Swadesh list

venăre

Posted on by Ángel Serrano

[ˈvenəɾe]

1. intransitive verb To come, to come over.

2. periphrastic verb It expresses purpose. It is used with an infitinive. Example: Toul’amic hast-ti venat vidre, your friend has come to see you.

3. periphrastic verb It is used in narrations, where sentences are usually in the past tense, as an equivalent form to the main verb conjugated in this past tense. It is used with an infitinive. Example: Ou scriwator vené morăre (=moré) circulat pur tota sa familla, the writer died (=came to die) surrounded by all his family.

4. periphrastic verb It expresses a repetitive process since long time ago. It is used with a gerund. Example: Ou diretor vene rowant denair des façe mouts meixes, the headmaster has been stealing money since many months ago.

Etymology: From Latin venire.

tu

Posted on by Ángel Serrano

[tu]

1. personal pronoun, singular You (subject), you (object, only after a preposition).

Spelling: Before words beginning with a vowel or h-, it turns into t’, with word ligature (both words are written together without intermediate spaces).

Etymology: From Latin tu.

qwe

Posted on by Ángel Serrano

[kwe]

1. nominal conjunction That. Example: Jo cred qwe tu dewarïes tallăre-ti ou capell, I think that you should have your hair cut.

2. relative pronoun Who (with people), which (with things), that. Example: Ous soudats qwe eseiren mout valeroses ritorneiren pur fĩ, the soldiers who had been very brave returned at last.

3. interrogative and exclamative determiner What. It expresses emotions or asks about the nature, intensity, quantity or quality of the noun it substitutes. It is usually accompanied by the word cosa. Example: Qwe houra eh? What time is it?

4. interrogative and exclamative pronoun What. It expresses emotions or asks about the nature, intensity, quantity or quality of the noun it substitutes. Example: Qwe eh aceu? What is that?

Etymology: From Latin quid.

~ cosa

[kwe ˈkosa]

1. interrogative and exclamative determiner What. It expresses emotions or asks about the nature, intensity, quantity or quality of the noun it substitutes. Example: Qwe cosa eh poimerja? What is poetry?, qwe houra eh? What time is it?

pur

Posted on by Ángel Serrano

[puɾ]

1. preposition By (agent complement in the passive voice). Example: Ou cjude esé trowat pur ou polizist, the child was found by the policeman.

2. preposition Because of, due to (cause). Example: Ou port eh fermat pur a mala vedra, the harbour is closed due to bad weather.

3. preposition For (period of time). Example: J’ausentré-mi dou virc pur douz houras, I’ll be out of my workplace for two hours.

4. preposition For, instead of (interchange). Example: Jo vend oul’autmowïul pur seix mill euros, I sell my car for six thousand euros.

5. preposition Along (a street), through (a place). Example: Jo vad pur a strata, I’m walking along the street.

6. preposition Times, by (multiplications). Example: A stanza mesure cinc meters pur tre e megg, the room is five metres long by three and a half wide.

7. preposition It express the way something is done or achieved. Example: Jo consegé-ou pur ma costanza, I achieved it by being constant.

Etymology: From Latin pro with interference with per.

~ qwe

[puɾ kwe]

1. interrogative and exclamative pronoun Why. It asks for the reason why something has happened. Example: Pur qwe arriwes semper tard?, why do you always arrive late?

2. causal conjunction Because. It answers the question “why?”. Example: Illa donaré una festa pur qwe hogge eh soul’annursari, she’s giving a party because today’s her birthday.

~ tant

[puɾ tant]

1. consecutive conjunction So, therefore. Example: J’heh corrat deix cilometers, pur tant ara jo sõ tirrat, I’ve run ten kilometres, therefore I’m tired now.