Hooks (including / in / instead / for)

On this page

• Beginner
  • Including (am / al)
  • Rather (el)
  • Instead (ol)
  • Except (ul)
  • Closed and open endings
  • Glue this sentence to prior talk
  • Extra noun (/b/ after the hook)
  • Since (ul on a time)
  • Practice
• Intermediate
  • Ending grids
  • Extra noun: stacked vowels and loose -m
  • Whose (em)
  • Opening a sentence with stacked hooks
  • Somewhere, nowhere, everywhere
  • Here and there, this and that
  • Point back (or / ar / ur / er)
  • Parallel chains
  • Discourse placements
  • Detail on the hook (/w/)
  • Ranges (oel / ual / uel)
  • Practice
• Advanced
  • Hook compounds (cite + extra-noun hook)
  • Practice
• See also

Beginner

English uses small words such as including, instead, in, and for to attach one piece to another. Agazan does this with hooks: short words with no role letter (no z / v / g / …), just a vowel (or two vowels) plus an ending. A hook attaches the piece on its right to something already in play: a phrase in the same role, the sentence before, or the clause itself as an extra noun.

The same spellings work in all three places. You tell them apart by what comes right after the hook, and by whether a /b/ word comes right before it.

Including (am / al)

You named something (A), and you want to say English including B about it. Put a hook between two phrases that play the same role in the clause (both subjects, both objects, both adjectives, …): A HOOK B. For everyday including, the hook is al. B is added to A's slot, but A and B do not become a two-item list. (cue: a ≈ add.)

A HOOK B

zavahal al zazawan.

z-family | including | z-Azawan

"The family, including Azawan."

Because a hook starts with a vowel, the last consonant of the word before it may slide over and start the hook's syllable, in speech and in song: zavahal al can sound like za-va-ha-lal. That is fine. They are still two words, and the listener can still tell where the hook starts.

Compare with: packaging two members as a list uses a join (zodogal zagadul zam a dog and a cat). A hook adds B to A's slot; it does not name a pair.

Rather (el)

To correct your own wording, English says A, or rather B. Use the same A HOOK B shape with vowel e: el. B is a better way to say A. It describes the same thing, so it is not an extra member (as with including) and not a different thing in A's place (as with instead). (cue: e ≈ order.)

zazawan gadadal el gezebul.

[z-Azawan | g-tired] | rather | g-sleepy

"Azawan is tired, or rather, sleepy."

Instead (ol)

For English B instead of A, use the same shape with vowel o: A ol B. A, on the left, is what you named or expected first. B, on the right, is what really belongs in that slot. The order is the reverse of the English. (cue: o ≈ one.)

dedehel ol dagavel.

d-tea | instead | d-coffee

"Coffee instead of tea."

A and B can play any role, as long as both play the same one. They can even be verbs:

zazawan varahal ol vowogal.

z-Azawan | v-run | instead | v-walk

"Azawan walks instead of running."

Compare with: Azawan tells on behalf of Alahen keeps Azawan as the teller (a proxy relation); ol puts someone else in that slot.

Except (ul)

For English A except B, use vowel u: A ul B. What you say holds for A with B taken out. (cue: u ≈ undo.)

zavahal ul zazawan.

z-family | except | z-Azawan

"The family except Azawan."

The left side can be the clause standalone xual everything (clause joins). The right side is then a clause:

xual ul zazawan vowogal.

x-everything | except | z-Azawan | v-walk

"Everything happened except that Azawan walked."

Agazan	Use	English	Cue
a	add a member in the same slot	including: A, including B	a ≈ add
e	offer a better wording	rather: A, or rather B	e ≈ order
o	swap the item	instead: B in place of A	o ≈ one
u	subtract an exception	except: A except B	u ≈ undo

Closed and open endings

The ending on an A HOOK B hook says whether B is complete. -l says B is the whole of it, like plain English including B or except B. -m says there may be more than B, like adding and maybe more. When you are unsure, prefer -m.

Agazan	Use	English	Cue
-l (al / el / ol / ul)	B is the whole story you stand behind	unmarked (including B, except B, …)	l ≈ locked
-m (am / em / om / um)	B is not the only one	and maybe more	m ≈ maybe more

zavahal am zazawan.

z-family | including.open | z-Azawan

"The family, including Azawan and maybe more."

zavahal um zazawan.

z-family | except.open | z-Azawan

"The family except Azawan, and maybe others."

Glue this sentence to prior talk

English can open a sentence with Additionally, In other words, Instead, or Except to say how it connects to what was said before (this sentence-to-sentence connective is the glue). Put the same hook at the front of the sentence. What was already said plays A's role, and the whole new sentence is B. The vowels keep their meanings: add, say another way, replace, take out. (cue: same a / o / e / u map as in-clause.)

