Teresh's Home Page

Home | History | Peoples | Languages

Vogu Idioms

Top

Using -etl

The postposition -etl is a very common one in Vogu. Many of its uses are listed in the Grammatical Tables and have been encountered elsewhere, but some deserve a special look.
Descriptive
This usages qualifies a noun by a quantity in an adjectival way: napulwi apoNIQetl jojyomu 'a journey of six days'; hwyut apoNetl joru 'a 5-joro jug'.
Evaluative
In this usage, it serves as a second 'object' for verbs of judging or evaluating. It can sometimes be translated 'as' or 'to be a'. It is often applied to adjectives, which must take the noun complement proper to the primary object: ubjbyo ani IMa podametl 'I consider him a fool'; urfan Du saba poptIsetl 'You prove yourself to be wise' (lit. 'You reveal yourself as a wise one').
Complementary
It is used with specific verbs, again as a secondary object: uhwintoN ani Cida dataSetl 'I paint the car black'. This is similar but not identical to the previous usage. For example, in this instance, the word dataS 'blackness' is a noun, and -etl has an almost instrumental meaning. Such exceptional meanings are specific to the verbs which govern them. Another example is the verb kaS 'to seem, appear': ukaS povek sensetletl 'The man seems to be a teacher'; ukaS IMu poLIZaletl 'He seems sad'.

Top

Pro-verb hole

The verb hole (from the same root as -ole 'the') is used as a pro-verb, that is, it can stand in for other verbs when referring to them, in somewhat the same way that "do" is sometimes used in English. This is a colloquial expression; more formal texts would tend to repeat the initial verb. This verb is defective in its forms, and is never encountered as a participal or in the infinitive. The proverb can also reference any associated adverbs or other modifiers of the initial verb, ex.: kuvtniS dapul olZ Gu 'We ought to go to the store'; ukreholak 'I don't want to (do that)'.

Top

"To mean"

The verb kuS means 'to mean, intend'; from the same root comes the noun nakuS 'subject, theme'. This verb has several idiomatic uses.

When used with a verbal phrase and the conjunction di, it can be translated 'to mean to say': ukuS ani di ukusivwi Du 'I mean that you are beautiful.' When used with an verbal phrase and nat-, bUn or with an o-verb form, it can be rendered 'to intend or mean to do': ukuS ani opleSta 'I intend to eat.'

In nominative expressions, when used with the direct object, kuS means 'to refer to': ukuS toCert ahaha Cidif 'The sign refers to the owner of the car.' When used with -duku, it means 'to be about': ukuS Dagmag poluvduku 'The book is about fish.' This form can be used impersonally to mean 'The subject is... / We're talking about...': ukuS nuSosduku 'The subject is freedom.'

A more informal way to render the impersonal use is the verb reduku, without a subject and with direct object in -a: uduku nuSoca.

Top

Verb bleki

The verb bleki is glossed 'to cry out, to scream, to shout', but its application is much broader than this implies. bleki is used to refer to the vocalizations of any living thing, human or animal (sometimes, one hears the honking of a car horn referred to with this verb!): Rebleki mivek 'The woman cried out.'; kIbleki abwe 'The dog was barking'; ubleki poRuk 'The frog croaks'. It is considered intransitive, so if reported speech is involved, another verb of saying must be paired with it, usually hagu (present participle of Ugu): Rebleki mivek hagu, di dak 'The woman cried out "No!"'. Top

Adverbial Interjection nole

Among its other uses, the adverb nole can be used as an informal interjection meaning 'the fact is, actually': RepleSt yuZe ani nole 'Actually, I've already eaten.' Top

Acronyms

Many new words in Vogu referring to technological devices are formed from acronyms, for example SdUlu. 'computer', from Sizanol pohadUm poglumila 'electronic thinking machine'. The period is part of the word, and indicates its origin as an acronym. In use, postpositions are added after the period, and crasis is not applied in the orthography, however, in speech, the period is ignored and any applicable sound changes are made: 
  written  SdUlu.eta    pronounced SdUluta
           SdUlu.a                 SdUla

This is a rare example where Vogu orthography does not correspond with the spoken language.

