affixes: view article

Most affixes have lexical meaning on their own and can be used as verbs or nouns on their own without a root. Most of the infixes are derived from words; so, they can stand alone, though it may sound archaic or formal. Infixes frequently work as adjectives in Nolwynn.

More infixes can be found in the article Honorifics and Avoidance Language

Why are infixes so common in Nolwynn? They are one of the oldest forms of linguistic magic found in the language. The Nolwynn people believe that language is magic – the spoken word is incredibly powerful. So, infixes, which were originally just other words, were originally used as a way to influence the root word, the idea being of placing the desired outcome within the root word, thereby influencing reality directly.

[edit] [top]Lexical infixes:

-a’a- : a shape [or other item, but typically a shape] that has a hole
-kyo- :under
-ke[no]- : remove
-ilw[o]- : middle, in between
–[r]eno- or -‘eno-: denotes a country or a place. Compare to luno.
-‘on[u]-: beyond; above [not touching]
-ar[e]-: something done with others. Compare to -swo-
-ate-: similar to the root, -esque
-azšw[i]- a flat shape such as a square or a circle
-ezšw[i]-: a dimensional shape like a cube or a sphere
-azwe-: an abstraction
-bazša- : full of or saturated with the root; tons and tons of the root.
-eyzo- : a breaking point, a point where something changes into something else
-eko- : capable of doing the root
-elo-: having to do with life, eco-
–er-: a person/being who is described by the root; an archaic term for a person
–erol- : all, the entire group; a collection. Also can be used to mean infinity, especially when standing alone.
–esak-: tool, something used for doing the root
gi[b]- : to have the root
gi[b]…iig: to not have the root
ii[g]-…-kula-: coming together, uniting, joining
-ika-: something to do with trees, greenery, landscape [or underwater landscape]
–in- : diminutive, a little bit
–intxe-: having to do with the ocean, especially the deep sea
-itšu-: honorable, honored, blessed. Frequently used as an honorific.
–ko-: the process of, a style or method of the root
-ku[la]-: separation, dissolution, breaking apart, shattering; piece, part
-kwa-: internal
-lea-: ancient, old, historical
–luno-: denotes a country. Compare to reno.
–lwin-: having to do with people; often used in ethnographic terms
-obe-: a concrete example of the root, something which results from the root [cry -> tears]
–om- : augmentative
–or[e]-: a person who does/uses the root; a person who does something, an actor [when standing alone]
-oze-: place where verb is typically done, or a place where the root is typically found
-kyo[l]-: to undo the root
-ozšw[i]-: a shape, typically flat
-reno-: a country, land
-šola-: bearing a superficial resemblance to the root
–swo-: something [typically fun] done with others
–taba-: time where the root is typically done or found.
utxa: one, mono; few. Can be an infix or a prefix; most often used as a prefix.
-uzu-: bad, immoral, wrong, incorrect. Often used as a pejorative.
yózu: describing something as dangerous
-wal-: animal, especially a land animal
–wala-: a language
–wu-: quality, state, -ity “-ship,” “-essence”
–zel-: place, a place for, a container for
–zuzey- describing something as soft and flexible
–kxa-: to go somewhere in order to do the root

[edit] [top]Grammatical infixes:

-[a]lxa-: replaces the pronomial infix to create a concrete example of the verb, a noun from a verb. Compare to -ara-
-ara-: replaces the pronomial infix to create a concrete example of the verb, a noun from a verb. Compare to -[a]lxa- Not to be confused with ara “with” or -ar[e]-
-eze- : “becomes,” creates a noun [or sometimes a verb] from a verb that carries the meaning of transforming or becoming the root
-aza-: reverses the “direction” of the action, but agent and patient remain the same [earn -> spend]
-éa-, -úa-, óa[1]: used in valency operations.
-ema-: creates a verb from a noun
-ena-: creates a verb from a noun
-etšu- : “actively” doing the root. Often used in science “the study of.” Archaically, it means “apprentice”
–iig-: not, opposite of the root; when used with terms that describe people, this is the masculine infix.
-olua-: causing the root –
-otšua-: causing the root -
-úwil-: shows duplication, re-
-yxoa[r]- : reverses the experiencer and the agent [to be born -> to give birth; to have -> to acquire/to buy [something]]
-[ny]óla : one of the few non-infixing affixes, this one is used like a copula, but it emphasizes the thing it is attached to. “It is!”

What’s the difference between –ara- and –alxa- you may ask? The Nolwynn themselves may not even realize what the difference is between these two infixes, but they would notice that something feels “off” if they are used incorrectly.

-ara- appears in “newer” words, especially when the meaning is something a bit less concrete, perhaps more conceptual. –alxa- appears in words that are more ancient, especially if the meaning is something very specific. For example, txazbara “sunlight” compared to txazbalxa “sun, a bright star.”

[edit] [top]Non-productive affixes

There are some non-productive affixes that are no longer used:

–el- :
–lu- : used to describe something spread out across an indefinite space; now pretty much fossilized in a few words such as tabalu “eventually.”
–la- :
–ul- : often found in words for mythical creatures
–yxa-
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