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How to read mid-word x
Sometimes one Agazan word is two smaller meanings with x in the middle. The last letter (-l / -m / -n / -r) is still the ending of the whole word. What sits left and right of that x tells you which kind of word it is.
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Beginner
Two roots, one word
English often treats two words as one idea (peanut butter), or joins two names with a hyphen. In Agazan you write both dictionary roots in one word and put x between them. The first letter of the word is still the role letter (subject, verb, and so on). The ending belongs to the whole word, not to the piece before x alone. (cue: x ≈ plus: two pieces make one word)
zebeyaxabodel.z-peanut-x-butter
"peanut butter"
The last root is the kind of thing; the left root specifies it (what field, what extra label). You get one thing in the sentence, not two.
gagayoxalaval.g-crush-x-love
"love in the crush sense"
| Agazan | Use | English | Cue |
|---|---|---|---|
full root x full root | two roots, one word | zebeyaxabodel peanut butter | x ≈ plus |
a / e / u / o x root | role compound | zaxedehol someone who teaches (-r the one teaching) | a doer / e scene / u undergoer / o extra /b/ party |
Not the same job as: a word that starts with x keeps the same speech move going. That x is not this glue in the middle.
Not the same job as: mid-word th. The stance letter joins pieces when the second piece is your view rather than more of the same thing, such as a sake and how it stands (sakes: gulothal). x adds; th says from where you see it. (cue: th ≈ think)
Words you look up, not build
English bedroom, doorbell, and friend feel like one word. Agazan lists those as one dictionary word too. You look the word up. You do not make it on the spot by putting x between bed and room.
Inside the dictionary spelling you can still see the two old roots, with a join letter instead of x. That letter is the word ending of the left root: -l when that piece is the everyday kind, -m when it is the abstract sense (named -n or resume -r if that left piece is a name or a resume). The last letter of the word is still the ending of the whole entry. In a sentence you add a role letter and that whole-word ending, the same way you do for dog or hammer.
zebedaluruhel.z-bedroom
"a bedroom."
| Agazan | Use | English | Cue |
|---|---|---|---|
zebedaluruhel | bed -l room | bedroom | left piece everyday |
zoyelebehul | door -l bell | doorbell | left piece everyday |
zanalobel | bond -l person | friend | left piece everyday |
zerehelogodul | rain -l coat | raincoat | left piece everyday |
…m… | left root in its abstract sense | same two roots, join -m | m ≈ meaning |
If the pairing is not in the dictionary, either glue with x (zebeyaxabodel peanut butter) or use two words.
One thing or two?
Ask how many things you mean. A hammer and a wrench is two tools, so two Agazan words (and a join if you need and). Peanut butter is one food, so one word. Bedroom is also one thing, but that spelling is already in the dictionary, so there is no x.
| Agazan | Use | English | Cue |
|---|---|---|---|
| two words | two things, or a property already marked another way | zahavol zerevul zam a hammer and a wrench; zodogal gubuhel a blue dog (/ɡ/) | |
x in the middle | one thing; you can still hear both roots | gagayoxalaval love in the crush sense; zebeyaxabodel peanut butter; zazawaxalahen (one person) | x ≈ plus |
| dictionary word | one familiar kind, listed as a single entry | zebedaluruhel bedroom; zazoval sunflower | join letter in the entry, not x |
Compare with: a property on a noun uses /ɡ/ (or /w/). A list uses a join.
Related form: someone who teaches (who does / where it happens / who undergoes / who is told; -r the one teaching) uses a role compound.
Practice
Short drills for Beginner. Try each item before opening Show answer.
Setting: a hardware store
New words:
| English | Agazan | Cue |
|---|---|---|
| doorbell | oyelebehul | 🚪🔔 door -l bell |
| raincoat | erehelogodul | 🌧️🧥 rain -l coat |
| wrench | erevul | 🔧 |
| saw | ozazol | 🪚 |
| wood | uwul | 🪵 |
Review:
| English | Agazan |
|---|---|
| Azawan | azawan |
| Alahen | alahen |
| Ahaben | ahaben |
| hammer | ahavol |
| bell | ebehul |
| find | vamagal |
| see | vahahal |
English → Agazan
1. a bell and a doorbell
Show answer
zebehul zoyelebehul zal.
[z-bell | z-doorbell | z-and]
2. a hammer and a wrench (and possibly more)
Show answer
zahavol zerevul zam.
[z-hammer | z-wrench | z-and.open]
3. Alahen finds a raincoat and a doorbell.
Show answer
zalahen derehelogodul doyelebehul dal vamagal.
z-Alahen | [d-raincoat | d-doorbell | d-and] | v-find
4. Ahaben finds a raincoat.
Show answer
zahaben derehelogodul vamagal.
z-Ahaben | d-raincoat | v-find
5. Azawan-Alahen (one person)
Show answer
zazawaxalahen.
z-Azawan-x-Alahen
6. Alahen sees wood.
Show answer
zalahen duwul vahahal.
z-Alahen | d-wood | v-see
Agazan → English
1. zalahen doyelebehul vamagal.