Agazan	Use	English	Cue
al …	add another point you stand behind	Additionally, …	a ≈ add
el …	say the last point another way	In other words, …	e ≈ order
ol …	this claim replaces the last one	Instead, … / Actually, …	o ≈ one
ul …	an exception to what was just said	Except, …	u ≈ undo

al zazawan vowogal.

additionally | z-Azawan | v-walk

"Additionally, Azawan walks."

ol zalahen vezebal.

instead | z-Alahen | v-sleep

"Instead, Alahen sleeps."

Use the same ol … for actually when you correct what someone expected: the new claim replaces the old one.

el zahaben godogal.

in.other.words | z-Ahaben | g-dog

"In other words, Ahaben is a dog."

Compare with: however / therefore use continue linkers. A hook at the front only adds, rephrases, replaces, or takes out.

Extra noun (/b/ after the hook)

English prepositions such as in, at, from, and for add a place, a source, or someone who benefits. In Agazan, put a hook right before a /b/ extra noun. The hook says how that noun, its landmark, relates to the event (or to the noun just before the hook). This is not the recipient, which takes no hook (zazawan vezebel balahen tells Alahen).

So the test is: /b/ right after the hook, and no recipient /b/ right before it. Right after a recipient, the hook is same-role including (bazawan al balahen).

The four one-vowel hooks name the everyday extras:

Agazan	Name	Use	Cue
al	in	containment	a ≈ add (into a volume)
ol	at	coincidence with a point	o ≈ one (the one point)
ul	from	source of a path	u ≈ undo (leave)
el	for	who or what the act is meant for	e ≈ order (aim the act)

zodogal vezebal al bahazal.

z-dog | v-sleep | [in | b-house]

"A dog sleeps in a house."

To ask where?, put the fill-ask blank bar after the hook (ol bar where?, ul bar where from?). See Where?.

zalahen vehahel ol bebedel.

z-Alahen | v-sit | [at | b-plate]

"Alahen sits at a plate."

zazawan dawahel vobohol ul bedebul.

z-Azawan | d-wine | v-pour | [from | b-teapot]

"Azawan pours wine from a teapot."

zazawan vugugal el bavahal.

z-Azawan | v-cook | [for | b-family]

"Azawan cooks for a family."

When /b/ is a person or group, el names who the act is meant to benefit, as in cooks for Alahen: what the act brings is meant to reach them.

zazawan vugugal el balahen.

z-Azawan | v-cook | [for | b-Alahen]

"Azawan cooks for Alahen."

These hooks take -l: the landmark is the exact place, point, source, or goal.

To say where something is (there is a dog in a house), write the noun with no verb, then the hook and its /b/. A noun alone says the thing exists, and the hook places it.

zodogal al bahazal.

z-dog | [in | b-house]

"There is a dog in a house."

Compare with: Additionally, Azawan walks is a hook at the front whose next word is not /b/ (al zazawan vowogal). Like a duck is still a hosted simile. Tells on behalf of Alahen is proxy. Naming the place of an event as its own noun (a sleep-place, that scream-place) is a role compound with vowel e, not this hook on the same clause.

Since (ul on a time)

For since (from a starting point, and still true now), use ul from with a time instead of a place: from the thunderstorm on. hanom after only places the event later. ul says the event has gone on from that point until now. (cue: u ≈ undo: leave the starting point behind)

zazawan vehahel ul bavodel.

z-Azawan | v-sit | [from | b-thunderstorm]

"Azawan has been sitting since the thunderstorm."

For since before a sentence, put barl after ul and the starting event after it.

zazawan vowogal ul barl zalahen vezebal.

z-Azawan | v-walk | [from | b-that-clause] | z-Alahen | v-sleep

"Azawan has been walking since Alahen fell asleep."

ul is the only hook that takes barl. Every other hook needs a real noun in /b/.

Compare with: since meaning because is thavem barl. Agazan keeps the time reading and the cause reading apart.

Practice

Short drills for Beginner. Try each item before opening Show answer.

Setting: a restaurant pass

New words:

English	Agazan	Cue
plate	ebedel	🍽️
salad	azavul	🥗
family	avahal	👪
teapot	edebul	🫖
beer	ebehol	🍺

Review:

English	Agazan
Azawan	azawan
Alahen	alahen
Ahaben	ahaben
cook	vugugal
pour	vobohol
cookie	ugugol
wine	awahel
sandwich	azal
sit	vehahel

English → Agazan

1. The family, including Azawan, cooks.

Show answer

zavahal al zazawan vugugal.

z-family | including | z-Azawan | v-cook

2. Alahen pours wine instead of beer.

Show answer

zalahen debehol ol dawahel vobohol.

z-Alahen | d-beer | instead | d-wine | v-pour

Also correct: zalahen vobohol debehol ol dawahel.

3. Azawan cooks a salad for Ahaben.

Show answer

zazawan dazavul vugugal el bahaben.

z-Azawan | d-salad | v-cook | [for | b-Ahaben]

4. Additionally, Ahaben sits.

Show answer

al zahaben vehahel.

additionally | z-Ahaben | v-sit

5. There is a cookie at a plate.

Show answer

zugugol ol bebedel.

z-cookie | [at | b-plate]

6. The family, except Alahen, sits.

Show answer

zavahal ul zalahen vehahel.

z-family | except | z-Alahen | v-sit

Agazan → English

1. zazawan dugugol vugugal el bavahal.

