It Can't Get Any Worse

http://sites.google.com/site/psalmofdreams/Home/introduction-to-babel-grammar/that-s-it-i-m-coming-home-for-true-this-time

Epistle XXIII: That’s It, I’m Coming Home for True This time

Éfhelìnye,
After this last defeat, I need to rest. Father tells me that the fleet will take some time to regroup. Grandfather Pátifhar says that the fleet will not need me, so I am rushing home for to spend a couple of days with you. I need to see with mine own eyen that you are unhurt and that everyone is well. Tell Mother to prepare for me. I dislike guards around me, so I’ll probably just sneak into the crannog in the middle of the night. In fact, this epistle will probably only anticipate me by a few hours.
Éfhelìnye, I look forward to holding you in mine arms. Everything will be better. I promise. And I long to hear more of what you have to teach me about language. Great-Uncle Táto says that you will be writing a grammatical overview of all of Babel, that you will classify it even as you create it. He says that you’ll be describing khlejaqúfha that is, morphosyntax, and lrànkhu prefixes next.
One day I think that the Children of Pfhentókha will have to learn a little poem to help them learn language forms. I’m writing it below. I’m sure it looks familiar, because it’s a poem that you once wrote for me.


Khaujejetoîpil qhìxhli xhroe Khlìjha xhroa!
Júxhi qwothnasaîqhor
Tlhé fhtuitselaîqhor
Jí tnonthayaîqhor
Fhé twuîlwa ker
Lwájáyayòntet qaifheiyaiyòntet
Jufhufhengòntet axhnananan
Khlijhayàswaor.

Fhé xhlèmi ker
Sùkhpet aqhus
Tòngqe’ aqhus
Twòsu’ aqhus
Khmàlon Khlijhayàswaor.

Lwí xhìqhila ker
Aikhwìkhlu xhnoipe
Khmuîthnu xhnoipe
Thèngpo xhnoipe
Khleîxhme xhnoipe
Kekhìsyu xhnoipe
khlèton xhnoipe
jèxhle xhmir sukhpet.
Thé xhìqhila ker
Aikhwìkhlu xhnoipe
Khmuîthnu xhnoipe
Thèngpo xhnoipe
Khleîxhme xhnoipe
Kekhisyu xhnoipe
khlèton xhmir tòngqe.

Lrí xhìqhila ker
Khmuîthno xhnoipe
Thèngpo xhnoipe
Kekhìsyu xhmir twòsu.

Lrí quîlqe ker
Xhnáruyòntet
Khmekéstuyòntet
Lweûmfha xhmir tòngqe.

Lrí qhèwa ker
Khyèqa xhnoe
Khwèlipe xhnoe
Khlàtyekhh khmuitlhnoyàswaor.

Jukhpoyòntet
Khlofhroyòntet
Xhlélejo lrí xhneîngto.

Jí fhèqli teqlinònafham
Khlèjhi kae’ úxhni
Xhmir khmuîthno
Xhmir thèngpo
Xhmir khleîxhme xhrànte.
Òjhwaju xhnoe’
Upwàrju xhnoe’
Oâqeju xhnoe’
Oâkhweju xhnoe’
Aipoîju pei.


Shyly learn now Þe Forms of Language!
Language hath
Twenty Consonants,
Ttwo Semivowels,
Five Vowels,
Ond Four Tones:
Þe Rising Tone, Þe Rising·Falling Tone,
Þe Falling Tone, ond Þe Level Tone.

Language hath
Four Parts of Speech:Participles,
Personal Pronouns,.
Relativë Pronouns, Affixes.

Participlen
Have Seven Cases:
Þe Vocativë Case
Þe Experiencer Case
Þe Construct Case
Þe Ingeminate Case, Þe Locativë Case,
Þe Ergativë Case,
ond Absolutivë Case
Personal pronouns
Have six cases:
Þe Vocativë Case
Þe Experiencer Case
Þe Construct Case
Þe Ingeminate Case, Þe Locativë Case
Ond Ergative Case.

Þe Relativë Pronoun hath Three Cases:
Þe Experiencer Case
Þe Construct Case
Þe Locativë Case.

Relativë Pronouns
Have Three Registren:
Familiar Register,
Neutral Register, Polite Register.

Þe Experiencer Case
Hath Three Usages:
Subject Experiencer
Predicate Experiencer, Unmarked Relativë Clauses.

Þe Three Moods are:
Comment Mood,
Irrealis Mood, Injunctivë Mood.