Top

"Since" & "Until"

To render impersonal expressions of the type "It has been X (time) since/until...", use the verb hahu and a subordinate clause with nat-, bUn: uhu taQ jojyomu natbla, bUn papul poba 'It will be two days until Father comes.'

Top

"OK"

There are three different ways to translate the English exclamation of approval or agreement, depending on the intended meaning:

Top

"Finally"

There are two particles in Vogu that can be translated 'finally', but they have different emphases. The word degUrok means 'finally, eventually, at the end' and implies the end of a process, or finality in general. The word mwiSo also implies the end of a process, but adds the sense of relief or satisfaction at the termination of a perhaps arduous process. It is used in the standard expression mwiSo hwiSo 'There's no place like home.'

Top

"Next" & "Last"

The use of the adjectives for 'last' and 'next' is surprisingly complex, and varies with the intended meaning. For the term 'last', a distinction is made between 'last' meaning 'previous' and 'final'. In the case of 'next', the distinction is between place and time.

Top

Words for Time

There are three words that can be translated 'time'. The word kavrem refers to time in general and measured periods of time. The word Davrem, often shortened to Dav in speech means '(number of) time(s), occurance'. The shortened form usually substitutes for 'one' when counting down: Dav, naQ, taQ... 'One, two, three...' The final word, jlovrem, is seen less often; it means 'age, period, season, time (of)'.

Top

"Only"

There are two adverbs for 'only' in Vogu. The word nanok means 'alone, singly, solely', while nakta means 'merely, just'.

Top

"To watch" & "To listen"

Vogu has the verbs plIpak 'to watch, observe', and LiS 'to hear, listen', but these are more often encountered in writing. For everyday use, Vogu employs an idiom based on a 'have' construction with -eta and the words Cesm 'eye' and ZiS 'ear'. The logical object of these expressions takes the postposition -rata: Cesm anita 'I am watching'; ZiS Duta dyu 'Are you listening?'; ZiS anita amiGisrata 'I'm listening to the radio.'

Do not confuse this with the common idiom for 'to be awake': Du Cesm dyu 'Are you awake?'

Top

Resemblance

The verb IhoZ means 'to resemble'; its equivalent adjective is pIhoZ 'similar'. Both words take the postposition -bINo as their complement. The adverb toCna can be added to create the meaning 'the same as'.

 povek pophoZ potraZbINo 'a man like the other one'
 utun IMu ani pIhoZ '(S)he treats me the same way'
 nasbri uhoZ pagda toCna nobINo yugUQm 'the weather here is the
          same as (it is) in the South'

Top

Measurements

There are many different types of measurement words in vogu, for distance, weight and volume. The measurement terms are considered nous, and so take the suffix -u after numbers. The usual verb employed is hahu. The postposition -Ikm is used with nouns to express 'x quantity of y'; the postposition -etl is used to designate the 'dimension' of a quantity.

The conversion amounts listed below are only approximate; rounding-off errors mean that conversions between Kadane, U.S and metric units are not always exact.

 dar naQa ratlu rablwIsbokm 'Give me 2 ratli of potatoes'
 uhu DaZ naQa tajkpodu Gismosetl 'The table is 2 tajkpod in length.'

Top

Occupations

To inquire about an occupation, use the phrase upoDu ogajpate 'what sort of occupation is yours?' To reply, use (u) ogajpaDani plus the occupation: ogajpaDani sensetl 'I am a teacher.'

Top

Money

The basic unit of currency among the Kadane are the DaQ and the prabst. There are 125 DaQ to a prabst. Other units of currency are the apoN, equal to 5 prabst, and the DaQIsbo (lit. 'okra'), equal to 3 prabst.

