5. Varindjo Text

“Kovera Djero Nyaraduko”

Vaš m’čaku. Van nyavave adbaž. Vaš djere abašičo tadu ricebe negeče. Djere vašdji nyureko, vaš nyave rodebi odjuže bakinma – ebinya vašdji bekajin vašda djočove. Vaš kadjive, nade vaš bekave naču nate, date vaš anašve čadiš vašdji ecadizi akabe nege. Vaš vasdji djon ro madja icon, date bakin nečar čar danarve ine vaš rodebi apanimema dirave. Aveda, vo nyec, dečema ibi djiri vašda žebašve – ato andjite naze riceve djere vašdji čimeko ro šubi rodzave nege.

“Descent Into Madness”

I must wake! You go away quickly. I have always lived in the day. In my sleep, I go toward grand visions – where my desires lead me. I follow, not getting what I desire, but I know that is all my imagination. I try to see my path, but the visions make the way dark and turn me toward melancholy. Now, at the end, only one thing scares me – that the guide who lives in my mind belongs entirely to evil.

Varindjo has SOV sentence structure. While the case system allows a certain amount of flexibility, it is generally viewed as unnecessarily ‘artistic’ to mess with the structure. (Obviously, story-tellers do it all the time…) Otherwise, the structure is: prepositional phrases are head-initial, all noun phrases are head final, adverbs follow the verb and aspect markers precede the verb.

Word construction:

• The romanized T`varin alphabet is: a (ə), b, c (ʦ), č (tʃ), d, dj (ʤ), ʣ, e (eɪ), g, i/ī (I/iː), k, l, m, n, ny (ɲ), o (oʊ), p, r, š (ʃ), t, th (ð), u (uː), v, z, ž (ʒ).
• Prefixes and suffixes are applied directly to the root word. The spelling of the root word is never altered, with the annoying exception of the plurality marker, “-in”, which, when applied to a noun ending in a vowel, replaces the trailing vowel.
• If an affix results in a doubled consonant, then only one is used.
  Varindjo nouns and pronouns are marked for the following cases by a suffix. The ones used in this text are:

• Nominative (unmarked)
• Accusative ( -da )
• Genitive ( -dji )
• Locative ( -ko ) Point of reference for a location in space.
• Temporal ( čo ) Point of reference for a location in time.
• Motive ( -ma ) Point of reference for motion (toward, away, etc.)

There are six verb forms/tenses which provide the time frame in which the action occurs. The verb is marked by a suffix. The ones used in this text are:

• Infinitive (unmarked)
• Past(-be)
• Present ( -ve )

Aspect, in Varindjo, is not supported by the copula, but is rather marked by auxiliaries preceding the verb. Aspect is independent of tense in the sense that they refine the nature of the action, rather than provide a timeframe. The only one used in this text is:

• Habitual ( tadu )

Varindjo has the usual first ( vaš ), second ( van ) and third ( vak ) person pronouns, plus a separate ‘person’ ( vad ) for inanimate objects. Plurality is marked, as with nouns, by the suffix -in, (vašin) and is always applied first. Case markers, if required, come last (vašindji.)

There are no gender markers in Varindjo. There are no gendered words in Varindjo. In fact, there is no gender in the language.

The greater prefixes alter the meaning of words in a most emphatic way.

• M’- The imperative marker.

General prefixes/suffixes change a words meaning and/or part of speech:

• -du   Having the quality of… (-ed, -ness.)
• ad-   Similar in appearance, manner or nature. (-ly.)
• ec-   The ability to… (-ation)
• an-   One who (-er)

And all nouns are considered definite unless the indefinite marker žon is placed before them. (That is, there is no definite article, you may insert one if you like…)

VOCABULARY