Show answer

z-Azawan | d-cookie | v-cook | [for | b-family]

Azawan cooks a cookie for a family.

2. ol zalahen debehol vobohol.

Show answer

instead | z-Alahen | d-beer | v-pour

Instead, Alahen pours beer.

3. zawahel al bedebul.

Show answer

z-wine | [in | b-teapot]

There is wine in a teapot.

4. zavahal am zalahen vehahel.

Show answer

z-family | including.open | z-Alahen | v-sit

The family, including Alahen and maybe more, sits.

5. zahaben dazal el dazavul vugugal.

Show answer

z-Ahaben | d-sandwich | rather | d-salad | v-cook

Ahaben cooks a sandwich, or rather a salad.

6. zalahen vehahel ul barl zazawan vugugal.

Show answer

z-Alahen | v-sit | [from | b-that-clause] | z-Azawan | v-cook

Alahen has been sitting since Azawan cooked.

Pick one

1. Alahen pours wine from a teapot. zalahen dawahel vobohol ul bedebul. or zalahen dawahel vobohol al bedebul.

Show answer

zalahen dawahel vobohol ul bedebul.

z-Alahen | d-wine | v-pour | [from | b-teapot]

ul before /b/ is the source, from; al would be in the teapot.

2. The family except Alahen, and maybe others, cooks. zavahal um zalahen vugugal. or zavahal ul zalahen vugugal.

Show answer

zavahal um zalahen vugugal.

z-family | except.open | z-Alahen | v-cook

Open -m leaves room for more exceptions; ul says Alahen is the only one.

Fix it

1. Alahen cooks for the family. zalahen vugugal el davahal.

Show answer

zalahen vugugal el bavahal.

z-Alahen | v-cook | [for | b-family]

The noun after a for hook is an extra noun, so it takes /b/, not /d/.

Intermediate

Ending grids

Beginner already used closed -l and open -m for how complete B is, or how this sentence attaches to prior talk.

In-clause

	-l	-m
a (including)	al: including B	am: including B, and maybe more
e (rather)	el: or rather B	em: or rather B, and maybe more
o (instead)	ol: instead (B in place of A)	om: B instead of A, B being one of several possible replacements
u (except)	ul: except B	um: except B, and maybe more

Discourse

At the front of a sentence, -m says this sentence is one of several you could say there: one more point among others, one way to reword, one possible replacement, one exception among others.

	-l	-m
a (additionally)	al: Additionally, …	am: Among other things, …
e (in other words)	el: In other words, …	em: To put it one way, …
o (instead)	ol: Instead, …	om: Instead, for instance, …
u (except)	ul: Except, …	um: Except, among other exceptions, …

To make a whole A HOOK B phrase into a name (a store, a title, a handle), give the hook -n (titled phrases). Otherwise use -l or -m. The two sides keep their usual endings (kinds -l, abstracts -m, a name -n).

dedehel on dagavel.

NAME[d-tea | instead | d-coffee]

"Tea-to-Coffee" (a cafe name)

Compare with: no dog / not X uses a prefixed join (zodogal zul). The hook ul, with no role letter, always takes a B out of A.

zodogal zul.

[z-dog | z-not]

"No dog."

Extra noun: stacked vowels and loose -m

Beginner already used the one-vowel extra-noun hooks (in / at / from / for). Hooks with two vowels name the rest of the everyday extras. The test is the same: /b/ comes right after the hook, and the word right before the hook (skipping any /w/) is not a recipient /b/ (so bazawan al balahen is including).

A hook + /b/ right after a landmark (the /b/ of another extra, or of a word such as a locative relation) describes that landmark, not the clause: the village near me.

zazawan vowogal al bahedem om bamun.

z-Azawan | v-walk | [in | [b-locality | [near | b-speaker]]]

"Azawan walks in the village near me."

Several extra-noun hooks on one clause are several extras (from one landmark toward another). To keep the second one on the clause, put a non-/b/ word between the first landmark and the next hook; the verb can sit there (ul bezedel vowogal oel bedehal). Extra-noun -n makes the hook and its landmark a name, as on same-role hooks; the landmark keeps its own ending.

With an extra-noun hook, -m makes a frame extra: the landmark is the general setting, not the exact contact, source, tool, or opponent. It is not a second copy of the same extra.

