Ulyan derivational affixes: view article

Menu 1. Nominalizers 2. Verbalizers 3. Adjectivizers 4. Multiple functions Notes on possible ways to derive new words. New words may have idiosyncratic meanings not always what seems literally correct.

[edit] [top]Nominalizers

NOUN→NOUN

-weg
Turns a noun into another noun in the sense of "place with lots of the original noun". For example:

jralv ("geyser", noun) → jralvweg ("geyser-basin", noun)
vlos ("knot", noun) → vlosweg ("tangle", noun)
tsük ("bone", noun) → tsükweg ("skeleton", noun)
moav ("cow", noun) → moavweg ("herd (of cattle)", noun)

-urv
Turns a noun into another noun, as a more abstract collection or community of original noun. For example:

ena ("person", noun) → enaurv ("community", noun)
eidj ("air", noun) → eidjurv ("atmosphere", noun)
vliv ("star", noun) → vlivurv ("constellation", noun)
tliseith ("singer", noun) → tliseithurv ("chorus", noun)

-kua
Augmentative. Makes a noun into a larger/greater version.

kolc ("tooth", noun) → kolckua ("fang, tusk", noun)
otc ("house", noun) → otckua ("mansion", noun)
tlan ("path", noun) → tlankua ("road", noun)
zini ("grass", noun) → zinikua ("bamboo", noun)

-nia
Diminutative. Makes a noun into a smaller/lesser version.

dap ("island", noun) → dapnia ("islet", noun)
ipsa ("lake", noun) → ipsania ("pond", noun)
otc ("house", noun) → otcnia ("cabin", noun)

-atc
Perjorative. Makes a noun into a "worse" version.

mota ("child", noun) → motatc ("brat", noun)
mij ("writing", noun) → mijatc ("scribble", noun)
ena ("person", noun) → enatc ("scoundrel", noun)
cedzi ("language", noun) → cedziatc ("slang", noun)
otc ("house", noun) → otcatc ("hovel", noun)

-(o)nd
New noun is made from (not of) old noun. Ex: sucrose>caramel. coal>diamond. flour>bread.

mlent ("clay", noun) → mlentond ("pottery", noun)
cgo ("copper", noun) → cgond ("bronze", noun)
alc ("wax", noun) → alcond ("candle", noun)
bwes ("honey", noun) → bwesond ("mead", noun)

partial reduplication
A grouping or set of the noun, sometimes figuratively.

mlanen ("birth", noun) → mlanenanen ("litter" or "birth group", noun)

VERB→NOUN

-eith
Turns "action verbs" into "doer-nouns"; person who is doing VERB. Similar to English -er. For example:

deir ("guard", verb) → deireith ("guarder" or "guard", noun)
tlis ("sing", verb) → tliseith ("singer", noun)
vlaum ("swim", verb) → vlaumeith ("swimmer", noun)

-(s)en
Turns verbs into an uncountable abstract nouns (not specific instances). No simple English equivalent, but sometimes like -ment (move, movement), -al (betray, betrayal), sometimes -ing (gerunds like learn, learning), etc. In English often verb and noun forms do not change (v. love, n. love; v. rest, n. rest; v. want, n. want; v. work, n. work):

trok (v. "work") → troken (n. "work", general concept)
nizg (v. "want") → nizgen (n. "want", general concept)
kuef (v. "rest") → kuefen (n. "rest", general concept)
fwaiv (v. "punish") → fwaiven (n. "punishment", general concept)
tsel (v. "fly") → tselen (n. "flight", general concept)
nürn (v. "learn") → nürnen (n. "learning", general concept)
ïlgu (v. "move") → ïlgusen (n. "movement", general concept)
züj (v. "rust") → züjen (n. "rust, rustness", rust in general, not a specific piece)

-(a)da
Turns verbs into nouns in the sense of "object of X", or "thing that the verb acts upon". For example:

zvev ("smell", verb) → zvevda ("smell (odor)", noun)
vleitc ("enslave", verb) → vleitcda ("slave", noun)

-(ü)r
Turns a verb into a noun expressing the object used to carry out the verb's action. For example:

foth ("heal", verb) → fothür ("medicine", noun)
nlurm ("delimit", verb) → nlurmür ("boundary", noun)
xalv ("cook", verb) → xalvür ("stove", noun)

-üli
Turns a verb into a noun expressing the location where verb occurs or is typically done. For example:

trok ("work", verb) → troküli ("workplace", noun)
xalv ("cook", verb) → xalvüli ("kitchen", noun)
zmex ("govern", verb) → zmexüli ("capitol", noun)
byel ("teach", verb) → byelüli ("school", noun)
ozd ("trade", verb) → ozdüli ("marketplace", noun)

-ïnïl
Turns a verb into a noun expressing a tool or substance typically used for doing the verb, or somehow associated with. For example:

thas ("sail", verb) → thasïnïl ("rigging", noun)
muarc ("demolish", verb) → muarcïnïl ("sledgehammer", noun)
kojg ("camp", verb) → kojgïnïl ("tent", noun)
xalv ("cook", verb) → xalvïnïl ("pots and pans", noun)
ïzga ("drink", verb) → ïzgaïnïl ("cup", noun)

-(o)vli
Turns a verb or verb phrase into a noun in the sense of "place where X". Sense is specific to a particular place: "this is THE place where X".

ovedzdva ("they betrayed us") → ovedzdvavli ("place where they betrayed us")