Þe Presumptivë Mode
Hath Fivë Aspects
Which may be declined
In Þe Experincer
Construct ond Ingeminate Case.
These are:
Þe Imperfect Aspect,
Þe Perfect Aspect,
Þe Progreßivë Aspect,
Þe Eternal Aspect, Þe Vatick Aspect.


Do you remember that poem? We were very young when you composed it for me. Actually, it’s just a part of it, but this is the part that children will probably learn.

One aspect of language which has always interested me is just how beautiful and good language is. Even when one is forced to describe something dishonorable, usually one must resort to a compound. In Babel every word is inherently considered good or at least neutral. I suppose that words are good because they are a part of the Language of Creation, the language of magic and love that brought the infinite stories that are worlds into existence. Language must have existed before sin and dishonor came into the world, and perhaps there might not have originally been words for dishonor and evil. From what I have noticed Babel makes use of the following method of describing something bad. We have a perfectly neutral participle, qlaêkh which means something like, those who are broken, twisted, bent, but when it modifies certain participles it can have the meaning of those who are sinful, unholy, who harm an innocent. Qlaêkh from what I have observed usually just simply means thawn from its original shape, and one uses this word with that meaning in everyday conversation.

Qlaêkh úlaxhéyu.
The tree is broken.
Jaê qielùpwar qlaêkh pfhu jinexhli
I see the twisted hill.
Tlhìjhweqhe qúrayùpwar qlaêkh.
The bent king fell down.

Qlaêkh also has a second, more metaphorical meaning, sometimes a meaning which cannot be readily guessed from the other word before it, and in such a usage one sees qlaêkh in an unmarked relative clause or in the ingeminate case following a form in the construct case. One does not find this awkward at all, in fact it seems easier just to have a single lexical item and then to modify it make it bad rather than to have lots of lots of words floating around and sometimes they mean something good and sometimes something bad. I suppose language can never be completely neutral, but it is useful to have one form for hunting and killing when lawful and another for murdher. Yes, it’s quite simple. Core vocabulary we can just assume to be neutral, but when it is modified by qlaêkh one shall have to check the idioms listed in the khwórt lexicon that you are writing.

I’m going to try and write some examples of the use of qlaêkh.

Fhówetha’ Éfhelinyèyejikh Siêthiyal.
Puîyus strook Éfhelìnye.
Perhaps this was in a game or to be playful or Siêthiyal was just trying to get you out of the way of harm.

Fhówetha qlaêkh Éfhelinyèyejikh Siêthiyal.
Puîyus strook Éfhelìnye intending to hurt hir.
This would just to be cruel.

Usyórim fhúthakhàxhmikh pú quja’ usyórìmaxúng fhúthakhàxhmikh qlaêkh pfhu pú quja.
I like the good, but I do not like the evil.

Jenyoyoyoqriireîlwai stélarèjikhing Puîyus jenyoyoyotweseîlwai ker qlaêkh stélarèjikhing xú.
On Þe one hand Puîyus should cherish Þe Princess, but on Þe other hand hee ought not to wish to control Þe Princess.

Qrauyelónge jhèqira xhroe Pátifhar Puiyusàswaor.
Pátifhar taught Puîyus self respect.
Unopaingate qrauyelónge xhroe jhèqira xhroa qlaêkh pfhu Pátifhàraxúng Puiyusàswaor.
Pátifhar did not teach Puîyus hubris.

Kèxhle kúyakhlaunt Fhèrkifheròntet Xhnófho.
Fhèrkifher ond Xhnófho say that they are buccaneeren.
Kexhleyàthnem qlaêkh kúyakhlaut.
Says I that they are pirates.

Lwaôkhnamat Xhnófhòyejikh Qlenólakh.
Qlenólakh killed Xhnófho.
This would be for self-defense or in warfare.
Lwaôkhnamat Xhnófho xhlir Qlenólakh.
Qlenólakh accidently killed Xhnófho.
Lwaôkhnamat qlaêkh Xhnófhòyejikh Qlenólakh.
Qlenólakh murdhered Xhnófho.

Xhthitlheiràpyaikh Éfhelinyèyejikh Akhlísa.
Akhlísa plans to borrow from Éfhelìnye.
Xhthitlheiràpyaikh ker qlaêkh Éfhelinyèyejikh Akhlísa.
Akhlísa plans to steal from Éfhelìnye.

Xùmleqhe’ úje xhnir Puîyus.
Puîyus likes to plunder
This would be the case for when plundering is appropriate, such as after a battle or from the Emperor’s enemies.

