "Good morning/day/afternoon"
  • ola note - "Good evening/night"
  • salama - "Hey/Hi/Hello/Bye"

Civilities

  • moto (niyo) ma - manner 2s.POSS Q - How are you?
    • tipa - "Good/OK/Fine."
    • ... - "Not bad."




  • tenpo ta ne wite - time big no see - Long time no see