The word for price is iSat. One asks the price of something using the predicate of -kaben 'how many, how much' plus -etl on the item in question: upokaben (iSat) Dabmagetl 'How much is the book?' (iSat is optional in colloquial speech). To state a cost, use the verb lIlZ (which can be omitted in speech). Units of DaQ are indicated with postposition -eta; the word DaQ is optional: ulZ napoN prabstu taQeta (DaQu) (Dabmagetl) '(The book) is 20 prabst and 3 (DaQ)'.

The postposition -etl is used in other exchange expressions, as well. For example:

  upokaben rablwIsbotl 'How much are potatoes?'
  ulZ naQ prabstu ratlitl 'Two prabst per ratli'
  dar mila goQetl prabstu 'Give me four prabst's worth.'

If something is too expensive, you can say upolSu (from -IlSu 'too many, too much'), with or without a subject. If the price is right and you're ready to buy, you can use the verb gapsi 'to be worth(y)': ugapsi Dabmagoteb (iSatetl) 'This book is worth the price.'

Top

"Far"

The adjective vIbel means 'to be far'. Various postpositions are used with it to express relative relationships:

In all cases, the postposition -etl is used to indicate the amount of distance: uvbel nasponSana Gubla taQetl kajobjpu 'The hospital is 2 kajobjpo ahead of us.'

Top

"Home"

The Vogu word for 'home' is kabQina, but this is not used to render idioms involving home. For this, the word hwiSo is used, in two idioms: hwiSkri 'at home', and hwiSoS 'homeward, to home'.

Top

"Yes" & "No"

There are two ways to say "yes" in Vogu: umo and umoCa. The former expresses that something is true, while the latter extends permission. There is only one word for 'no': dak. However, Vogu prefers to use none of these words for normal affirmatives or negatives. The usual practice is it repeat the significant word of the question (with -ak, if the answer is negative): Relat sensetl Dabmaga dyu - Relat / Relatak 'Did the teacher read the book? - Yes / No.' umo, umoCa and dak are used only when there is no clear verbal alternative. If you use them in other cases, you will be understood, but will seem abrupt and crude.

On the other hand, dak is frequently used in complex sentences to negate a entire verb phrase:Repul ani hiwSoS, Qe dak Du 'I went home, but you did not (go home).' This is a regular usage, and carries none of the rude implications of dak by itself.

Top

Expressing "to have"

There are 3 ways to express "to have" in Vogu, depending on the type of possession implied.

The first is the verb hahu (irregular; click here for conjugation). While often translated as "have", its meaning is closer to "own" or "possess". It implies that the thing possessed is acquired but probably permanently. In this construction, the possessor is the subject and the item possessed is the direct object with postposition -a.

The second way is to use the verb poSe, formed from the adjective -uSe. In this construction, the thing possessed is the subject, while the possessor is the indirect object with -i. This verb literally means 'be provided to' and implies an inherent and permanent possession. Bodily features fall into this category.

The third way is to use a construction in which the thing possessed is the subject and the possessor is related to it by the postposition -eta; the optional verb copula u unites them. This form implies acquired and temporary possession. It can refer to states of mind or body, as well as the simple statement of having an object about one's person at the moment.

        uhu ani Cida.                   I have a car.
        upoSe Di Cesm Dakusivwi.        You have beautiful eyes.
        (u) Rolod anita.                I am hungry.
        krIcu anita ZapaseQm.           I have a stomach ache.
        Dabmag anita.                   I have a book (with me now).

Top

Expressing "to need"

There are two ways to express need in Vogu. The first uses the noun cIlZ 'need'. It is used in the unmarked form, while the logical subject takes -eta; the thing needed takes postposition -duku. This form implies a temporary or specific need: cIlZ anita DabmaCduku 'I need a book'.

The second method utilizes the verb lIlZ 'to be required'. In this construction, the thing needed is the subject, and the reason for the need takes the postposition -rata. There is no way to indicate who needs the item in this construction. It is often used to indicate general or universal needs: ulZ Dabmag olatrata 'A book is required for reading.'

