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Join across roles
The join vowels you use on noun lists also join other things: verb phrases under /v/ (walks and runs), whole clauses under /x/ (Azawan walks, then Alahen runs), and stance words under /th/ (not because of the rain). With ending -n under /v/, /ɡ/, or /h/, a join word becomes a verb, adjective, or adverb that names a list move (includes, without). Phrase fences and their set, rank, arity, and scope patterns are in joins.
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Intermediate
Sequence (-n, clause only)
When English tells events in time order (and then), put ending -n on a clause join (/x/). Narrative and then is xan. Like every clause join, it goes between the clauses: A xan B xan C reads one step at a time. The clauses keep one speech act; this -n orders them rather than naming a person.
| Agazan | Use | English | Cue |
|---|---|---|---|
xan | sequence add | and then… | a ≈ add |
xon | sequence menu | or maybe…; after an attempt, failing that… | o ≈ one |
xun | sequence deny | and then not… | u ≈ undo |
xaon | sequence inclusive | and/or maybe… | ao ≈ add then one |
xuen | sequence turned back | and before that… | ue ≈ undo + order (the order runs backward) |
xuen tells the steps last first: A xuen B says that B happened before A. Use it when you want to say the later event first and then step back, as English does with before that.
zazawan vehahel xuen zazawar vowogal.[z-Azawan | v-sit | x-and-before-that | z-←Azawan | v-walk]
"Azawan sat, and before that, they walked."
Under /v/, /ɡ/, and /h/, a join word with -n names a list move instead: see join-act verbs and join-relations. On a content word, -n marks a name as usual.
Verb-phrase and clause forms
Joins already used vam and xam. The same vowels and -l / -m / -r endings work under /v/, /x/, and stance /th/ (stance joins). Clause -n forms are in Sequence; /v/ -n forms are join-act verbs.
| -l | -m | -r | |
|---|---|---|---|
| a | val / xal / thal | vam / xam / tham | var / xar / thar |
| o | vol / xol / thol | vom / xom / thom | vor / xor / thor |
| u | vul / xul / thul | vum / xum / thum | vur / xur / thur |
| ao | vaol / xaol / thaol | vaom / xaom / thaom | none |
| ua | vual / xual / thual | vuam / xuam / thuam | none |
| uo | vuol / xuol / thuol | vuom / xuom / thuom | none |
| e | vel / xel / thel | vem / xem / them | ver / xer / ther |
| ae | vael / xael / thael | vaem / xaem / thaem | none |
| oe | voel / xoel / thoel | voem / xoem / thoem | none |
| ue | vuel / xuel / thuel | vuem / xuem / thuem | none |
Stacked vowels take no -r under /v/ or /x/ (the none cells); only a stance join has stacked -r, as a fill-ask.
Each item in a verb-phrase join is a verb plus the words that go with it, and an item ends at its verb: an /h/, /d/, or /b/ word between two joined verbs belongs to the verb after it. In vowogal hadehum varahal val, hastily is on run, not walk. In the same way, an object or a /b/ party between two verbs goes only with the second verb:
zazawan vowogal dahaben vahahal val.z-Azawan | [v-walk | [d-Ahaben | v-see] | v-and]
"Azawan walks and sees Ahaben."
zazawan vowogal bahaben vezebel val.z-Azawan | [v-walk | [b-Ahaben | v-tell] | v-and]
"Azawan walks and tells Ahaben."
When every item is a bare verb, a /d/ right after the join is SHARED, the object of every verb: vahahal vabovul vam dabovul → sees and tempts an apple.
An adverb /h/ before all the joined verbs, or SHARED after the join, covers every item. An /h/ inside an item covers only that item.
zazawan dababol vugugel hugem bavahel vehahel val.z-Azawan | d-popcorn | [v-cooking | [[h-around | b-fire] | v-sit] | v-and]
"Azawan cooked popcorn and sat around the fire."
zazawan vowogal varahal val hahegem.z-Azawan | [v-walk | v-run | v-and | h-intensity]
"Azawan walks and runs, both intensely."
A rank join on verb phrases puts the acts in order of priority, so the earlier act is the one preferred: would rather walk than run.
zazawan vowogal varahal vel.z-Azawan | [v-walk | v-run | v-rank/more]
"Azawan would rather walk than run."