Xùmleqhe qlaêkh úje xhnir Puîyus.
Puîyus likes to plunder when ‘tis not appropriate.
This would be the case for petty theft, for raiding, for when one is not from battle, or for taking items from widows or children or from holy places.

From what I have observed, Princess, qlaêkh is only used in certain idioms, and you’ll have to list them in the purafhaîrotu lexicon, for in all other uses qlaêkh’s wobbly twisty first connotation is used. Fhaîrotu qlaêkh means a broken or twisted book, perhaps the spine has been shattered, it does not mean an evil book.

These are the words I used in the examples above:

Fhówetha qlaêkh tho who push, strike (somewhom/somewhat) (with evil intent)
Fhówetha tho who push, strike (somewhom/somewhat) (no evil intent)
Fhúthakh qlaêkh evil
Fhúthakh goodly
Jènyo qlaêkh, jènyoyo qlaêkh tho who are greedy for, are capitalistick, lust after, wish to control (somewhom/somewhat) (sinful)
Jènyo, jènyoyo tho who cherish (somewhom/somewhat)
Jhèqira qlaêkh pride (sinful)
Jhèqira self respect
Kèxhle qlaêkh, keníxhle qlaêkh bad pirates
Kèxhle, keníxhle buccaneeren, goodly pirates
Lwaôkhna qlaêkh, lwaôkhnamat qlaêkh tho who murder (somewhom/somewhat)
Lwaôkhna, lwaôkhnamat tho who kill (somewhom/somewhat)
Xhthìtlheir qlaêkh tho who rob, steal from (somewhom/somewhat) (sinful)
Xhthìtlheir tho who borry, take from from (somewhom/somewhat)
Xùmle qlaêkh, xùmleqhe qlaêkh tho who loot, plunder (somewhom/somewhat) (when inappropriate)
Xùmle, xùmleqhe tho who loot, plunder (somewhom/somewhat) (when appropriate)

One supposes though that the idioms using qlaêkh with the meaning of evil or dishonorable must be limited. One cannot simply creat new compounded terms to describe something new. One supposes that one would have to use one of the genetic terms I’ve written below either in an unmarked relative clause or in the ingeminate case, or to inflect them with pejor+ or –atser and context should make the nature of the offense clear.

Qlàlqim qlaêkhatser xhmiîyeqhe xhmir qráyiîngta Puîyus.
Puîyus spoke in an evil fashion to his mother.

Tuînamat ùyo qlaêkhh khmérnàxhmikh Puîyus.
Puîyus was giving things in an evil way.

Xùjus qlaêkh tho who are bad, evil (sinful) [x·j·s]
Athórepa qlaêkh tho who are evil, bad
Fhùkhlaka qlaêkh evil
Fhúthakh qlaêkh evil
Jhpèxhrers qlaêkh evil
Jìlkha qlaêkh vice, evil, wickedneß
Khíng qlaêkh, khíkhing qlaêkh evil
Khlàtha qlaêkh, khlàthot qlaêkh tho who are evil
Khmàrtsa qlaêkh evil
Khmèrtse qlaêkh evil
Pàlkhe qlaêkh tho who are evil
Putsáka qlaêkh evil
Qlàlqa qlaêkh, qlàlqim qlaêkh tho who are evil
Qlaûkh qlaêkh, qlaûkhim qlaêkh tho who are evil
Qrelálekh qlaêkh, qrelalekhélekh qlaêkh tho who are evil
Syìlo qlaêkh debauchery, decandence, evil
Tayàlqa qlaêkh, tayàlqim qlaêkh evil; instances of evil
Tqetqètqa qlaêkh, tqetqètqaot qlaêkh tho who are evil, low, treacherous
Ùyo qlaêkh tho who are wicked, mean, evil
Xhnìnxha qlaêkh, xhnìxhot qlaêkh tho who are evil
Xhthaîkhte qlaêkh, xhthaîkhtemet qlaêkh tho who are evil
Xhthó qlaêkh evil
Xhyoât qlaêkh, xhyoâtim qlaêkh tho who are bad, evil
Xùmithu qlaêkh, xuxùmithu qlaêkh tho who are evil

Great-Uncle Táto tells me that one cannot use the suffix –axúng with these qlaêkh formations. One must either use the khmòngqo deferential mode, or the suffix –elwil which means without or a participle that means without, or one must just remove the qlaêkh.

Jhopaingakh keníxhle xhroe qlaêkh kae. Keníxhle púsa.
I refuse to be a bad pirate. I am a buccaneer.

