Grammar
- Grammatical categories
There are many different grammatical categories. Here is an explanation of the most important categories:
Noun: The names speak of a person, thing or animal. Eg. : man, Moses, pebble, goat
verb: Verbs speak of what a person, thing or animal does. For example: to work, to say, to eat
adjective: Adjectives describe a person, thing or animal. Eg. : good, beautiful, sweet
In this lexicon you will find the grammatical category marked after the main entry.
- Completed and incomplete verbs
Each verb has two forms: the completed form and the unfulfilled form.
- The completed form speaks of things that are finished.
- The unfinished form speaks of things that are not yet finished.
In this lexicon, the completed form is written as the main entry, and the unfulfilled form is marked in quotation marks after: For example: bɔ (boe) v. remove, choose, subtract.
- Reflected verbs
Some verbs can be reflected; in this case, they must be written with "n" in front of the verb. In this lexicon, these verbs are marked as follows: For example: n doa (n doɛ) v. to strive to, to make an effort, to manage.
- Verbs with postposition
Some verbs are only complete when written with a postposition (eg la, nɛ, li, ganaa). In this lexicon, these verbs are marked as follows: For example: dɔ ... ganaa (doe ... ganaa) v. take advantage of someone.
- Examples of use
We have sometimes written sentences to help you tell the difference between words:
For example: kɛ́ det (+ pred). this; this; this. Nɛ kɛ́ boo da. This child has spoken.
- Borrowed words
Some words are borrowed from Jula or French. These words are marked as follows:
For example: kafee n. Coffee. Empr .: French.
- Dialect variations
Some words are not said the same way in all villages. This lexicon follows the talk of Toma and Yaba. We have indicated other dialect variations:
For example: sukun n. pickaxe. Var .: kusun
If you look for these variations in the lexicon, you will find them like this:
For example: kusun n. See main entrance: sukun