-l	English	-m	English	Cue
al	in	am	amid	a ≈ add (into a volume); -m that volume as the setting
aol	on	aom	over	ao ≈ add onto one face; -m that face as the setting
ol	at	om	near	o ≈ one (the one point); -m that point as the setting
oel	toward	oem	in the direction of	o ≈ at + e ≈ for: aimed at one point; -m that aim as the setting
ul	from	um	away from	u ≈ undo (leave); -m that origin as the setting
ual	out of	uam	out from among	ua ≈ leave a volume; -m that volume as the setting
uol	through	uom	by way of	uo ≈ leave via one path; -m that path as the setting
el	for	em	used by (B's)	e ≈ order (aim the act); -m what was meant for B is now in B's use
ael	using	aem	by	ae ≈ add to the aim: the means that serves it; -m the channel
uel	against	uem	contrary to	ue ≈ undo aimed at; -m the opposing frame

zazawan vehahel aol behahel.

z-Azawan | v-sit | [on | b-chair]

"Azawan sits on a chair."

zazawan dugul ael bebewel varadal.

z-Azawan | d-book | [using | b-pen] | v-write

"Azawan writes a book with a pen."

Compare with: hook oel names where a path ends (toward X). A sequence join on one noun, zael, names where it starts (from X on).

zazawan uel bagavol vavadal.

z-Azawan | [against | b-guard] | v-fight

"Azawan fights against a guard."

zazawan vezebel aem bagahol.

z-Azawan | v-tell | [by | b-camera]

"Azawan tells by camera."

zazawan vowogal uem berehel.

z-Azawan | v-walk | [contrary-to | b-rain]

"Azawan walks contrary to rain."

To ask how? about the means (with what?), put the blank bar after ael, the same way as Where?.

yol ael bar zazawan dugul varadal.

y-question | [using | b-wh] | z-Azawan | d-book | v-write

"How does Azawan write the book?"

Compare with: some English prepositions use other forms. Company with Alahen is a join-relation, and so is without. Like is a simile. Between is a hosted pair plus a /b/ join (relations). So that Alahen sits is hogom barl.

Whose (em)

English Azawan's dog often means the dog is in Azawan's use: Azawan keeps it, walks it, feeds it. Put em right after the noun, then the user in /b/. em says B uses the thing or has access to it. It does not say who owns it. (cue: el is for B, a get meant to reach B; em says it already reached B and is in B's use)

zodogal em bazawan varahal.

[z-dog | [used-by | b-Azawan]] | v-run

"Azawan's dog runs."

zazawan dahazal em balahen vahahal.

z-Azawan | [d-house | [used-by | b-Alahen]] | v-see

"Azawan sees Alahen's house." (the house Alahen lives in)

For my and your, put the speaker or listener in /b/: em bamun is my, em behon is your.

zodogal em bamun vezebal.

[z-dog | [used-by | b-speaker]] | v-sleep

"My dog sleeps."

To describe the thing, put its /ɡ/ word between the noun and em. The adjective stays on the noun, and em still attaches to the noun. A /ɡ/ word after the /b/ describes B instead (complex chaining).

zodogal gelavam em bamun vezebal.

[z-dog | g-big | [used-by | b-speaker]] | v-sleep

"My big dog sleeps."

With no verb, the same order is a sentence. A noun marked with em is one the listener can pick out, so the /ɡ/ word is a property, not there is ….

zodogal gelavam em bamun.

[z-dog | g-big | [used-by | b-speaker]]

"My dog is big."

Compare with: zodogal gelavam. is There is a big dog (existence): a new noun with no em introduces the thing. zodogal em bamun gelavam puts big on the speaker, not the dog. zodogal em bamun. alone says your dog is here (there's my dog).

Things B uses include places B lives or sits, tools and rides B uses, ideas B works with, and B's turn, time, or occasion: Azawan's birthday is the day that is Azawan's to have.

zebeval em bazawan.

[z-birthday | [used-by | b-Azawan]]

"It's Azawan's birthday."

Other kinds of 's each have their own word:

English 's	Use
legal ownership (the dog Azawan owns)	gegabem + /b/
a person tied to B (Azawan's friend, boss, patient)	a tie on /ɡ/ (relations)
part of B (Azawan's hand), what B is made of or comes from	of relations
a feeling B has (Azawan's anger)	emotion compose
something B made (the book Azawan wrote)	a role compound

em always needs a noun on its left: it belongs to the nearest noun before it (after that noun's /ɡ/ words). After a verb or at the start of a sentence there is no thing for B to use, so em + /b/ is not a sentence there. For someone's act (Azawan's walk), say the act as its own sentence, then point back to it.

em never takes a person on the left: a person is not something someone uses. gegabem never does either, because no one owns a person: a person tied to B takes a tie (Azawan's patient is care, gobadam). em never names a feeling or trait either, and neither does part of: a feeling or trait stays something B has, not something B uses or is made of. A feeling uses emotion compose; a trait is a /ɡ/ word on B.

Compare with: for Azawan is el. A sake on /ɡ/ also marks the noun as yours, together with how it serves you.

Opening a sentence with stacked hooks

English In fact, … or What's more, … adds a point that goes further than what came before. At the front of a sentence, with no /b/ right after it, the two-vowel hook ael does this job. (cue: ae ≈ add, ranked upward)

ael zalahen vezebal.

in.fact | z-Alahen | v-sleep

"In fact, Alahen sleeps."