Popaingakh xhthitlheîrejikh qlaêkh kae yepyer xhthitlheîrajókh púsa.
I appear to rob, but, indeed, I borrow from someone.

Xhthó qlaekhèlwil púsa!
I eam without evil!
These are the words I have used:

Kèxhle qlaêkh, keníxhle qlaêkh bad pirates
Kèxhle, keníxhle buccaneren, goodly pirates
Xhthìtlheir qlaêkh tho who rob, steal from (somewhom/somewhat) (sinful)
Xhthìtlheir tho who borry, take from from (somewhom/somewhat)

The ship will be heading towards the outer regions of the realities soon, so I shall conclude this epistle soon. At the end of it, though, I shall write down the entirety of the poem, as far as I can remember it, that you composed for me so long ago, but I think I shall change the names around. I know I shall be home soon, and everything shall be fine.

Puey

Khaujejetoîpil qhìxhli xhroe’ apóki xhroa
Learn now the Forms of Love


Khaujejetoîpil qhìxhli xhroe Khlìjha xhroa!
Júxhi qwothnasaîqhor
Tlhé fhtuitselaîqhor
Jí tnonthayaîqhor
Fhé twuîlwa ker
Lwájáyayòntet qaifheiyaiyòntet
Jufhufhengòntet axhnananan
Khlijhayàswaor.
Khlie jáxeyùnyie qraûyejikh
Khnanaswaoruxhwi’ aqawékhi.
Qrauyùnyie koaqe’ akènuyoi’ poel áteri.
Xhnoet qé supyaongàxhmikh ólu
Ker tsàpam xhyeipejos xhyeipejos?
Khlìjha qhèwa xhyeis
Pajefhaplinamatalwosaxúngèfhto pú
Khmír khleit jin ulie?

Fhé xhlèmi ker
Sùkhpet aqhus
Tòngqe’ aqhus
Twòsu’ aqhus
Khmàlon Khlijhayàswaor.
Khmír khleit jin
Khmír khleit jin.
Khmír khleit Puîye per jin
Joîkhmír khleit jin.
Lwí xhìqhila ker
Aikhwìkhlu xhnoipe
Khmuîthnu xhnoipe
Thèngpo xhnoipe
Khleîxhme xhnoipe
Kekhìsyu xhnoipe
khlèton xhnoipe
jèxhle xhmir sukhpet.
Thé xhìqhila ker
Aikhwìkhlu xhnoipe
Khmuîthnu xhnoipe
Thèngpo xhnoipe
Khleîxhme xhnoipe
Kekhisyu xhnoipe
khlèton xhmir tòngqe.
Xá theupíyaxing joîkhmír wtháyejikh ti xúyejakh.
Xá theupíyaxing joîkhmír wtháyejikh ti
xúyejakh.
Xá theupíyaxing joîkhmír wtháyejikh ti
xúyejakh.
Joîkhmír wtháyejikh ti theupíya kae xúyejakh.
Joîkhmír wtháyejikh ti poaqing pikhótsa xujejakh.
Joîkhmir túxhrejor xúyànejakh.
Joîkhmír wthá ti xúyànejakh.
Xá’ Éfhelìnye khmír khleit jin.
Khmír khleit jin.
Khmír khleit jin.
Khmír khleit Éfhelìnye kae jin.
Khmír khleit poaqing pikhótsa jin.
Joîkhmír khleit jinan.
Lrí xhìqhila ker
Khmuîthno xhnoipe
Thèngpo xhnoipe
Kekhìsyu xhmir twòsu.
Khmír khleit xhyus?
Khmír xhyupejos jin?
Khmír xhyeqoas jin?

Lrí quîlqe ker
Xhnáruyòntet
Khmekéstuyòntet
Lweûmfha xhmir tòngqe.
Khmír khleit jin.
Khmír qéyejikhàlyir óxing poa.
Khmír túxhrejor púxing.
Tlhé quîlqe ker
Khmekéstuyòntet
Khwéthnu xhmir twòsu.
Khmír khleit jint per Puîye.
Khmír khleit jin Puiyeyapònya.

Lrí qhèwa ker
Khyèqa xhnoe
Khwèlipe xhnoe
Khlàtyekhh khmuitlhnoyàswaor.
Khmír khleit jin.
Khmír khleit jin.
Khmír khleit jint Puîye.
Fhé plaûfhlong xhnoe
Lrí xhneîngto xhnoe
Lrí khìqne xhmir khmuîthno.
Xhwèqungong aqhus
Khyìfhteng aqhus
Thwoâprang aqhus
Thòfhrang aqhus khmèptong
Jí plaûfhlong.
Khmír khleit jin.
Jin sixèkhmír khleit.
Xhnípe’ ur khmírejikh qoe túxing pú.
Jáxe khmírejikh tú kae xing pú.
Jaê túxhrejor khmírafham pú kae púyaxhwa.