Nothing is SHARED after a clause (/x/) join; each clause carries its own words.
Sequence ae keeps its phrase meaning in both roles: the first item is where you start. Under /v/ it is one subject doing steps in order; under /x/ it fences a list of steps whose order is part of the message (a recipe, directions). Standalone xael says the steps can go in any order.
zazawan vowogal varahal vael.z-Azawan | [v-walk | v-run | v-in-order]
"Azawan walks, then runs."
Compare with: clause xan (sequence) tells what happened next, one step at a time. xael makes the order part of the claim (a recipe, directions): A xael B xael C says these steps go in this order.
A clause join with no clause before it is standalone, like zal nothing: xal means nothing happened, and open xam adds as far as I know.
xam.x-and.open
"Nothing happened, as far as I know."
All the clauses in an /x/ join share one speech act. Any /y/ word goes before the first clause only; the later clauses take the same act and leave /y/ out.
zazawan vowogal xan zalahen varahal.[z-Azawan | v-walk | x-and-then | z-Alahen | v-run]
"Azawan walks and then Alahen runs."
zazawan vowogal xol zalahen varahal xal zahaben vezebal.[[z-Azawan | v-walk | x-or-exactly-one | z-Alahen | v-run] | x-and | z-Ahaben | v-sleep]
"(Azawan walks or Alahen runs) and Ahaben sleeps."
Stance joins
When English would deny or weigh how you stand toward a claim (not because…, either I saw it or I was told), put a /th/ join word after the stance words. The claim itself is untouched; the join works only on the stance words before it. (cue: same vowels as every other join.)
zazawan vowogal thavem berehel thul.z-Azawan | v-walk | [th-because | b-rain] | th-not
"Azawan walks, but not because of the rain."
zazawan vowogal thevom thewam thol.z-Azawan | v-walk | th-MEMORY | th-REPORTED | th-or-exactly-one
"Azawan walks: I either saw it or was told, one of the two."
The other join vowels work on stance words the same way they work on a phrase list (recap). A rank join says which ground matters most: the first stance word is the main one.
zazawan vowogal thevom thewam thel.z-Azawan | v-walk | th-MEMORY | th-REPORTED | th-rank/more
"Azawan walks: I mainly saw it, and I was also told."
| Vowel | After stance words | Example reading |
|---|---|---|
| ao | thaol open list of grounds | I saw it, I was told, and maybe more |
| ua | thual every ground but these | on every ground but sight and hearsay |
| uo | thuol any ground but these | any ground but sight and hearsay will do |
| e | thel ranked, first is the main ground | mainly because I saw it, also because I was told |
| ae | thael in the order the grounds arose | I saw it first, then I was told |
| oe | thoel equal weight | seeing it and being told count the same |
| ue | thuel ranked, first is the weakest | chiefly because I was told, a little because I saw it |
Nothing is SHARED after an /h/ or /th/ join. To add a detail that covers the whole list, put a /w/ word right before the join word.
Compare with: Azawan does not walk denies the event, so the join goes on the verb (vowogal vul), not on /th/.
Stance join before barl
When the grounds are a whole clause (not because Alahen runs), the pole takes barl and the next sentence is the grounds (poles). That sentence comes last, so the join cannot go after it. Put the join word between the pole and barl instead. It closes the stance words before it as usual, and barl still belongs to the pole.
zazawan vowogal thavem thul barl zalahen varahal.z-Azawan | v-walk | th-because | th-not | b-that-clause | z-Alahen | v-run
"Azawan walks, but not because Alahen runs."
The same join after DEDUCED and an if pole says a conclusion does not follow from its premises (deduction). You deny the link and claim nothing about either clause.
zazawan vedehol thugum thoyem thul barl zazawan gaxedehothel.z-Azawan | v-teach | th-DEDUCED | th-if | th-not | b-that-clause | [z-Azawan | g-agent-x-teach-th-role]
"That Azawan teaches doesn't follow from Azawan being a teacher."
Compare with: thugum thul thoyem barl denies only the channel: if P, then Q, but you do not know that by deduction.
Only one join fits there, and only when the last stance word before it is a pole with no /b/ yet. The same works for every join vowel and every pole, and for a channel that takes grounds (evidence clause).