Opening with aol … gives English For example, …: this sentence is one case of what you just said. (cue: ao ≈ add one: a single sample) With -m, aom … adds among others and aem … adds in fact, and maybe more. No other two-vowel hook opens a sentence: for next, by the way, and on the contrary, use a linker.

zavahal vowogal. aol zalahen vowogal.

z-family | v-walk . for.example | z-Alahen | v-walk

"The family walks. For example, Alahen walks."

Compare with: al … Additionally adds a separate point next to the last one; aol … gives an instance of it. Inside a clause, such as is am (including, and maybe more).

Somewhere, nowhere, everywhere

For English somewhere, nowhere, and everywhere, put a standalone join in the /b/ slot after a place hook. Outside a question, bar is an unspecified member (somewhere), the same way zar is someone. Under yol, it is the where? blank.

Agazan	English
ol bar	somewhere (under yol: where?)
ol bur	somewhere else
ol bal	nowhere
ol bual	everywhere

zazawan vowogal ol bual.

z-Azawan | v-walk | [at | b-everything]

"Azawan walks everywhere."

zodogal vezebal ol bal.

z-dog | v-sleep | [at | b-none]

"The dog sleeps nowhere."

Here and there, this and that

English here, there, this, and that point at things by their distance from the speaker. Agazan points from a person in the conversation instead: put a place hook before the speaker, listener, or interlocutors in /b/. You always say whose here you mean, the same way Agazan says whose left you mean (viewpoint laterals).

Names come first. When you know who is talking or listening, use their name as the landmark (om bazawan near Azawan). Use speaker and listener when the conversation role itself matters, or when you have no name to use.

Agazan	Landmark	English
om bamun	near the speaker	here, this
om behon	near the listener	there (by you), that
om bahan	near both of you	here (with us)
um bahan	away from both of you	over there, yonder

Use ol in place of om for the exact spot (ol bamun right where I am).

zodogal om bamun vehahel.

z-dog | [near | b-speaker] | v-sit

"This dog sits here by me."

zazawan dugul om behon vahahal.

z-Azawan | d-book | [near | b-listener] | v-see

"Azawan sees that book by you."

zalahen vezebal um bahan.

z-Alahen | v-sleep | [away-from | b-interlocutors]

"Alahen sleeps over there."

English come and go also point from a person, but they hide which one: I'm coming moves toward the listener, not the speaker. Agazan names the landmark with the plain motion verb vuvudel (go) and a path hook: oel (toward) for come, ul (from) for go away. vuvudel says nothing about how someone travels; use vowogal (walk) or varahal (run) only when the manner matters.

zazawan vuvudel oel bamun.

z-Azawan | v-go | [toward | b-speaker]

"Azawan comes over to me."

zalahen vuvudel oel behon.

z-Alahen | v-go | [toward | b-listener]

"Alahen is coming to you."

zazawan vuvudel ul bamun.

z-Azawan | v-go | [from | b-speaker]

"Azawan goes away from me."

With an object, vuvudel moves something else: zazawan vuvudel dehahel. Azawan moves the chair. When the mover goes along with the thing, use valagel (carry). The same hooks then give English bring and take:

zazawan valagel dabegol oel bamun.

z-Azawan | v-carry | d-box | [toward | b-speaker]

"Azawan brings me the box."

zazawan valagel dabegol ul bamun.

z-Azawan | v-carry | d-box | [from | b-speaker]

"Azawan takes the box away."

In reported speech, the speaker is still whoever says the whole sentence. After that (darl, see dependents), om bamun is near the person talking now. Inside a quoted cite span, the quoted person is the speaker, as in English direct quotes.

Compare with: that dog for a dog already named is resume -r (zodogar), not a place. Where? is ol bar (Where?). There for a place already named is a resume hook.

Point back (or / ar / ur / er)

English there, from there, and for it point back to a place or thing already named. In Agazan, give the extra-noun hook -r and leave out the /b/ word: after the verb, the hook points back to the landmark already in play, the way resume -r does on a noun. A hook with -r has no noun on its right, and no phrase on its left to pair with (it is not a same-role hook).

Agazan	Points back to	English
ar	inside the place already named	in there / in it
or	the place already named	there
ur	the place already named, as a source	from there
er	the one already named, as a goal	for that / for it

zazawan vehahel ol bahazal. zalahen vehahel or.

z-Azawan | v-sit | [at | b-house] . z-Alahen | v-sit | there

"Azawan sits at the house. Alahen sits there too."

zodogal vezebal al bahazal. zodogar varahal ur.

z-dog | v-sleep | [in | b-house] . z-←dog | v-run | from.there

"The dog sleeps in the house. It runs from there."

Stacked extra-noun vowels point back the same way: the vowels keep the extra they named (aol on, ael using, uol through), and -r drops the landmark.

