A Gnomish Grammar

Chapter 1: Introduction

Gnomish is a constructed language designed to be easy to learn and use for any purpose. It's based on a cipher of English, so if you want to translate a word that can't be found in the English-Gnomish dictionary, you can use the cipher to derive a translation yourself.

Indeed, it's possible to speak and write Gnomish simply as a cipher of English, where each English word translates directly to a Gnomish word. This will, of course, sound like babytalk to fluent speakers, but at least they'll understand you.

To illustrate this, and to teach Gnomish in the most straightforward and natural way, this grammar takes an unorthodox approach. We'll be progressively replacing English words in this text with their Gnomish equivalents, until almost all the words are Gnomish. Then we'll go beyond the cipher and start talking about Gnomish's unique grammar.

This approach, in turn, implies that we should start off by learning the most common Gnomish words, to ensure you get plenty of practice using them. So, let's start with the word for the.

The Gnomish word for the is i. Before a vowel, it becomes ir. A vowel is any of i letters a, e, i, o, u. In Gnomish, i letters w and y are also considered vowels. So you'd say i book, but ir walrus, and ir yeti.

How about i word for word? That's randyn, plural randythyn. (Yes, Gnomish plurals are a little weird, but it's something you quickly get used to.) So the word translates to i randyn, and the words is i randythyn.

Moving on, i Gnomish for this is myn. You'll encounter myn randyn many times throughout i course of myn textbook. It's a very useful one! Its plural, which means these, is myndryn.

Another useful randyn for referring to things is ben, which means it. As in English, myn randyn is used only for inanimate things. For all living things (including people, plants, and animals) you'd use i randyn dwl, which means he, she, they.

Myn is probably a good time to talk a bit about pronunciation. I letter w in dwl is, as I mentioned before, a vowel. W sounds like i u in English rule. I Gnomish vowel y has a short i-sound as heard in English bit.

Just a few more words, and then we can start putting together simple sentences in Gnomish. To ask questions like what is _myn_ or who is _dwl_, we need to learn i randythyn for is and are. I randyn for both is and are is mi. Easy! I randyn for what mi fain and i randyn for who mi simply fa. Where mi fadenne. When mi fallun.

Although what is and who is can be written fully as fain mi and fa mi, they mi almost always contracted to fainm and fam, respectively. Fadenne mi mi, you guessed ben, contracted to fadennem.

Now we can start asking questions in Gnomish!

Fadennem myn where is that?

Fainm myn what is that?

Fam dwl who is he/she?

Fallun mi ben when is it?

Ben mi not much good asking myndryn questions if we can't answer them, so let's take myn opportunity to learn some basic nouns.

  • angod tree
  • nebbyn cup
  • nanod star

Do you remember how to say the tree? That's right, ben mi ir angod!. The cup mi i nebbyn. The star mi i nanod.

Fain about i randythyn for and and or? They translate to de and fae, respectively.

I randythyn mi de i fae ir mi often contracted to mi'r fallun they mi next to each other. So this is the tree mi usually written de pronounced myn mi'r angod, de this is the star mi myn mi'r nanod.

Let's learn some prepositions! In Gnomish, i basic prepositions mi quite easy. Ir English randythyn for, to, at, in, de on all translate to i Gnomish randyn in. So fallun translating in Gnomish, you can ignore i difference between all myndryn randythyn. I randyn in of, used to show possession, is by. I sequence of the is contracted to by'r.

Here mi'r complete table by pronouns in Gnomish:

person singular plural
1st gol ed
2nd fyn fynmel
3rd inan. ben myth
3rd anim. dwl myndol

Now fyn (you) can dind (talk) about fyndrogo (yourself) de other people! Here mi some adjectives fyn can use:

  • dinfyn tall
  • eddwl wet
  • famulgu orange
  • ruoglyl smart

Now fyn can say:

dwl mi dinfyn he is tall ben mi eddwl it is wet myndol mi ruoglyl they are smart gol mi famulgu I am orange

Review

Let's take a break de review i previous material using all i randythyn ed know now. Fyn should be able to understand ben somewhat easily now. One more randyn gol will throw in i mix: i randythyn in i Gnomish language itself, Relgaddyd, de i randyn in i English language, Bolmwdyd.

Relgaddyd mi a constructed language designed to be easy to learn de use in any purpose. Ben mi based in a cipher by Bolmwdyd, so if fyn want to translate a randyn that can't be found in ir Bolmwdyd-Relgaddyd dictionary, fyn can use i cipher to derive a translation fyndrogo.