Related to these forms is the verb NIlZm 'to lack'. In this construction, the thing lacking is the subject and the logical subject (the one who lacks) is the indirect object: uNIlZm Dabmag sensetli 'The teacher lacks a book.'

NOTE: Don't confuse this with the verb form 'to need to (do something)' when it is equivalent to 'must', which in Vogu is rendered by a verb in the initiative mode plus the grammatical particle olZ: uCalat olZ 'I must/need to read'. On the other hand, if one actually needs to do something, the noun phrase plus an infinitive would be appropriate: cIlZ anita opleSduku 'I need to eat (because I'm leaving, or I'll get sick, etc.)'.

Top

Expressing "to know"

There are three verbs in Vogu that correspond to the English 'to know':

dat
'to know a fact': udat ani koDCata 'I know the answer.'
dast
'to know/be acquainted with a person': udast ani Dabmagetla 'I know the librarian.'
rezra
'to know how to (do something)'; this is usually paired with a gerundive object: uzra ani olata 'I know how to read.'

Top

Expressing "To thank"

The phrase 'to thank' is expressed in Vogu by dar paba 'to give thanks'; the logical object takes postposition -i and the reason for thanks -duku: udar ani paba sensetli odarduku Dabmaga 'I thank the teacher for (giving me) a book.' To say 'Thank you' to someone, use the phrase pabo Di (short for dadudar pabo Di).

Top

"X and I"

Phrases of the type "you and I, the teacher and I" are expressed in the first person plural plus postposition -eta: Repul Gu sentetleta 'The teacher and I went'. This form can only be used when one of the persons involved is the first person pronoun, singular or plural.

Top

"a bit, a piece"

The general-purpose Vogu word for 'bit, piece, some' of something divisible is oca. It is used with single items that are divisible, like bread, and also with mass nouns, such as water or flour. Nouns following oca must take the postposition -Ikm: dadar oca zbloSIkm 'Please give me some bread'. The word oca is often omitted in speech, however, making the postposition -Ikm in effect into a direct-object marker meaning 'a bit, some': dadar mpurikm 'Please give me some coffee.'

Top

Taste and Smell

The verbs kyus and bomeS mean 'to taste' and 'to smell', respectively. Both are transitive, and take an object in -a: ubomeS ani kapleSta 'I smell the food.' To indicate that something has a particular taste or smell, use the phrase poSe pakyus / nomeS and the postposition -bINo: upoSe pakyus kapleStotbi myotlbINo 'This food tastes like soap.'

Top

Adverbs from -ole

The dependent adjective -ole has two adverbial forms: nole and nolav. While both are generally glossed as 'thus(ly), like that', the former is used to refer to general or universal situations, and the latter for specific instances: utun misin nole 'The girl acts like that (generally)'; utun misin nolav 'The girl does it ilke that (in this particular instance)'.

Top

Expressing "to wear"

The verb lini 'to carry' is also used to translate 'to wear (an article of clothing)'. The item worn is in -a, and -eta is used to indicate the part of the body on which it is worn: ulini mivek sobza DatIseta 'The woman wears a hat on her head.'

This usage is somewhat formal, and more often encountered in print than in speech. for everyday use, Vogu places the object worn in the nominative (unmarked) case, and the logical subject in -eta: Daskritl miveketa 'The woman wears a dress.' However, if one must specify the part of the body, the first form must be used.

Top

Expressing "to fit", "to suit"

The verb gagul means 'to fit, to suit'. The logical object of the verb, the one fitted or suited, takes postposition -i: ugagul Daskritl misini 'The dress suits the girl.'

Top

Expressing "to be angry"

There is no special verb meaning "to be angry" in Vogu. A formation with the noun hugnev 'anger' and the logical subject in -eta is used instead. The object of one's anger takes postposition -i, and the postposition -Ikm expresses the reason: hugnev anita pobi ogukm nasnu "I'm angry at Father for what he said" (lit. anger (is) with-me at-Father from-the-speaking his).