Agazan	Points back to	English
aor	the face already named	on it
aer	the means already named	with it
uor	the path already named	through there

zazawan vehahel aol behahel. zalahen vehahel aor.

z-Azawan | v-sit | [on | b-chair] . z-Alahen | v-sit | on.it

"Azawan sits on a chair. Alahen sits on it too."

zazawan dugul ael bebewel varadal. zalahen varadal aer.

z-Azawan | d-book | [using | b-pen] | v-write . z-Alahen | v-write | with.it

"Azawan writes a book with a pen. Alahen writes with it too."

zazawan vowogal uol bahazal. zalahen vowogal uor.

z-Azawan | v-walk | [through | b-house] . z-Alahen | v-walk | through.there

"Azawan walks through the house. Alahen walks through there too."

At the front of a sentence, a resume hook points back to an earlier stretch of talk, not just the last sentence.

Agazan	Use	English	Cue
or …	back to the main line after a side topic	Anyway, …	o ≈ one (the one main thread)
er …	say an earlier point again	As I said, …	e ≈ order (the wording again)
ar …	add to an earlier point, not the last one	Going back to that, …	a ≈ add
ur …	drop the last point	Never mind that, …	u ≈ undo

or zazawan vowogal.

anyway | z-Azawan | v-walk

"Anyway, Azawan walks."

ur zalahen vezebal.

never.mind.that | z-Alahen | v-sleep

"Never mind that: Alahen sleeps."

Compare with: ol … Instead replaces the last claim. or … Anyway leaves the side topic standing and returns to the main one; it leaves the topic alone too, so after a side topic the full return is or xazawar …. To go back to a person or thing rather than a line of talk, return to it as the topic (xazawar), which also makes it the topic again.

Parallel chains

To say more than one thing about the same A (including B but except C, or two includings), keep adding hooks after B: A HOOK₁ B HOOK₂ C. Each hook applies to A, not to the B before it, and each has its own vowel and ending. So C is never tucked under B the way English including (B except C) can be.

zavahal am zazawan ul zalahen.

z-family | including.open | z-Azawan | except | z-Alahen

"The family, including Azawan and maybe more, except Alahen."

Chain	English
A am B am C	A including B and including C, and maybe more
A al B al C	A including B and including C
A am B ul C	A including B, and maybe more, except C
A ul B ul C	A except B and except C

Compare with: a list join after the hook is finished first, and the whole list becomes B: zodogal ol zagadul zebedul zam is a cat and a bird (and possibly more) instead of a dog.

Discourse placements

Beginner put a discourse hook at the front of a plain statement. It can sit in three more places, with the same spellings and vowel meanings:

Placement	Agazan	Use
Before a written turn marker	HOOK yal BODY	The written yal / yol / …, after any vocatives and interjections
Before a default-statement body	HOOK BODY	Implied yal (speech moves)
Later clause under /x/	… JOIN HOOK BODY	Same as the opener
Before an /x/ linker	HOOK LINKER BODY	Same as prior talk

A sentence opening takes only one discourse hook; you cannot chain them the way you chain in-clause hooks. After a written turn marker, a hook inside the body is an in-clause hook.

On a later clause in a clause /x/ join, the hook goes right after the join, before that clause’s body: A xam al B → A and additionally B. Before an /x/ linker (therefore, however, …), it applies to the linker and the rest of the sentence together: al xodum … → Additionally, therefore …. When one connective is enough, prefer plain al … or plain xodum ….

yazawan al zalahen vowogal.

y-Azawan | additionally | z-Alahen | v-walk

"Azawan: additionally, Alahen walks." (a call, then a discourse hook)

Compare with: packaging a list uses prefixed joins (zal / zam / val …).

Detail on the hook (/w/)

To add detail to the hook itself (hesitantly excepting, never excepting), put a /w/ word right before the hook. A /w/ word always describes the word right after it, and a hook takes one the same way a /ɡ/ or /h/ word does. A restrictor works there too. The hook's right-hand piece follows as usual.

On a same-role hook, the detail describes the except (or including, rather, instead). An /h/ word in the clause still describes the verb.

zavahal wezogom ul zazawan.

z-family | [w-hesitation | except] | z-Azawan

"The family, hesitantly excepting Azawan."

zavahal wal ul zazawan.

z-family | [w-never | except] | z-Azawan

"The family, never excepting Azawan."

A surprise word on the including hook gives English even: wezum al adds B and says openly that B is the one nobody expected.

zalahen wezum al zazawan vowogal.

z-Alahen | [w-amazement | including] | z-Azawan | v-walk

"Alahen walks, and even Azawan does."

Compare with: zavahal ul zazawan hadehum vugugal puts haste on the cooking, not on the except.

On an extra-noun hook, /w/ goes before the hook and /b/ still comes right after it. A /ɡ/ word after the landmark still describes the landmark.

zodogal vezebal wal al bahazal.

z-dog | v-sleep | [[w-never | in] | b-house]

"A dog sleeps, never in a house."