Show answer
z-Alahen | d-doorbell | v-find
Alahen finds a doorbell.
2. zuwul zozazol zal.
Show answer
[z-wood | z-saw | z-and]
wood and a saw (two things)
3. zahaben duwuxozazol vahahal.
Show answer
z-Ahaben | d-wood-x-saw | v-see
Ahaben sees a wood saw.
4. zerevul zebehul zam.
Show answer
[z-wrench | z-bell | z-and.open]
a wrench and a bell (and possibly more)
5. zazawan derehelogodul vahahal.
Show answer
z-Azawan | d-raincoat | v-see
Azawan sees a raincoat.
6. zahaben dahavoxerevul vamagal.
Show answer
z-Ahaben | d-hammer-x-wrench | v-find
Ahaben finds a hammer-wrench (one tool).
Pick one
1. a wood saw zuwuxozazol. or zozazoxuwul.
Show answer
zuwuxozazol.
z-wood-x-saw
The last root is the kind of thing (a saw); the root before x says which kind.
Fix it
1. a doorbell zoyexebehul.
Show answer
zoyelebehul.
z-doorbell
Doorbell is a dictionary word: look it up instead of gluing door and bell with x.
Intermediate
Left and right of x
Beginner already used two roots glued with x, dictionary words with no x, and someone who teaches. After the role letter, look at both sides of the first x. That pair picks the family.
| Agazan | Use | English | Cue |
|---|---|---|---|
role vowel(s) x a / e / o / u, then -r / -l / -m | role pointer | zaxar they (whoever did the latest thing); zaxal another one; zaxam what they did | a again / e echo / o other / u unsaid |
a / e / u / o x a longer root | role compound | zaxedehol someone who teaches (-r the one teaching) | a doer / e scene / u undergoer / o extra /b/ party |
name x a / o / e / u + -n (conversation length) | conversation length | Azawan, I have time | vowel on the name |
longer root x a / e / o / u | ability | can’t sing right now | extra vowel after the root |
full roots on both sides, maybe more x + root | ordinary compound | zebeyaxabodel; zohuxaluden (hyphenated names) | x ≈ plus |
sake root th a / e / o / u | sakes | gulothal | th ≈ think (your view of the sake) |
other root th a / e / o / u (or a stack) | label scope | angry this time; a teacher | th ≈ think (what kind of claim the label is) |
direction root th facing person | viewpoint lateral | gewezathazawan Azawan’s left | th ≈ think (whose point of view) |
A normal root is longer than one vowel. If you only see a, e, o, or u left of x, you are naming a role (someone who teaches), not gluing two full roots. Role compounds still put a full root after that vowel.
Adding another piece
To narrow a compound further, or to build a hyphenated name from several labels, add another root with another x. Keep the English order in one word (crush then love; a shop named after three drinks). The last root is the kind, and each earlier root narrows it. The ending stays at the end of the whole word. In a name (a person or a shop), the roots are simply labels in order, and none of them is the kind.
gagayoxalaval.g-crush-x-love
"love in the crush sense"
zagavexedehexowoden.z-Agave-x-Edehe-x-Owoden
"Coffee-Tea-Water" (one named shop)
Hyphenated names use the same order (Mary-Kate: first piece first). A family name is not part of this stack; it is a separate /ɡ/ word after the given name. Body left / right is not this stack: it joins the direction and whose facing counts with th (gewezathazawan), because the second root is a point of view, not a kind.
A role compound can take such a stack as its stem (zaxodogaxowogal someone who walks dogs), but is never one piece of a stack.
Compare with: a short office handle is one root plus -n, not this stack. A dictionary compound is one listed word, not a live list you extend.
Which family is this?
Use the table above. If the word has a mid-word th, it is a sake word (a sake root, then a vowel, with an optional emotion tail), a label scope word (any other root, then a vowel), or a viewpoint lateral (a root follows th). The root before th decides: after a sake root, letters that look like a root are always the emotion tail (gulothamol), never a lateral. Otherwise read both sides of the first x in this order:
- After the role letter: a role vowel (one vowel or a stacked pair),
x,a/e/o/u, then -r / -l / -m → a role pointer (pronouns). A role compound with a stem keeps its own -l / -m senses; only the stemless pointer takes -m as a share. - After the role letter: a role vowel (one vowel or a two-vowel pair),
x, then a longer root → a role compound (who does / where it happens / who undergoes / who is told, or a two-vowel role such as the tool,daexaradal). - A name (one root or a hyphenated name),
x, a single vowela/o/e/u, named -n, as a conversation-length bid → conversation length. - A longer root, then
x, then a single vowela/e/o/u→ ability. - Full roots on both sides of the first
x(and maybe morex+ root) → an ordinary compound (sense or name).
The role vowels are a / e / u / o and the two-vowel pairs ae, oe, ua, uo, ao, ue. No other vowel pair goes before x.