Standalone stance joins
When English would say how to take a claim without naming any grounds (at face value, no judgment, all things considered), put a /th/ join with no stance words before it. It works like standalone zal nothing: the list of stance words is empty, and the join says what that empty stance means. The claim itself is untouched. (cue: same vowels as every other join.)
zazawan vowogal thul.z-Azawan | v-walk | th-not
"Azawan walks. No judgment."
In the table, reason means any grounds a stance word can give: a cause, a source, a likelihood, or a value.
| Vowel | -l | -m | -r |
|---|---|---|---|
| a | thal at face value | tham I don't think there's more to it | thar for reasons I'm not stating |
| o | thol no single reason to pick | thom I'm not sure which reason it is | thor for some reason or other |
| u | thul no judgment | thum not weighing in | thur not for the reason you'd think |
| ao | thaol take it however you like | thaom any framing is fine, I think | question only |
| ua | thual all things considered | thuam all known things considered | question only |
| uo | thuol anything goes | thuom anything goes, I think | question only |
| e | thel impartially / no decisive grounds | them I don't lean either way | ther for one main reason, not named |
| ae | thael in no particular order | thaem not sure where to start | question only |
| oe | thoel equally balanced | thoem equally balanced, I think | question only |
| ue | thuel no reason to object | thuem no objection that I know of | question only |
Outside a question, only the single-vowel -r cells are words. Under a question, a standalone -r stance join is a fill-ask for the grounds. Every vowel takes -r there.
yol thar zazawan vowogal.y-question | th-why | z-Azawan | v-walk
"On what grounds do you say Azawan walks?"
| Word | Question |
|---|---|
thar | Why do you say so? / On what grounds? |
thor | For any reason? |
thur | On what other grounds? |
thaor | How do you want me to take this? |
thuar | What's your overall take? |
thuor | What reasons would you rule out? |
ther | What's the main reason? |
thaer | What would settle it? |
thoer | What are you torn between? |
thuer | What's your objection? |
Compare with: thul no judgment withholds any stance; a no chance stance number is a stance that the claim is false. thar asks for the speaker's grounds, not what caused the event; for Why does it happen? use thavem bar.
Join-act verbs
When someone does a list move to a thing (includes, chooses, leaves out), write that move as a verb: first letter v, the join vowel for that move, and ending -n (van, von, …). The object is one /d/ phrase: one thing, or a group joined with a phrase join. You can now name the act itself instead of only joining a list. On these verbs, -n does not mark a name.
zazawan dabovul van.z-Azawan | d-apple | v-includes
"Azawan includes an apple."
For an associative group (Alahen and company), put noun -x on the object as usual. -x on the verb itself is collective.
Related form: joining a list uses joins (zal / val / xal, …).
Compare with: and then between sentences uses clause sequence (xan, …), not van.
| Clause sequence | Join-act verb | Shared vowel move |
|---|---|---|
xan | van | add / include |
xon | von | one / choose |
xun | vun | undo / refuse |
The /x/ forms connect clauses and keep one speech act. Their /v/ counterparts take an object and name an act on it. Prioritizing (ven) has no clause sequence, and of the stacked vowels only xaon and xuen have one; the /v/ forms follow the same series in the inventory below.
These are ordinary content verbs. To refer back to a join-act you already named, use a whole-stem -r resume or say it again in full.
Stacked vowels combine the same four moves (a / o / e / u):
| Agazan | Use | English | Cue | Example |
|---|---|---|---|---|
van | hold the object in the set | includes / adds | a ≈ add (hold / inventory) | zazawan dabovul van |
von | lock the object as the sole pick | chooses (as the one choice) | o ≈ one (single pick) | zazawan dedehel von |
vaon | admit the object; more may follow | picks (more picks may follow) | ao ≈ add + one (open pick) | zazawan dagubem vaon |
vun | reject the object | denies / refuses | u ≈ undo (take that member back) | zazawan dalahal vun |
vuan | leave the object out of the set | excludes | ua ≈ undo + add (cut that member) | zazawan debeyal vuan |
vuon | bar that one; the rest stay free | bars (anything but) | uo ≈ undo + one (forbid that pick) | zazawan dagavel vuon |
ven | rank the object first | prioritizes | e ≈ order (put this first) | zazawan dabogal ven |
vaen | put the object first in order | starts with | ae ≈ add + order (begin here) | zazawan derevum vaen |
voen | put the objects at the same rank | equates / ties | oe ≈ one + order (same height) | zazawan dalahen dahaben dal voen |
vuen | rank the object lower | deprioritizes | ue ≈ undo + order (drop this rank) | zazawan dagubem vuen |
English refuse vs leave out: zazawan demedol vun (Azawan refuses meat) vs zazawan demedol vuan (Azawan excludes meat). One locked choice vs an open pick: zazawan debeyal von vs zazawan debeyal vaon. Rank vs sequence: zazawan derevum ven (prioritizes the workaround: first by importance) vs zazawan derevum vaen (starts with the workaround: first in order).