A discourse hook takes /w/ the same way: welavam al zazawan vowogal is Additionally, very much so, Azawan walks. A /b/ right after the hook still makes it an extra-noun hook, not a discourse hook.

Ranges (oel / ual / uel)

When the items sit on a line with an order (people in a queue, days, chapters, numbers), English A through B names a range: A, B, and everything between. Put a stacked hook between two words in the same role: A HOOK B. Between same-role words these hooks name only ranges; with /b/ on the right and no /b/ on the left, they are extra-noun hooks (toward, out of, against).

zazawan oel zahaben vowogal.

z-Azawan | through | z-Ahaben | v-walk

"Everyone from Azawan through Ahaben walks."

Agazan	Use	English	Cue
oel	A, B, and everything between	A through B	o ≈ at + e ≈ for: start at A, head for B
ual	only what lies between	strictly between A and B	ua ≈ take away both ends
uel	only what lies outside	outside A–B	ue ≈ undo the stretch from A to B

The range runs from A to B, in the order you say them. Endings work as on other hooks: -m makes the ends soft (roughly A through B), and -n names the range as a whole. -r stands in for one member you are not naming, and under a question it asks which one:

zazawan uar zahaben vezebal.

z-Azawan | some.strictly-between | z-Ahaben | v-sleep

"Someone between Azawan and Ahaben sleeps."

A range -r always has a word on each side (oer / uar / uer). With nothing on the right, stacked extra-noun -r still points back (aor on it).

zazawan ual zahaben vezebal.

z-Azawan | strictly-between | z-Ahaben | v-sleep

"Everyone between Azawan and Ahaben sleeps."

Between two numbers with digits, plain al and ul also make a range, because 3, including 5 has nothing to include into: ranges.

A word right after B describes B alone, not the range. To describe the range itself, put /w/ right before the hook:

zazawan wezum oel zahaben vowogal.

z-Azawan | [w-amazement | through] | z-Ahaben | v-walk

"Amazingly, everyone from Azawan through Ahaben walks."

Compare with: zazawan zahaben zal is Azawan and Ahaben, the two ends only. zazawan zahaben zael is Azawan, then Ahaben, an order with nothing between. Spatial between a train and a station is a relation, not a range.

Practice

Short drills for Intermediate. Try each item before opening Show answer.

Setting: a newsroom

New words:

English	Agazan	Cue
newspaper	unuzel	📰
camera	agahol	📷
radio	eredel	📻

Review:

English	Agazan
Azawan	azawan
Alahen	alahen
Ahaben	ahaben
speaker	amun
family	avahal
page	abehel
pencil	ebeyol
surprise	ezul
big	gelavam
write	varadal
tell	vezebel
sit	vehahel
run	varahal
see	vahahal
find	vamagal

English → Agazan

1. Azawan writes on the page.

Show answer

zazawan varadal aol babehel.

z-Azawan | v-write | [on | b-page]

2. Alahen writes a newspaper using a pencil.

Show answer

zalahen dunuzel ael bebeyol varadal.

z-Alahen | d-newspaper | [using | b-pencil] | v-write

3. There's Ahaben's radio.

Show answer

zeredel em bahaben.

[z-radio | [used-by | b-Ahaben]]

4. The radio is here (near me).

Show answer

zeredel om bamun.

z-radio | [near | b-speaker]

5. Azawan sits at the radio. Alahen sits there too.

Show answer

zazawan vehahel ol beredel. zalahen vehahel or.

z-Azawan | v-sit | [at | b-radio] . z-Alahen | v-sit | there

6. The family, even Azawan, writes.

Show answer

zavahal wezum al zazawan varadal.

z-family | [w-amazement | including] | z-Azawan | v-write

Agazan → English

1. ael zalahen varadal.

Show answer

in.fact | z-Alahen | v-write

In fact, Alahen writes.

2. zalahen dagahol vamagal ol bal.

Show answer

z-Alahen | d-camera | v-find | [at | b-none]

Alahen finds the camera nowhere.

3. zavahal am zazawan ul zalahen vezebel.

Show answer

z-family | including.open | z-Azawan | except | z-Alahen | v-tell

The family, including Azawan and maybe more, but not Alahen, tells.

4. zazawan oel zahaben varadal.

Show answer

z-Azawan | through | z-Ahaben | v-write

Azawan through Ahaben write. (everyone in the line from Azawan to Ahaben)

5. yazawan al zalahen vezebel.

Show answer

y-Azawan | additionally | z-Alahen | v-tell

Azawan! Additionally, Alahen tells.

6. zahaben dunuzel om deredel vahahal.

Show answer

z-Ahaben | d-newspaper | instead.open | d-radio | v-see

Ahaben sees the radio instead of the newspaper (one possible replacement).

Pick one

1. Ahaben runs toward the radio. zahaben varahal oel beredel. or zahaben varahal ul beredel.

Show answer

zahaben varahal oel beredel.

z-Ahaben | v-run | [toward | b-radio]

oel names where the path ends; ul is from the radio.

