Darynese Grammar

Nouns and Adjectives

Darynese has ten genders for its nouns. The first five genders (adult female, adult male, juvenile female, juvenile male, and neuter) are exclusively used for people, and neuter is only used in cases of plurals and hypothetical people ('someone') -- nongendered individuals may be assigned a gender based on the speaker's perception of that person. These genders also will be used to things -- such as body parts -- that derive directly from a person. For example, olumai aoma (small hand -- with the hand belonging to an adult female), where aoma becomes gendered adult female by being associated with an adult female.

Masculine and feminine is used based on the subject's gender. Adult versus juvenile indicates wither or not the speaker considers the subject an adult -- traditionally this is when the subject has adopted an adult role in his/her life, (for example, marriage, parenthood or a full-time job). However, usage may vary -- the speaker may use the juvenile genders to indicate that he finds the subject immature, or the adult genders to indicate the opposite. In addition, the speaker may use the juvenile genders for himself to indicate shame at an action, or inferiority, or the adult genders to indicate superiority. Many teens on Daryn will use the correct, juvenile genders in formal speech, but will use adult speech informally among themselves.

Animal and plant genders refer to both animals and plants themselves, but also to parts and products from animals and plants -- so milk (ilaoba) is gendered animal and grain (saibetre) is gendered plant. By tradition, the definition is set by locomotion, so many sessile animals, such as corals, are considered plants.

Concept is a catch-all term for things that lack a physical component, such as ideas. Various supernatural entities are also grouped into here. An old custom allows for mystics to use this gender, to reflect their supposed otherworldly nature. This comes off as very presumptuous in all places but Yizaryn, as true Darynese mystics are believed to be extinct. Objects are for things that are not alive, but have a physical state. Locations represent places and times.

A noun is pluralized by attaching al- to it as a prefix. An indirect object is indicated by the suffix -kul and is usually attached to the verb. Darynese has a system to indicate identifying pronouns, which is as follows:

This	That	Some	Every	Query
-ro	-mi	-zai	-da	-naor

In order to form a noun from a verb, if a noun form doesn't already exist, if the verb ends in a consonant plus the single vowels a, e, o or u or the diphthong ae, the letter n may be added to the verb's infinitive (then a vowel to mark gender if needed) -- for example, ñoru (to read) becomes ñorun (a reader). Other verbs (those ending in i or the diphthongs ai, ao, or eo) may be used unaltered to mark a noun -- ri (to pilot) stays ri (a pilot). This creates some complexity for use with animals, so usually an adjective form of the verb is used with an animal (or other non-people) -- so ri is a pilot, but ririli zusi is a flying animal, with both derived from ri (to fly or to pilot).

The possessive is formed using the suffix -naim, which can also form an adjective from a noun. Other cases involve the suffix -taiz, which can be used for simile comparison -- trokeotaizai aedim -- starlike-eyes.

Adjectives and adverbs precede the word they modify. Typically numbers come first and possessives come last. Adjectives also change ending to match the gender of the noun. Adverbs are left in the root forms. Note that these rules are also used on participles. These vowels also replace a 'wild card' in the pronouns. The endings are thus:

Adult Female	Adult Male	Juvenile Female	Juvenile Male	Animal
-ai	-ao	-u	-o	-i
Plant	Object	Concept	Location	Neuter
-a	-e	-ae	-eo	(no ending)

Comparisons can be constructed like so: more/less/equal + adjective + noun1 + noun2 + than = a more/less/equal adjective noun1 than/as noun2.

Examples:
I am as wise as you: kis-naertolai taeyin daibaeisa zaitrise raikae.
A parrot is a more beautiful bird than a crow: etaos-luzi ritrin keroisa zai trise parote.

Verb and Sentence Structure

The overall syntax of Darynse is OVS. The verbs are conjugated based on politeness level and evidentiality. There are four levels of politeness in Darynse. 'Casual' is used for two equals in an informal setting. It is usually only used among family or close friends. 'Polite' is the standard tense for two equals. 'Authoritative' is used when the speaker is in charge of the listener -- most often with teachers, bosses, and adult relatives. Using it all the time makes you look rather egotistical. 'Submissive' is the opposite -- used when the listener is in a position of authority over the speaker. Likewise, using it often implies the speaker is a bit of a doormat. As for the evidentiality, Darynese verbs can be conjugated based on whether they are positive (the speaker knows this to be true), negative (the speaker knows this to be false) or positive or negative hearsay (the speaker is uncertain of the truth of the statement, but thinks it is either true or false).

Verbs are conjugated like so:

	Casual	Polite	Authoritative	Submissive
Positive	-man	-se	-ñae	-sitro
Positive Hearsay	-mantas	-setas	-ñaetas	-sitrotas
Negative	-manpa	-sepa	-ñaepa	-sitropa
Negative Hearsay	-manpatas	-sepatas	-ñaepatas	-sitropatas

The Darynese verb ai (to do) is irregular.

	Casual	Polite	Authoritative	Submissive
Positive	man	se	ñae	sitro
Positive Hearsay	mantas	setas	ñaetas	sitrotas
Negative	manpa	sepa	ñaepa	sitropa
Negative Hearsay	manpatas	sepatas	ñaepatas	sitropatas

-ra is used as an 'empathetic' -- adding it to the end of the verb changes the meaning. For a casually-conjugated verb, -ra simply adds emphasis. For a polite verb, it turns the sentence into a question. For an authoritative verb, it turns the sentence into a command, and for a submissive verb, it turns the sentence into a request.

Reflexive verbs are marked by immediately preceding a verb by a short pronoun.

Normally -e is used for the neuter nouns.

The suffix -ril is used to turn a verb into a participle. This also can be used to make compound verbs (riril tusreo (to want to pilot)) or identifying clauses (ririli ritryn (the bird that is flying, the flying bird)). -rilpa is the negative form of this.

To create a conditional sentence, the suffix -kao is attached to the end of the verb stating the condition. The next sentence must begin with kebeni (because of this). (runaemankao yaokae. kebeni rusulbeman. (If I sleep, I will have a nightmare.))