Join-relations
When English ties one extra thing to a noun or an action by a list move (a cupcake with peanuts, walk without meat, work prioritizing the bug), write the move as an adjective (first letter g) or an adverb (first letter h), with the same join vowel as join-act verbs and ending -n (gan / han, …). Right after it comes one /b/ word that names the extra thing. Keep that pair together: gan + /b/ describes a noun, and han + /b/ works as one adverb. You can now say including, without, or prioritizing without building a new list. Here too, -n does not mark a name, and an associative group on the /b/ word takes noun -x as usual.
zagubel gan bebeyal.z-cupcake | [g-including | b-peanut]
"A cupcake with peanuts."
gan always needs its /b/ word (gan b…). To talk about the word itself, with no /b/, use a mention span.
Compare with: writes with a hammer is an extra-noun hook (ael + /b/), not han. han is company / including, not the tool. Tells on behalf of Alahen is proxy (hadem), not hon exclusively for. uel is against that party, not hun refusing.
Not the same job as: adjective joins (gal / gam / gar). Join-relations take -n toward one /b/.
For including as an afterthought, use: a hook (al, …). zahodom gan bazawan is a team including Azawan; zahodom al zazawan is the team, including Azawan.
For several members, put a phrase join inside the /b/ phrase (gan bebeyal bagubem bal). For an unnamed member or none at all, use a standalone /b/ join as the only /b/ word (gan bar = including something; guan bal = excluding nothing).
| Agazan | Use | English | Cue | Example |
|---|---|---|---|---|
gan / han | /ɡ/ noun or /h/ event toward /b/ | including / with | a ≈ add (hold the extra member) | zagubel gan bebeyal; zazawan han balahen vowogal |
gon / hon | /ɡ/ or /h/ toward /b/ | /ɡ/ exclusive for (sole pick); /h/ exclusively for / as the one | o ≈ one (lock that pick) | zahodom gon bazawan; … hon bazawan vowogal |
gaon / haon | /ɡ/ or /h/ toward /b/ | /ɡ/ open to (more may follow); /h/ among options | ao ≈ add + one (admit, still open) | zagubel gaon bebeyal; … haon bebeyal vowogal |
gun / hun | /ɡ/ or /h/ toward /b/ | /ɡ/ against / anti-; /h/ refusing | u ≈ undo (reject that member) | zagubel gun bebeyal; … hun bemedol vowogal |
guan / huan | /ɡ/ or /h/ toward /b/ | without / excluding | ua ≈ undo + add (leave that member out) | zagubel guan bebeyal; … huan bebeyal vowogal |
guon / huon | /ɡ/ or /h/ toward /b/ | /ɡ/ open to anything but; /h/ barring / anything but | uo ≈ undo + one (bar that one; rest free) | zowodel guon bebeyal; … huon bebeyal vowogal |
gen / hen | /ɡ/ or /h/ toward /b/ | /ɡ/ prioritizing / headed by; /h/ prioritizing | e ≈ order (put this first) | zehegol gen babogal; … hen babogal verevum |
gaen / haen | /ɡ/ or /h/ toward /b/ | /ɡ/ starting with; /h/ starting with | ae ≈ add + order (begin here) | zehegol gaen berevum; … haen berevum vowogal |
goen / hoen | /ɡ/ or /h/ toward /b/ | /ɡ/ on a par with; /h/ equating / tying | oe ≈ one + order (same height) | zedehel goen bagavel; … hoen balahen vowogal |
guen / huen | /ɡ/ or /h/ toward /b/ | /ɡ/ deprioritizing / trailing; /h/ deprioritizing | ue ≈ undo + order (drop this rank) | zagubel guen bagubem; … huen bagubem vowogal |
Anti- vs without: gun bemedol vs guan bemedol. Without X vs anything but X: guan bebeyal vs guon bebeyal. Sole pick vs among options: gon bazawan vs gaon bazawan. Workaround as top priority vs workaround as first step: gen berevum vs gaen berevum.