Fix it

1. Azawan's camera is big. zagahol em bazawan gelavam.

Show answer

zagahol gelavam em bazawan.

[z-camera | g-big | [used-by | b-Azawan]]

Put the camera's /ɡ/ word before em; after the /b/ it describes Azawan.

Advanced

Hook compounds (cite + extra-noun hook)

English has single verbs for moving in relation to a place: enter, leave, oppose. Agazan makes them by fusing an extra-noun hook onto the end of a citation: walk + from (vowogal ul bezedel walks from a station) becomes one word, leave. Every hook in the extra-noun grid can fuse this way.

Keep the left word’s own -l or -m, then write the hook, with no mid-word x. The dictionary form is the citation (no role letter), because the same stem can sit under /z/ or /ɡ/ as well as /v/.

CITE + HOOK
owogal + ul → owogalul

In a clause, add a role letter to that citation (vowogalul). The extra participant is an ordinary object (/d/), not /b/ (that would still be a recipient after a verb).

zazawan dezedel vowogalul.

z-Azawan | d-station | v-leave

"Azawan leaves a station."

owogalul

leave

"leave" (citation)

The left ending is part of the stem, so two different left roots stay distinct once the hook is attached. In speech that ending starts the hook's syllable, so no consonant closes a syllable mid-word: owogalul is o-wo-ga-lul.

Hook	Free extra-noun	Fused -l	Fused -m	Citation (from walk)
al / am	in / amid	enter	mill amid	owogalal / owogalam
aol / aom	on / over	mount	cover	owogalaol / owogalaom
ol / om	at / near	attend	adjoin	owogalol / owogalom
oel / oem	toward / in the direction of	head for	orient	owogaloel / owogaloem
ul / um	from / away from	leave	recede	owogalul / owogalum
ual / uam	out of / out from among	exit	pick out	owogalual / owogaluam
uol / uom	through / by way of	traverse	relay	owogaluol / owogaluom
el / em	for / used by	serve	have in use	owogalel / owogalem
ael / aem	using / by	wield	channel	owogalael / owogalaem
uel / uem	against / contrary to	oppose	defy	owogaluel / owogaluem

zalahen dedehel vowogalel.

z-Alahen | d-tea | v-serve

"Alahen serves tea."

Other roots fuse the same way: vezebeluel contradict is tell fused with against. The dictionary lists these words as citations (owogalul, not vowogalul).

Compare with: vowogal ul bezedel still walks from a station as two words. Same-role including / rather / instead / except never fuse; they are always separate hook words. A lexical compound like bedroom glues two content roots with a join letter; this glues a citation to an extra-noun hook.

Practice

Short drills for Advanced. Try each item before opening Show answer. Each fused verb is a citation plus a hook from the extra-noun grid (walk + from is leave).

Setting: a ferry slip

New words:

English	Agazan	Cue
anchor	agel	⚓

Review:

English	Agazan
Azawan	azawan
Alahen	alahen
Ahaben	ahaben
walk	vowogal
tell	vezebel
boat	obodal
ship	ehebal
fog	avegel
ice	azahol

English → Agazan

1. Azawan leaves a boat.

Show answer

zazawan dobodal vowogalul.

z-Azawan | d-boat | v-leave

2. Alahen heads for the anchor.

Show answer

zalahen dagel vowogaloel.

z-Alahen | d-anchor | v-head-for

3. Ahaben exits the fog.

Show answer

zahaben davegel vowogalual.

z-Ahaben | d-fog | v-exit

4. Azawan contradicts Alahen. (tell fused with against)

Show answer

zazawan dalahen vezebeluel.

z-Azawan | d-Alahen | v-tell-oppose

Agazan → English

1. davegel zalahen vowogalul.

Show answer

d-fog | z-Alahen | v-leave

Alahen leaves the fog.

2. zazawan dazahol vowogaluol.

Show answer

z-Azawan | d-ice | v-traverse

Azawan crosses the ice.

3. zalahen dehebal vowogalal.

Show answer

z-Alahen | d-ship | v-enter

Alahen enters a ship.

4. zahaben dobodal vowogaluel.

Show answer

z-Ahaben | d-boat | v-oppose

Ahaben opposes the boat.

Pick one

1. Azawan enters the ship. zazawan dehebal vowogalal. or zazawan behebal vowogalal.

Show answer

zazawan dehebal vowogalal.

z-Azawan | d-ship | v-enter

A fused verb takes its extra participant as an ordinary object, /d/; after a verb, /b/ is a recipient.

Fix it

1. leave (the dictionary citation) vowogalul.

Show answer

owogalul.

leave

The dictionary lists a hook compound as a citation, with no role letter.

See also

• List joins (and / or): joins.md
• Hosted leftover relations (like, between, of): relations.md
• When this hook counts: restrictors.md
• Prefix-less citation: word-endings.md
• Titled phrases: word-endings.md
• Dictionary compounds without x: x-compounds.md