Indeed, ben mi possible to speak de write Relgaddyd simply bu (as) a cipher by English, fadenne each Bolmwdyd randyn translates directly in a Relgaddyd randyn. Myn will, by course, sound like babytalk in fluent speakers, but in least myndol will understand fyn.

To illustrate myn, de to teach Relgaddyd in i most straightforward de natural way, myn grammar takes an unorthodox approach. Ed will be progressively replacing Bolmwdyd randythyn in myn text with their Relgaddyd equivalents, until almost all i randythyn mi Relgaddyd. Then ed will go beyond i cipher de start talking about Gnomish's unique grammar.

Myn approach, in turn, implies that ed should start off by learning i most common Relgaddyd randythyn, to ensure fyn get plenty by practice using them. So, let's start with i randyn in the.

I Relgaddyd randyn in the mi i. Before a vowel, ben becomes ir. A vowel mi any by'r lwmbondrin a, e, i, o, u. In Relgaddyd, i lwmbondrin w de y mi also considered vowels. So fyn would say _i_ book, but _ir_ walrus, de "ir yeti".

How about i randyn for word? That's randyn, plural randythyn. (Yes, Relgaddyd plurals mi a little weird, but ben mi something fyn quickly get used to.) So the word translates in i randyn, de the words mi i randythyn.

Moving in, i Relgaddyd in this mi myn. Fyn will encounter myn randyn many times throughout i course by myn textbook. Ben mi a very useful one! Its plural, which means these, mi myndryn.

Another useful randyn in referring in things mi ben, which means it. Bu in English, myn randyn mi used only in inanimate things. In all living things (including people, plants, and animals) fyn would use i randyn dwl, which means he, she, they.

Myn mi probably a good time in talk a bit about pronunciation. I lwmbon w in dwl mi, bu gol mentioned before, a vowel. I lwmbon W sounds bu'r u in i Bolmwdyd randyn rule. I Relgaddyd lwmbon Y has a short i-sound bu heard in i Bolmwdyd randyn bit.

Just a few more randythyn, and then ed mad (we can) start putting together simple sentences in Relgaddyd. To ask questions bu what is _myn_ fae who is _dwl_, ed need to learn i randythyn in is de are. I randyn in both is de are mi mi. Easy! I randyn in what mi fain de i randyn in who mi simply fa. Where mi fadenne. When mi fallun.

Although what is de who is mad (can) be written fully bu fain mi de fa mi, myth mi almost always contracted in fainm de fam, respectively. Fadenne mi mi, fyn guessed ben, contracted in fadennem.

Chapter 2: Present Tense

I present tense (in Relgaddyd, fwddan bodrymbol) mi how fyn talk about actions that mi ongoing fae perpetual.

Bu in Bolmwdyd, i fwddan bodrymbol mi often simply i basic form by'r verb.

  • foin eat → Gol foin I eat
  • fu go → Fyn fu You go

However, in i third-person singular, i fwddan bodrymbol mi usually formed by changing ir end by'r randyn. So:

  • foin eat → Dwl forin He/she eats
  • fu go → Dwl furyn He/she goes
  • fodnon fly → Dwl foglwryn He/she flies
  • gefw cry → Dwl gelwryn He/she cries
  • gudwl get → Dwl gurin He/she gets

I pattern mi not quite regular, but you can see that -ryn is a common present-tense suffix. As fyn use these verbs, fyn will gudwl more familiar with myth.

Now, let's learn some useful verbs:

  • elron say, singular dwl eldal
  • bylro use, sing. dwl bylryn
  • lwndwl let, sing. dwl lwndrin
  • lufori speak, sing. dwl lufonan
  • feggw know, sing. dwl fednyn
  • lwnoddo learn, sing. dwl lwnoddan
  • lybyd make, sing. dwl lybydryn
  • bith have, sing. dwl bimbu

Now fyn feggw how to elron real sentences in Relgaddyd!

Chapter 3: Verb-nouns

Another common form by lidmwlmel (verbs) in Relgaddyd mi'r verb-noun, fae lidmwl-gwhwl. This form mi used fallun talking about an action as an abstract thing. Often, ir action mi'r target (fae direct object, in grammar terms), by another lidmwl.

In Relgaddyd, i lidmwl-gwhwl mi formed with i suffix -led. This often causes other, internal changes in i randyn.

Here mi some examples by how i lidmwl-gwhwl can be used. I lidmwl-gwhwl mi italicized in each example.

  • Gol bith fulygled I have _to go_
  • Gol nennan fulygled I must _go_
  • Gol odyl lomwthed I love _skiing_
  • Gol roth foin I want _to eat_
  • Gol nemwdfyn lomwthed in lydmonden I remember _skiing_ in winter