Latenkwa Self-Study Course

Lesson 4



Required reading:

Before starting this lesson, you should re-read Chapter 6 of the reference manual.

New Prefix:

  lu-	generic noun

New Classifiers:

  -pyo	other devices, typically powered tools, musical instruments, and
	  other powered items (jackhammer, lathe, lawnmower, rifle,
	  bomb, cannon, missile, guitar, flute, piano, synthesizer,
	  organ, windmill, jacuzzi, oscilloscope, generator,
	  transmitter, refrigerator, telephone, washing machine, toilet,
	  turbine, computer, clock/watch, walkie-talkie, television)
  -tay	physical relationship, default = P/F-s verb (hear, be allergic
	  to, taste, feel pain in, detect (eg. an instrument)/sense, be
	  hungry for, to be/feel cold in)
  -foy	genitive personal pronouns (default = P-s adjective)
  -pye	true conjunctions (and, or, but, default = P/F-s true
	  conjunction)

New Suffixes:

  -se	infinitive
  -da	A/P/F-d
  -dan	A/P-d

New Vocabulary:

    cudan       - cause, make, have, cause to become a reality

    cinkoda     - remind, cause to remember or recall
    tunko       - to be undecided, vacillating, of two minds, indecisive

    co          - big, large, having great size
    boco        - wet, damp, moist, humid, muggy, dank, sticky,
                    having atypically high moisture or water
    bonco       - strong, powerful, mighty
    conko       - understand, comprehend, grasp, fathom, follow
    conti       - bus [vehicle]
    conpwe      - bear [carnivore]
    conci       - auditorium, hall
    contea      - sofa, couch, settee, lounge

    tay         - see, detect with the eye(s)
    tentay      - hear, detect with the ear(s)
    taynko      - imagine, visualize, picture, fancy, see in one's mind
    taynca      - read, understand the meaning of written symbols
    taynke      - in front of, ahead of
    taynta      - owl

    pyo         - toilet
    bopyo       - washer, washing machine
    cenpyo      - stove, range, appliance used for cooking food
    taynpyo     - lamp
    tantaynpyo  - television (set), TV
    tenpyo      - telephone
    tantenpyo   - radio (receiver), wireless
    pyonxe      - technician

    foy         - my
    tunfoy      - your [singular]

    toyncu      - colorful, having a lot of color(s)

    vuku        - five

    tomun       - for [beneficiary case tag]
    tanke       - above, over

    pye         - and [conjunction]


Grammar:

1. A generic noun is formed by prefixing "lu-" to the noun. Generic nouns refer to entities in general, rather than to specific entities:

    Definite:	Ki zayko fa zaypwe = I like the dog.
		Ki zayko fa lizaypwe = I like the dogs.
    Indefinite:	Ki zayko fa zaypwe to = I like a dog.
		Ki zayko fa lizaypwe to = I like some dogs.
    Generic:	Ki zayko fa luzaypwe = I like dogs.

2. The infinitive form of a verb is formed by using the suffix "-se":

    Ponko fa tincase.
    I wanted to go.

Note that infinitives are always verbs, and the verb suffix "-ma" is not needed, even if the root is not a verb by default:

    Ponko fa zaycose.
    I wanted to be friendly.

However, you should never use the infinitive form if the verb has an explicit subject, even if English still uses "to":

    Ponko fa tinca tunfa.
    I wanted you to go.

In other words, the infinitive suffix should be used only when the subject is not being repeated because it already appears with the main verb.

3. You can convert a case tag to a verb by simply changing its part of speech to verb using the suffix "-ma":

    Cinkema litunti pa.
    The bicycles were in the house.

Note that we can also use "cuma" to achieve a similar result. However, for the sake of consistency, we will use the case-tag-to-verb construction rather than "cuma" in all future exercises.

4. The suffix "-dan" converts a state to an agentive, transitive, change-of-state verb (A/P-d):

    Cenpedan xede ci xi?
    Who made this room hot?

    Tantoydan fa tea.
    I made the chair blue.

If a root is inherently focused, use the A/P-d suffix "-dan" to remove the focus or the A/P/F-d suffix "-da" to retain the focus:

    Cenkodan konxe fa.
    The teacher frightened me.

    Cenkoda konxe fa tunfa.
    The teacher made me afraid of you.

Note that the new vocabulary word "cinkoda", meaning 'remind', is just the A/P/F-d derivative of "cinko", meaning 'remember'.

We can even use noun and case tag roots:

    Zaypwedan xe jaxi fa.
    That person changed me into a dog.

    Cinkeda fa cantea cenci.
    I put the table in the kitchen.

An especially useful A/P-d word is "cudan", meaning 'cause', 'make', or 'have', depending on the nature of the arguments (literally, "cudan" means 'to cause to become actual or real'):

    Cudan fa kontea.
    I made the desk.
    [Literally: I caused the desk to come into existence.]

    Cudan fa ponkonca Lajonxe.
    I had John study.
    [Literally: I caused John's studying to come to exist or be real.]

"Cudan" will be translated into English "cause" when the object is a noun phrase that represents an event, as in "He caused the accident". We'll learn more about event nouns later.


Drills (on tape):

    Is your bicycle at my house?
    Kade ki kema tunti tunfoy pa foy?

    I heard the radio in front of the building.
    Tentay fa tantenpyo taynke twinpa.

    Who made these three pieces of furniture?
    Cudan xede twintea giku xi?

    I want my dogs to drink.
    Ki ponko fa boca lizaypwe foy.

    The pilot wanted to make the airplane fast.
    Ponko tanxe tinpedanse tanti.

    Sparrows don't know about languages.
    Juka ki ko luta lutenkwa.

    How many cats live at your house?
    Ki panca panpwe kude ke pa tunfoy?

    There was a big owl in front of the garage.
    Cuma taynta co to taynke tinci.

    The plumber put the wet chair near the sofa.
    Keda boxe tea boco contea.

    There are two lamps above the toilet.
    Ki cuma taynpyo tunku to tanke pyo.

    The frightened bear wasn't strong.
    Juka boncoma conpwe cenkomo.

    Your parrot frightened the linguists.
    Cenkodan tenta tunfoy litenxe.

    I thought about friendly people and fast cars.
    Xenko fa luxe zayco pye luti tinpe.

    The technician is undecided about those five
      televisions.
    Ki tunko pyonxe tantaynpyo vuku jaxi.

    I wanted the painter to imagine a big colorful bus.
    Ponko fa taynko toynxe conti toyncu co to.

    Did you have the plumber work in the bathroom?
    Kade cudan tunfa ca boxe ke boci?

    Who put the washing machine in the living room?
    Cinkeda xede bopyo teanci?

    I wanted to remind you that I taught at the school.
    Ponko fa cinkodase tunfa konca fa ke konpa.

    The doctor saw the students read in the auditorium.
    Tay bonxe taynca liponkonxe ke conci.

    Is it true that the telephone was above the stove?
    Kade ki cuma tankema tenpyo cenpyo?

    John reminded me that I cooked for the students.
    Cinkoda Lajonxe fa cenca fa tomun liponkonxe.

    Did you tell some students that I changed my car into a
      truck?
    Kade te tunfa liponkonxe to cantidan fa ti foy.

    Mary explained to the teacher that the desks weren't in
      the classroom.
    Konte Laryaxe konxe juka cinkema likontea konci.

    I remembered that the fireman understands fires and
      firetrucks.
    Cinko fa ki conko cenxe luce pye lucenti.

    Did the chef remind you to put the table in the kitchen?
    Kade cinkoda cencanxe tunfa cinkedase cantea cenci?

End of Lesson 4