Compare with: a house like Azawan’s / walks like a duck is resemblance (like gumum / humum), not goen / hoen on a par with / equating.
Practice
Short drills for Intermediate. Try each item before opening Show answer.
Setting: a relay race
New words:
| English | Agazan | Cue |
|---|---|---|
| finish-line | evehal | 🏁 |
| teamwork | ahodom | 🤾 from handball |
| medal | amedal | 🏅 |
Review:
| English | Agazan |
|---|---|
| Azawan | azawan |
| Alahen | alahen |
| Ahaben | ahaben |
| MEMORY | thevom |
| REPORTED | thewam |
| because | thavem |
| trophy | odovel |
| run | varahal |
| punch | vabahel |
| scream | vezugel |
English → Agazan
1. Azawan includes the medal.
Show answer
zazawan damedal van.
z-Azawan | d-medal | v-includes
2. Alahen runs with Ahaben.
Show answer
zalahen han bahaben varahal.
z-Alahen | [h-including | b-Ahaben] | v-run
3. Azawan punches, then Alahen screams.
Show answer
zazawan vabahel xan zalahen vezugel.
[z-Azawan | v-punch | x-and-then | z-Alahen | v-scream]
4. Alahen runs and punches.
Show answer
zalahen varahal vabahel val.
z-Alahen | [v-run | v-punch | v-and]
5. Alahen runs, but not because of the medal.
Show answer
zalahen varahal thavem bamedal thul.
z-Alahen | v-run | [th-because | b-medal] | th-not
6. Azawan screams: I either saw it or was told, one of the two.
Show answer
zazawan vezugel thevom thewam thol.
z-Azawan | v-scream | th-MEMORY | th-REPORTED | th-or-exactly-one
Agazan → English
1. zalahen dodovel von.
Show answer
z-Alahen | d-trophy | v-choose
Alahen chooses the trophy (as the one choice).
2. zevehal guan bamedal.
Show answer
z-finish-line | [g-without | b-medal]
The finish line without the medal.
3. zahodom gaon bazawan.
Show answer
z-teamwork | [g-open-to | b-Azawan]
A team open to Azawan (more members may follow).
4. zahaben vezugel xuen zalahen vabahel.
Show answer
[z-Ahaben | v-scream | x-and-before-that | z-Alahen | v-punch]
Ahaben screams; before that, Alahen punched.
5. zahaben varahal thevom thewam thel.
Show answer
z-Ahaben | v-run | th-MEMORY | th-REPORTED | th-rank/more
Ahaben runs: I mainly saw it, and I was also told.
6. yol thar zazawan varahal.
Show answer
y-question | th-why | z-Azawan | v-run
Why do you say Azawan runs?
Pick one
1. Alahen runs, refusing the medal. zalahen hun bamedal varahal. or zalahen han bamedal varahal.
Show answer
zalahen hun bamedal varahal.
z-Alahen | [h-refusing | b-medal] | v-run
u rejects that member; han would run with the medal.
2. Azawan punches; before that, Alahen screams. zazawan vabahel xuen zalahen vezugel. or zazawan vabahel xan zalahen vezugel.
Show answer
zazawan vabahel xuen zalahen vezugel.
[z-Azawan | v-punch | x-and-before-that | z-Alahen | v-scream]
xuen puts the second clause earlier; xan puts it after.
Fix it
1. the finish line, including Ahaben zevehal al bahaben.
Show answer
zevehal gan bahaben.
z-finish-line | [g-including | b-Ahaben]
Before a /b/ noun, the hook al means in; including an extra member is the join-relation gan.
See also
- List joins (right-close fence): joins.md
- Causal readings of open / without: causation.md
- Prefix-less including / instead: hooks.md
- Using a tool: hooks.md