Conversation length (name x vowel)
English I can stay a while or I only have a minute tells the other person how long you can talk. In Agazan, add x and one vowel before -n on a greeting (your own name with a period, n.) or a call (their name under /y/, yalahen.). At arrival, the vowel sets how long you expect the conversation to last. At departure, the same form says how soon you are leaving. The vowel is about the conversation, not a grade of the person.
xan.speaker-presence
"I have time; we can stay."
yalahexen.y-Alahen-minutes
"Alahen, I have a few minutes."
| Form | At arrival | At departure | Cue |
|---|---|---|---|
xan | open-ended: we can stay | none | a ≈ add (time is in) |
xen | a few minutes: I have a little time | leaving soon | e ≈ order (the slot has an end) |
xon | one slot: one ask or comment | about to leave | o ≈ one (one last slot) |
xun | passing: just acknowledging; not opening a talk | leaving right now | u ≈ undo (lift the talk) |
On a full name, the vowel goes on the given name (ohuxen galuden.); a family name takes no bid, since x + vowel on a /ɡ/ word is ability. Only one of these vowels per name. These forms use the same scale throughout a conversation: a smaller level narrows the remaining time. -n is still the named ending.
At arrival, the other person can answer with their own bid. The lesser bid sets the shared limit: a (open-ended) is more than e (a few minutes), e is more than o (one slot), and o is more than u (passing). If you offer open-ended time and Alahen offers one slot, you have one slot.
xan.speaker-presence
"I have time; we can stay."
alahexon.Alahen-ask
"Alahen, one slot." (the conversation lasts for one ask)
Compare with: the same x + vowel on a verb or adjective is ability (can’t sing right now). A sake word takes th + vowel instead (gulothal). Conversation-length bids sit on a named citation or a /y/ call, with -n. In a clause body, a name with x, a vowel, and -n is not a word.
Compare with: a plain named citation with a period is the basic hello (n.). The bid says how much conversation the person is open to.
At departure, use your own name with the reduced level:
xen.speaker-minutes
"I’m leaving soon."
xon.speaker-ask
"I’m about to leave."
xun.speaker-passing
"I’m leaving now."
Practice
Short drills for Intermediate. Try each item before opening Show answer.
Setting: a front porch
Review:
| English | Agazan |
|---|---|
| your name | n |
| Azawan | azawan |
| Alahen | alahen |
| Ahaben | ahaben |
| doorbell | oyelebehul |
| salad | azavul |
| plate | ebedel |
| flower | avavul |
| croissant | ogazal |
| see | vahahal |
| scream | vezugel |
English → Agazan
1. (Your name), I'm here; we can stay.
Show answer
xan.
speaker-presence
2. Alahen, a few minutes. (calling)
Show answer
yalahexen.
y-Alahen-minutes
3. Ahaben, just passing. (calling)
Show answer
yahabexun.
y-Ahaben-passing
4. Azawan, a few minutes. Alahen sees the doorbell.
Show answer
yazawaxen zalahen doyelebehul vahahal.
y-Azawan-minutes | z-Alahen | d-doorbell | v-see
5. a salad plate (one plate)
Show answer
zazavuxebedel.
z-salad-x-plate
6. Flower-Salad-Croissant (one café's name)
Show answer
zavavuxazavuxogazan.
z-Avavu-x-Azavu-x-Ogazan
Agazan → English
1. xon.
Show answer
speaker-ask
(Your name), one ask. / I'm about to leave.
2. yazawaxun zalahen vezugel.
Show answer
y-Azawan-passing | z-Alahen | v-scream
Azawan, just passing: Alahen screams.
3. zavavuxebedel.
Show answer
z-flower-x-plate
a flower plate
4. yahabexen zazawan davavul vahahal.
Show answer
y-Ahaben-minutes | z-Azawan | d-flower | v-see
Ahaben, a few minutes: Azawan sees a flower.
5. xen. (said when leaving)
Show answer
speaker-minutes
I'm leaving soon.
6. yalahexan.
Show answer
y-Alahen-presence
Alahen, I have time.
Pick one
1. a croissant plate zogazaxebedel. or zebedexogazal.
Show answer
zogazaxebedel.
z-croissant-x-plate
The last root is the kind (a plate); the root before x narrows it.
2. Ahaben, one ask. (calling) yahabexon. or yahabexen.
Show answer
yahabexon.
y-Ahaben-ask
o is one slot; e offers a few minutes.
Fix it
1. Ahaben sees a salad plate. (one plate) zahaben dazavul debedel vahahal.
Show answer
zahaben dazavuxebedel vahahal.
z-Ahaben | d-salad-x-plate | v-see
One thing is one word with x; two words name a salad and a plate.
See also
xat the start of a word (keep going): dependents.md- How
xsits in the word shape: phonology.md - intention.md#ability / sakes.md / roles.md / numeric-derivation.md
- Conversation length: name
xvowel; bare hello: word-endings.md - Extra-noun fuse on a citation: hooks.md