Top

Expressing "one's own"

The possessive pronouns can be strengthened by the dependent adjective -am: -aDu 'your' - > -aDum 'your own'. It can also be used with nouns to express 'one's own'; in this cases, the noun is used in the possessive and follows the possessive adjective, which is generally used independently: Dabmag DaMum povekIf 'the man's own book'. Unlike other dependent adjectives, -am cannot be used independently; it can, however take an adverbial form, which is used with predicate forms of the possessive adjectives: {upoDanim / upoDani nam} Dabmagoteb 'This book is my (very) own.'

Top

Expressing "each other"

The adjective pair -banda...-etraZ is used to render the phrase 'each other': ulufa Gubanda atraZa 'We love each other.'

Top

"To sing" & "To play"

The verb pyet partakes in several idioms. With an object in -a, it means 'to sing a song'. When used with an object in -av, it means 'to play a musical instrument': 
   upyet ani pesa   'I sing a song'
   upyet ani kvudiv 'I play the kvudi'

Top

"To feel"

The verb Cust means 'to feel or touch'. When used with the postposition -av, it means 'to feel emotions or sensations'. When used with -a, it means 'to touch something': 
   uCust ani paGav 'I feel joy'
   uCust ani huda 'I touch the water'

Top

"To please" & "To like..."

The adjective Lehonza usually means 'to be happy'. As a descriptive adjective, it takes no verbal complement. When used as a predicate, however, it can take an object. In this case, it means 'to please': the thing which pleases is the subject, and the logical subject, the person pleased, takes postposition -i. This formation generally corresponds to the English 'to like (a thing)': uLehonza Dabmag povki 'the book pleases the man = the man likes the book'; uLehonza olat ani 'I like to read'. Note that this idiom can be used only for activities and things; it's use to describe persons is considered insulting.

Top

Omission of Pronouns

Spoken Vogu often employs a clipped or abbreviated style, in which non-essential elements are dropped. Among the most frequently dropped elements of the sentence are the pronouns. One can freely omit ani whenever it is understood that the speaker is referring to himself or herself. One can generally omit Du and Ru, especially in questions or commands.

It is also common to replace the pronouns with other words, especially in polite speech. ani is often replaced by ateb 'this person' (with appropriate noun complement), and second and third persons are often replaced by the name or title of the person referred to: padar poteb huda sagi dyu 'Shall I give you (Sagyo) some water?"

Objects may also be omitted, especially forms of -ole: Retun Du (na) navav 'How did you do it?' In this case, the putative object must have been mentioned previously and be understood from the context.

Top

Predication without a verb

As we have noted, Vogu tends to omit superfluous words in sentences, such as pronouns. Verbs are also dropped under certain circumstances. Top

Interrogative "what sort"

The interrogative adjective -ate means 'what kind or sort?' It can be used as a dependent interrogative with nouns, or as an independent adjective if the noun is understood. It is not generally used as a predicate adjective: Dabmagate - Date 'What sort (of book)?' It is used adverbially to render questions about states: ukusivwite mivek 'How beautiful is the woman?'

Top

"Like" vs. "As"

The postpositions -etl 'as' and -bINo 'like' both can express metaphorical relationships or possession of an office. The difference is that -etl implies permanent, legitimate or true relationships, and -bINo implies temporary or false ones. 

   Retun IMu poSatl 'He served as king'
   Retun IMu poSabINo 'He acted like a king'
   kIbleki IMu lyonebINo 'He roared like a lion'
Top

"To say"

The verb Ugu 'to say' participates in a number of idioms in Vogu. With objects in -a, it means 'to say something':ugu ani napana 'I say something'. With objects in -av, it means 'to speak a language': umogu ani vogukadanav / voguNlISav 'I can speak Vogu/English.'

Top

Expressing "to happen"

There is no verb in Vogu corresponding to the English 'to happen'. Instead, the verb pul is used idiomatically: Repul navep 'What happened?' This idiom can also be used impersonally: jloZteQm Repul 'It happened in Spring.'

