Text
meo papo bono
meo papo gedica me,
zo me kera te monta unicorno a montano par te inspekta antelopo zo.
vanje me fiana unicorno i kite.
in me viaje, me inkontra uno tribo ma mutco unicorno fo
i to monstra me yo melo dulco hu to gediscopre fo.
to dica me yo gatto vey grando ana montano,
i tima le pota injurya me.
me tima me no va-arripa antelopo ana horo.
me monte nokte intere i, infra luno mo luco,
vida loko epe melo dulco zukresce fo.
an nas arripa antelopo, so vale i geparye.
English Translation
My Competent Father
My father said to me,
“I want you to ride the unicorn to the mountain
in order to inpect the antelopes.”
Then I got on the unicorn and left.
While I traveled, I met a tribe possessing many unicorns
and they showed me some sweet fruits they’d found.
They told me that a very large cat was on the mountain,
and were afraid that it could injure me.
I was afraid I was not going to reach the antelopes on time.
I rode the whole night and, under the moon’s light,
saw the place where the sweet fruits were growing.
When we reached the antelopes, they were well and had given birth.
Grammar and Vocabulary
Grammar
Adjectival words and some adverbial words are treated as verbs in TIAL.
Endings
A verb or noun takes different endings depending on how it’s used:
| -a | bivalent verb, an object phrase follows |
| -e | univalent verb, no object phrase follows |
| -o | noun or noun modifier (univalent) |
Prefixes Used
| fi- | inchoative, used on stative verbs |
| ge- | retrospective aspect, indefinite relative past |
| va- | prospective aspect, indefinite relative future |
| zu- | progressive aspect |
Syntax
The word order is (Subject) Verb (IndirectObject) (DirectObject).
The subject may be omitted after a coordinating conjunction if it’s the same as that of the preceding clause.
A complement clause may take the place of a direct object.
The subject of the complement clause is omitted when it’s the same as that of the auxiliary verb.
There’s no definite article; a phrase beginning with a noun is definite.
Glossary
| N | noun |
| NR | noun, relational |
| Q | quantifier or number |
| VD | verb, dynamic |
| VD1 | verb, dynamic, always univalent |
| VS | verb, static |
| VS1 | verb, static, always univalent |
| VS2 | verb, static, always bivalent |
| adv | adverb |
| conj | conjunction |
| det | determiner |
| pron | pronoun |
| a | VS2 | at, to (defective) |
| an | conj | when |
| an~a | VS | on |
| antelop~o | N | antelope |
| arrip~a | VD | arrive at, reach |
| bon~e | VS1 | good, competent |
| dic~a | VD | tell, say |
| discopr~a | VD | find |
| dulc~e | VS1 | sweet |
| epe | pron | where (relative) |
| fo | conj | ends relative clause |
| gatt~o | N | cat |
| grand~e | VS1 | large |
| hor~o | N | hour, time |
| hu | conj | begins relative clause |
| i | conj | and |
| in | conj | while |
| infr~a | VS | below |
| injury~a | VD | harm |
| inkontr~a | VD | meet |
| inspekt~a | VD | inspect |
| inter~e | VS1 | whole |
| ker~a | VS | want |
| kit~a | VD | leave |
| kresc~e | VD1 | grow |
| le | det | distal demonstrative, 3rd person pronoun |
| lok~o | N | place |
| luc~o | N | light |
| lun~o | N | moon |
| ma | VS2 | have (defective) |
| me | pron | I, me |
| mel~o | N | fruit |
| meo | det | my |
| mo | part | genitive (possessor mo possessum) |
| monstr~a | VD | show |
| mont~a | VD | mount |
| montan~o | N | mountain |
| mutc~e | Q | much, many |
| nas | pron | we, us (1st person exclusive plural) |
| no | adv | not, no |
| nokt~e | US1 | night |
| pap~o | NR | father |
| par | conj | so that (purpose) |
| pary~a | VD | give birth to |
| pot~a | VS | able to |
| so | det | medial demonstrative, 3rd person pronoun |
| te | pron | you (2nd person singular) |
| tim~a | VS | fear |
| to | det | proximal demonstrative, 3rd person pronoun |
| trib~o | N | tribe |
| unicorn~o | N | unicorn |
| un~o | Q | one |
| val~e | VS1 | well |
| vanje | adv | at that time (past) |
| vey | adv | very |
| viaj~a | VD | travel |
| vid~a | VS | see |
| yo | det | indefinite article |
| zo | part | begins and ends direct quotation |