Editing Limqefa

{{DISPLAYTITLE:limqefa}}
this is the second public draft of my ([[User:rebecca|<span style="color:#df73ff">'''rebecca'''</span>]]<sup>[[user talk:rebecca|talk]]</sup>'s) conlang, which is currently called '''limqefa'''.
it is not yet in a particularly speakable state, requiring mostly more vocabulary at this point.

eventually i would like limqefa to be fun to speak fluently. 

example: {{lim|le sa qo-y'e lhoni kishosh-ek. lhoni-o-qo-y-alh-te sa qowa-y'e ma-eshle-leek|i fix the broken computer, which definitely improves my sensory environment}}

== Phonology & Orthography ==
* m n f t k q/kʷ/ s sh/ʃ/ w l lh/ɬ/ y/j/
* i o e a 
* cvc or cv(v+)
* no(t many) consonant clusters within morphemes

TODO put this in a table

=== Alphabet ===
(TODO put a picture of the alphabet here)

== Grammar ==
basic syntax is SUBJECT (sa/eka) VERB [e OBJECT] [aq INDIRECT_OBJECT]
* {{lim|le sa naq-je e lhoni kishosh-ek aq yashaf-lek|i get rid of the broken computer using my container}}

=== Indirect Object ===
the indirect object (introduced with {{limw|aq}} can be a location, tool, or any additional context about the sentece's action. if you know toki pona, {{limw|aq}} generalizes kepeken, lon, tawa, etc; limqefa has no other prepositions.

=== Aspect: {{limw|sa}}/{{limw|eka}} ===
the choice of word between subject and verb indicates the aspect of the sentence
* {{limw|sa}} indicates an imperfective aspect, for continuous processes or ongoing events
** {{lim|le sa ko e kom-is|i'm making food|i was making food}}
* {{limw|eka}} indicates a perfective aspect, for instantaneous events or changes of state, or focusing more on the outcome than the process
** {{lim|le eka ko e kom-is|i've made food|dinner's ready}}

=== Pronouns ===
* {{lim|le|i, me, we, us}}
** {{lim|-leek|my, our}}
* {{lim|sowa|you}}
** {{lim|-sowek|your}}
* {{lim|on|she, it, he, they, her, him, them}}
** {{limw|on}} is used only for people and things that are very familiar to the speaker or listener. much of the time a noun suffixed with {{limw|-te}} can be used where 'it' would be used in english.
* (TODO) third person posession

=== Illocution ===
* begin a sentence with {{limw|ya}} followed by the main verb to form the imperative
** {{lim|ya lim aq limqefa|speak limqefa!}}
* follow a sentence with {{limw|ansem}} to form a yes/no question
** {{lim|lhoni sa qo aq sowa ansem?|do you like computers?}}
* (TODO) other kinds of questions

== Suffixes ==
when adding a suffix that begins with a vowel to a word that ends in a vowel, remove the final vowel of that word first.

=== {{limw|-ek}}: adjectivizor ===
{{limw|-ek}} turns a noun N into an adjective meaning "like or pertaining to N".
it also turns a transitive verb V into an adjective meaning "having had V done to it", similar to a detransitivizor or participle.
* {{limcon|kom-is|food|kom-is-ek|pertaining to food, foodlike}}
* {{limcon|kishosh|break, destroy|kishosh-ek|broken, destroyed}}
* {{limcon|le eka kishosh e lhoni|i destroyed the computer|lhoni kishosh-ek sa qo|the destroyed computer is good}}

=== {{limw|-is}}: patientivizor ===
{{limw|-is}} turns a transitive verb V into a noun meaning "patient/object of V", similar to -ee in english or Rey in vötgil.
* {{limcon|koma|to eat|kom-is|food}}
* {{limcon|qo-ye|to improve (sth)|qo-y-is|improved thing}}

=== {{limw|-alh}}: gerundizor ===
{{limw|-alh}} turns a verb V into a noun meaning "action, process, state, or result of V happening", similar to -ing or -tion in english.
* {{limcon|lim|talk|limalh|conversation, communication}}
* {{lim|le eka qo-y'e lhoni. qoyelhte sa qo|i fixed the computer. this fixing is good}}

=== {{limw|-ye}}: verbalizor ===
{{limw|-ye}} turns an adjective A into a verb meaning "cause (sth) to become A".
* {{limcon|qo|good|qoye|make sth good; improve; help; heal}}

when {{limw|-ye}} is immediately followed by the object marker {{limw|e}}, then {{limw||-ye e}} is contracted to {{limw|-y'e}}.