Top

Expressing "to be right" & "to be wrong"

The phrases 'to be right' and 'to be wrong' are expressed in Vogu by idioms using the dependent adjectives -IhoQ 'same' and -etraZ 'other'. These are used impersonally as predicates; if there is a logical subject, it takes the postposition -bINo: upotraZ 'That's wrong'; upohoQ DubINo 'You are right'.

Top

Telling Time

The Vogu clock does not divide the 24 hours of the day in the same way we do. The basic unit of time is the hubjyom, which is 96 of our minutes. Fifteen hubjyom make up one jojyom, or day. The hubjyom is divided into 25 kavrizn, each about 3 minutes, 50 seconds (3.8 minutes) of our time. The kavrizn is made up of 125 kavrIQ, each about 1.8 seconds long. There is also an informal time division, the huzn, equal to a fifth of a hubjyom, or about 19 minutes. (In the notes below, we will call the hubjyom and 'hour' and the kavrizn a 'minute', purely for the sake of convenience.)

To inquire about the time, use the phrase (upoteb) hubjyomvep 'Which hour (is it)?'. Vogu hours are named 'one', 'two', 'three', etc., in simple appositional phrases. Time on the hour is simply hubjyom apoN 'hour five', etc. Time after the hour is given in minutes with the postposition -eta (omitting the word kavrizn, and time before the hour by -ank: hubjyom apoN napoN taQeta; hubjyom apoN huznank '22 after 5 o'clock; a fifth before 5 o'clock.' If the question is when something will occur, the postposition -eQm renders 'at': hubjyomeQm apoN taQank huznu 'at two-fifths before 5 o'clock.'

Be aware that the hour phrases are names, while the minute phrases are number phrases; if the unit of time is given, the postposition remains on the number, and the time unit takes postposition -u: hubjyom apoN taQeta kavriznu 'hour five and two minutes.' Similarly, if a duration of time is specififed, the hour expression is not an appositional phrase, but a number: apoNvokr hubjyomu e taQvokr kavriznu 'for five hours and two minutes.'

Top

Motion Postpositions

Two postpositions in Vogu express motions towards: -iS and -oN. The former is used exclusively for motion towards and object: upul ani nasponSaniS 'I go to the hospital'. The latter is used for motions towards a person. The postposition -oN is also used to mean 'to visit': upul ani pogoDaniN 'I go to visit my friend.'

The postposition -do also involves motion. It implies motion to a destination but makes no comment about motion after arrival. It can be translated 'as far as, up to'; it is frequently used when natural features are the destination: upul ani tranudo 'I go to the mountain.'

Top

Expressing "to be allowed"

The verb eZna means 'to be allowed'. This is an intransitive verb: the subject is the thing allowed. This is usually given by an o-verb phrase. The expression is frequently used impersonally; if a logical subject is desired, it takes the postposition -i: nasbri uZna opoluber dyu 'Is fishing allowed here?'; uZnak olat Dabmagotba Di 'You are not allowed to read this book.'

Top

Names and Titles

Vogu names have five parts: surname, personal name, patro-/matronymic, clan name, and origin name. The origin name is formed from the name of the place of birth plus postposition -Ikm. If the name of one's place of birth is long or complicated, it is generally shortened in a stereotyped way. The clan name is made from the name of one's clan plus -If. All Kadane belong to a clan (synonyms are 'tribe' or 'family'). Clan names derive from the names of natural objects and animals. There are only 102 of them (which is why the Kadane sometimes call themselves the Hundred-Name People).

The patro-/matronymic name is formed from the personal name of one's parent, father if a you are male, mother if female, plus -av. Surnames are relatively old features, dating from shortly after the Kadane arrival in Tizanthy (while clan names may be pre-Migration). They were derived in various ways from plants, animals, occupations, locales, physical features of one's ancestors, etc. Personal names are given by one's parents on Naming Day. Most personal names are meaningful words in Vogu (eg. hoSi 'grain', powag 'falcon', rahuwIDa 'sunflower'), although there is also the fashion of giving Dunnek names, which usually are not meaningful in Vogu.

