Adelic Language Page

We have already seen how the basic parts of speech, along with certain helping words and modifiers, make up basic phrases such as the noun phrase, verb phrase, prepositional phrase, etc. The following section explains how these various parts of speech fit together to form complete thoughts and sentences.

1. Basic Sentences

The subject of a sentence is the person or thing about which a thought or description is being expressed. The predicate is the part of the sentence that expresses the thought or description of the subject. The most basic sentence consists of two elements; a simple subject and a simple predicate.

A simple subject is made up of a noun phrase or a pronoun.

se mannu = the man

A simple predicate is made up of a verb phrase.

teed velch = walked

Normally, the subject is placed before the predicate.

Se mannu teed velch. = The man walked.

In questions, the subject and the auxiliary verb trade places.

Teed se mannu velch? = Did the man walk?

i. Intransitive Verbs The above example is the simplest kind of sentence. It employs a verb that does not require an object to complete its meaning. This kind of verb is called an intransitive verb. There are two kinds of intransitive verbs.

a. Independent verbs
An independent verb is an intransitive verb that alone with the subject can form a complete thought. Modifying words can be added to the verb to further describe the action taking place, but are not necessary to complete the sentence.

Se vulff teed (mitte spooting) rimbe. = The wolf ran (swiftly).

Ævr paaler tä (niid gulnyering) ðärb. = Balls roll (downhill).

Summe jween ville (azzmøkn) jweem. = A woman will come (tomorrow).

Tä se straum (undr vinðret) bryzz? = Does the river freeze (in winter)?

b. Dependent verbs
A dependent verb is a special kind of intransitive. While it does not require an object any more than other intransitive verbs, it does depend on a subject complement to complete the meaning of the sentence. The complement renames or describes the subject and may be either a noun or an adjective. A noun complement must agree in case with the subject.
The complement always comes between the subject and the dependent verb.

Se dekkn summe rich teed piijweem. = The boy became a king.

Ech summe vøtvøcht tä iss. = I am a grammarian.

Se mannu gærre teed kroof. = The man grew old.

Ævr sunzer mærrlaus tä soom. = Oceans seem boundless.

ii. Transitive Verbs Other sentences employ transitive verbs. These verbs convey their action to an object or objects in the predicate.

a. With a direct object
The direct object of a verb takes the action being conveyed. It always follows the verb.

Se vulff teed iiz de gazzn. = The wolf ate the rabbit.

Ævr paaler tä pryðð ænge uppnunger. = Balls break windows.

Teed se jween saug ænne saagu? = Did the woman utter a proverb?

Se straum maðð trænge de dekkn. = The river may drown the boy.

b. With a direct object and an indirect object
The indirect object of the verb is affected by the action being conveyed to the direct object. It usually comes between the verb and the direct object.

Se vulff tä prenke bø vulflingeret ænne gazzn. = The wolf brings the cubs a rabbit.

Se rich tä kibbent bø gimme ænne jross. = The king is giving him a farm.

Dærre krauðbattr ville ðælle bø parneret ænne ðalle. = Their grandfather will tell the children a tale.

Summe ïsrnsmidd teed mach bø më ænne veevner. = A blacksmith made me some weapons.

c. With an objective complement
In this kind of sentence a direct object is complemented with another name or an adjective modifying it. Because a noun complement is effectively renaming the object, it must agree in case with the object. The complement always follows the direct object. To avoid confusion, this word order must never be changed.

Se rich tä binte gimme ænne tulle. = The king finds him a fool.

Se gimmes neggpuur tä kelle de puur ænne vikke. = His neighbor calls the farmer a witch.

Se parner teed bölg de ðalle kæstigg. = The children felt the tale scary.

Dærre mooþres taud teed mach de køner mønbull. = Their mother's death made the girls mournful.

2. Subject Reversal

Departing from the word order of the basic patterns explained above are sentences using passive construction and those using the expletive gende. In both of these the subject reverses its role within the sentence to become part of the predicate.

i. Passive Construction

To make a passive statement, the normal pattern employing a transitive verb with a direct object is changed. The original subject is replaced by the original direct object. The original subject is then not necessary, but can be expressed by a prepositional phrase used to modify the verb.

Se vulff teed iiz de gazzn. = The wolf ate the rabbit.

Se gazzn kazz iiz (pï vulffet). = The rabbit was eaten (by the wolf).

ii. The Expletive gende

Corresponding to the English words it and there is the one word gende. Gende is used to begin sentences and postpone their subjects until after the verb. In some instances, the subject may be left out.

Se mooþres taud sadde tä iss. = The mother's death is sad.

Gende tä iss sadde (daaz se mooþr teed tyyn). = It is sad (that the mother died).

Se toom teed në giir vozz. = The book was not here.

Gende teed në giir vozz summe toom. = There was not a book here.

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