ADJECTIVE→NOUN

-(i)des
Turns adjectives into nouns similar to English -ness and -th (slow→slowness, warm→warmth). For example:

luaj (adj. "same") → luajdes (n. "sameness")
dzei (adj. "good") → dzeides (n. "goodness")
loj (adj. "long") → lojdes (n. "length")
valt (adj. "high") → valtes (n. "height")

[edit] [top]Verbalizers

VERB→VERB

uju-
Opposite (reverse action): agent and patient (if there is one) remain the same, action of verb changes. For example:

genk ("build", verb) → ujugenk ("take apart", verb)
vrel ("smile", verb) → ujuvrel ("frown", verb)
pros ("know", verb) → ujupros ("to be ignorant", verb)
ruen ("smooth down", verb) → ujuruen ("rumble", verb)
pïc ("hurry", verb) → ujupïc ("dwadle", verb)
jolg ("forgive", verb) → ujujolg ("begrudge", verb)
dvel ("share", verb) → ujudvel ("hoard", verb)

NOUN→VERB

-ïtl
Make a noun into a verb expressing use of the noun in a typical way. For example:

pev ("finger", noun) → pevïtl ("point", verb)
thïl ("tail", noun) → thïlïtl ("wag", verb)
tlakük ("tongue", noun) → tlakïtl ("lick", verb)
thwen ("bell", noun) → thwenïtl ("ring (bell)", verb)
vwaum ("forge", noun) → vwaumïtl ("forge", verb)
plunt ("loom", noun) → pluntïtl ("weave", verb)
xort ("horse", noun) → hortïtl ("ride a horse", verb)
leib ("bow", noun) → leibïtl ("shoot arrow(s)", verb)

ADJECTIVE→VERB

-ïb
Turns adjectives into verbs in the sense of "make more X". Similar to English -en, like black → blacken. For example:

mox ("black") → moxïb ("blacken")
jezu ("beautiful") → jezuïb ("beautify")
koth ("dry") → kothïb ("dry out")

[edit] [top]Adjectivizers

ADJECTIVE→ADJECTIVE

dü-
Opposite (quality), similar to English "un-". For example:

tsur ("strong", adj) → dütsur ("weak", adj)
mil ("precious", adj) → dümil ("cheap, common, worthless", adj)
zgaut ("broken", adj) → düzgaut ("unbroken, whole", adj)
precam ("readable", adj) → düprecam ("unreadable", adj)
leino ("wandering", adj) → düleino ("sedentary", adj)
neth ("wise", adj) → düneth ("unwise", adj)
vlüksam ("defensible", adj) → düvlüksam ("defenseless, indefensible, vulnerable", adj)

VERB→ADJECTIVE

-(t)am
Turns verbs into adjectives in the sense of "able to be Xed". Similar to English -able. For example:

fras ("breathe", verb) → frasam ("breathable", adjective)
eskam ("burn", verb) → eskam ("burnable", adjective)
ïlgu ("move", verb) → ïlgutam ("movable", adjective)

-vus
Turns some verbs and nouns (and sometimes adjectives) into adjectives in the sense of "without X". Similar to English -less. For example:

jmol (n. "name") → jmolvus (adj. "nameless")
myen (n. "friend") → myenvus (adj. "friendless")
iset (n. "eye") → isetvus (adj. "eyeless")
menei (n. "dream") → meneivus (adj. "dreamless")
zdet (n. "death", gen. concept) → zdetvus (adj. "deathless")
zdüp (v. "die") → zdüpvus (adj. "deathless", "without dying")
sus (v. "flow") → susvus (adj. "flowless", "without flowing")
jwet (v. "dwell, inhabit") → jwetvus (adj. "homeless", "without inhabiting")

-vya
Turns verbs into adjectives in a way similar to English -ing. For example:

esk ("burn") → eskvya ("on fire, burning", adjective)
fras ("breathe") → frazvya ("breathing", adjective)

NOUN→ADJECTIVE

-(d)id(i)
Turns nouns into adjectives similar to English -y (mud, muddy):

gundj ("mud") → gundjid ("muddy")
iren ("rain") → irenid ("rainy")
menei ("dream") → meneidid ("dreamy")

-ej, -ia
Like "-id" above but more general. For example:

zïzun ("sugar") → zïzunia ("sweet")

-(ï)raf
Turns nouns (usually abstract nouns) into adjectives in the sense of "having X". Similar to English -ful. For example:

nleith ("knowledge, lore") → nleithïraf ("knowledgeable, sagacious")
ethïl ("life") → ethïlïraf ("lively, alert")

-vwi
Turns nouns into adjectives in the sense of "having the quality of X". Similar to English -ary or -ical, as in legendary or magical. For example:

vlenir ("legend, myth") → vlenirvwi ("legendary, mythical")

[edit] [top]Multiple functions

fi(f)-
Turns words of various parts of speech into new words of various parts of speech with the sense of before, in front of, prior to, early version of, etc. Similar to English prefixes like pre-, fore-, proto-, ante-, etc. Examples:

cmak ("pay", verb) → ficmak ("prepay", verb)
mlan ("give birth", verb) → fimlan ("to be in labor", verb)
mlanen ("birth", noun) → fimlanen ("labor", noun)
fuiten ("thought", noun) → fifuiten ("instinct", noun)
tleim ("food", noun) → fitleim ("ingredient", noun)
vud ("night", noun) → fivud ("dusk", noun)

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