Thus, one's full name is expressed danelwegi tereNo lyowav NunItIf fimokm 'Danelwegi terengo, son of Lyo, Rock clan, from Fimo'. danelwegi is derived from a word for 'gentleness', presumably a comment on some ancestor's temperment, while tereNo comes from a Dunnek name meaning 'servant of God'.

A name is considered a type of appositional phrase, so any adjectives, particles or postpositions are applied to only the first name in the group.

The full name is given only in official documents or very formal speech. If the full name is referred to in other written contexts, the last three names are usually abbreviated to the first letters. The usual polite way to refer to a person is by the first three names, omitting the others entirely. A respectful but familiar style uses personal name and patro-matronymic. A respectful form for strangers or casual acquaintances is to use the surname plus a title or honorific.

Honorifics are particles similar to the English 'Mr.' or 'Ms.' that convey respect to the hearer. They follow the first name in a multiple name group. Vogu has a greater variety of honorifics than English, for different degrees of respect:

A general-purpose honorific is the adjective agahyo; it is used with the appropriate gender noun complement for the person or persons addressed. All the honorifics, including agahyo can be used by themselves, as forms of address to persons whose names are not known: kaka ya 'Hey, child!' (addressed to a passing child, perhaps); agahyoNu ya 'Ladies and Gentlemen!'

One can also use titles instead of honorifics with names. This is a mark of great respect, and in some contexts is obligatory (it would be rude not to refer to your teacher as hoSi sensetl 'Teacher Hoshi', for example). There can be subtle nuances here. Teachers, for example, are always referred to by personal name plus title, yet it would be presumptous to refer to the head of a clan by personal name.

The most familiar form of address, of course, is the personal name alone. Many first names have affectionate dimimitive forms. A rather polite diminutive can be formed by adding the suffix -ton to the full personal name: powagton 'Master Powag.' A more intimate diminutive can be formed from a shortened form of the name plus the affix -i (not to be confused with the postposition): powag - wagi; rahuwIDa - ruDi.

The word for 'name' in Vogu is DanSa. The verb enSa means 'to call or term'. The name is considered the subject of the verb, and the holder of the name is the indirect object. Those conferring the name (the logical subject) take the postposition -av. The subject in an interrogative sentence is Davep, short for DanSavep:

   unSa Davep Di 'What is your name?'
   RenSa hoSi powi Guv 'We named the baby Hoshi.'

Top

Expressing "how"

There are many different ways to translate the English "how" into Vogu. For questions regarding quantities, use the interrogative adjective -kaben 'how many, how much': udar ani Dabmakabna Di 'How many books should I give you?'. To inquire about states, the adjective -ate 'what sort' is used adverbially: upsokote IMu 'How tall is he?'

To ask 'how' referring to the manner in which something was done, the adverb navav is used: Retun Du na navav 'How did you do it?'. This adverb is also used in idioms asking about one's thoughts or opinions: udUm Du navav 'What (lit. how) do you think?'

Beware of expressions that use 'how' in English which are not interrogatives, such as 'how' as an exclamation; in vogu, one uses -atko 'such' adverbially: ukusivwitko Du 'How beautiful you are!' Other expressions which are interrogatives nevertheless use a different construction in Vogu, eg.: uLehonza jolIs Di dyu 'How do you like the city?' Top

Age

To ask one's age in Vogu, say "How many years have you?" to reply, use the same construction: "I have N years." The verb hahu is used here, since age is an acquired, permanent possession: uhu Du nakwyakabna - uhu ani gopoNa (nakwu) 'How old are you? I am twenty' (the word nakwya 'age' is optional in the reply).

© 1998, Terrence Donnelly

Top | Home | History | Peoples | Languages