=== {{limw|-te}}: definite article ===
appending {{limw|-te}} to a noun N indicates that this N is the same N as the one we are already talking about, or is salient to the conversation.

=== {{limw|-o-}}: object incorporation ===
for a verb V and a noun-phrase N, NoV is a verb meaning "to do V to N" (or "to do V in a way associated with/pertaining to N? maybe?).
it is often used with {{limw|-alh}}.
* {{lim|efon-o-lim-alh|saying numbers}}
* {{lim|efon-o-lim-alh sa qo aq le|i like saying numbers}}
* {{lim|ma-eshle-o-qo-y-alh|improvement of one's sensory environment}}

(TODO this feature is still a little half baked and i may yet change or remove it. i want to have a way to make lexicalized compounds seem distinctive from ad-hoc juxtapositions but i don't know how much i want this)

== Vocabulary ==
the most TODO part of the language becuase i need to actually make some words.

=== stems ===
some words have a long and short form. the short form is used in compounds and the longer form can be used for emphasis. in dictionary entries they are listed together separated by a comma.

=== {{limw|ilesh}},{{limw|naq}}: verbs of motion ===
{{limw|ilesh}} and {{limw|naq}} are intransitive verbs meaning "come (towards sth)" and "go (away from sth)" respectively.
therefore {{limw|ileshye}} and {{limw|naqye}} are transitive verbs meaning "bring/get/fetch" and "throw away/get rid of/weka" respectively.

(TODO: need examples, including sa/eka)

=== other words that i can remember ===
* {{lim|lhoni|n. computer}}
* {{lim|kishosh|vtr. destroy, break}}
* {{lim|kom|vtr. eat}}
** {{lim|kom-is|n. food}}
* {{lim|qo, qowa|adj. good}}
* {{lim|ishe|adj. bad}}
* {{lim|yashaf|n. vessel, container, cup, box}}
* {{lim|ma, malhis|n. environment, context, surroundings, circumstances}}
* {{lim|oqay|v. work, perform, do (sth)}}
** {{lim|oqayis|n. activity, undertaking, task}}
* {{lim|qitak|n. tool, implement, utensil}}
* {{lim|if|n. thing}}
* {{lim|lim|v. speak, talk, communicate}}
** {{lim|lim-alh|n. conversation, communication}}
* {{lim|efon|n. number}}
* {{lim|felom|n. house, home, residence, domicile}}
* {{lim|eshle|adj. pertaining to the senses (TODO)}}

=== other words that i couldn't remember and i had to look them up just now ===
(TODO) put this in a sensible order 

* {{lim|ko|vtr. create, make (artistically)}}
** {{lim|kois|n. art}}
** {{lim|koalh|n. making, creation, construction}}
* {{lim|jama|n. time}}
* {{lim|kina|v. exist}}
** {{lim|kinaye|vtr. cause (sth) to exist, bring into existence}}
** {{lim|kinalh|n. existence}}
* {{lim|ila|v. happen, occur}}
** {{lim|ilaye|vtr. cause to happen, enact}}
** {{lim|ilalh|n. instance, occurence}}
* {{lim|tos|adj. same, such, as mentioned}}
* {{lim|ame|adj. varied, disparate, many}}
* {{lim|wen|n. person}}
* {{lim|kolo|vtr. arrange, order, keep track of, manage}}
* {{lim|kolwesh|n. pain}}

=== Numbers ===
limqefa uses a seximal (base six) numerical system by default, but there is an option to use a decimal (base ten) system with a pentimal (base 5) sub-base.

{| class="wikitable"
|+ Caption text
|-
! value (base six) !! word
|-
|1 || ak
|-
|2 || siw
|-
|3 || fom
|-
|4 || mis
|-
|5 || lok
|-
|10 || kef
|-
|11 || kef ak
|-
|... || ...
|-
|15 || kef lok
|-
|20 || siw kef
|-
|23 || siw kef fom
|-
|55 || lok kef lok
|-
|100 || nif
|-
|2354 || siw kef fom nif lok kef mis
|-
|}

{| class="wikitable"
|+ Caption text
|-
! value (base ten) !! word
|-
|6 || lokak 
|-
|7 || loksiw 
|-
|... || ...
|-
|10 || silok
|-
|100 || shifalo
|-
|7896 || loksiw silok lokfom shifalo lokmis silok lokak
|-
|}

== TODO ==
* verbal prefixes to switch round the function of S, O and IO, and to impart more specific meanings upon IO
* sensory and emotional words
* bring back evidentials?
* moods ({{limw|-pin}} (and friends?))
* can you use verbs as nouns (etc) without explicit derivation, like in toki pona, or do you need to use suffixes for that?