Jukhpoyòntet
Khlofhroyòntet
Xhlélejo lrí xhneîngto.
Khmír khleit jin.
Khmíráxeus khyi khleit jin!
Khmíràmpeit khleit jin.
Ingaûplo ker xhrànte xhnoipe’
Engaûplo ker khmòngqo’ aqhus
Ólemern aqhus jhèkhmu fhé khìqne xhmoe.
Khmír khleit jin.
Khmíropaingakhh khleit jin.
Óxing poa’ ólakh per khmír khleit.
Khmíroxhakh qoe jin túxing.


Jí fhèqli teqlinònafham
Khlèjhi kae’ úxhni
Xhmir khmuîthno
Xhmir thèngpo
Xhmir khleîxhme xhrànte.
Òjhwaju xhnoe’
Upwàrju xhnoe’
Oâqeju xhnoe’
Oâkhweju xhnoe’
Aipoîju pei.
Khmíròjhwat khleit jin.
Khmírùpwart khleit jin.
Khmíroâqet khleit jin.
Khmíroâkhwet khleit jin.
Khmíraîpoit khleit jin.
Qhìxhli Khlìjha xhroe pei.

Khmír khleit khornaqhìxhliss sae qir Khlìjha
Khòrnafhaekh sae poaqing pikhótsa jin
Aîjanalwénin aîjanaqhimpíya
Aîjanaqloîyu’ Éfhelìnye
Khaujejetoîpil qhìxhli xhroe’ apóki xhroa!


Shyly learn now the Forms of Language!
Language hath
Twenty Consonants,
Two Semivowels,
Fivë Vowels,
Ond Four Tones:
Þe Rising Tone, Þe Rising·Falling Tone,
Þe Falling Tone, ond Þe Level Tone.
(Thus Þe wise men
teach us all.
Thus our parents teach us at their knees.
But whatever
Do linguists gnow?
What use is language
An I cannot say
I love you?)

Language hath
Four Parts of Speech:Participles,
Personal Pronouns,.
Relativë Pronouns, Affixes.
I love you.
I love you.
I, who am Puey, love you.
I love you.
Participlen
Have Seven Cases:
Þe Vocativë Case
Þe Experiencer Case
Þe Construct Case
Þe Ingeminate Case, Þe Locativë Case,
Þe Ergativë Case,
ond Absolutivë Case
Personal pronouns
Have six cases:
Þe Vocativë Case
Þe Experiencer Case
Þe Construct Case
Þe Ingeminate Case, Þe Locativë Case
Ond Ergative Case.
Oh maiden, I love you.

Oh maiden, I love you.

Oh maiden, I love you.

I love you, a maiden.
I love you in my heart.

I love you on purpose.
I love you.
Oh Éfhelìnye, I love you.
I love you.
I love you.
I love you, Éfhelìnye.
I love you in my my heart.
I love you on purpose
Þe Relativë Pronoun hath Three Cases:
Þe Experiencer Case
Þe Construct Case
Þe Locativë Case.
Who loves you?
Whom do I love?
Whhn do I love you?

Relativë Pronouns
Have Three Registren:
Familiar Register,
Neutral Register, Polite Register.
I love you.
I, ‘tis said, allegedly love you.
Thee do I love.
Relativë Pronouns have
Ptwo Registren:
Neutral Register, Non·neutral Register.
I, who am Puey, love you.
I, who allegedly am Puey, love you.

Þe Experiencer Case
Hath Three Usages:
Subject Experiencer
Predicate Experiencer, Unmarked Relativë Clauses.
I love you.
I love you.
I, Puey, love you.
Þe Predicate Experiencer hath
Four Voices,
Three Moods,Three Modes.
Þe Four Voices are:
Activë Voice,
Middle Voice,
Paßivë Voice,
Antipaßivë Voice, Mediopaßivë.
I love you.
I love you for my own benefit.
I am loved by you.
I love in general ond ‘tis you Þæt I love.
I see you whom I love.

Þe Three Moods are:
Comment Mood,
Irrealis Mood, Injunctivë Mood.
I love you.
Would Þæt I love you!
I intend to love you.
Þe Four Modes are Þe Primary Mode: Þe Presumptivë Mode, ond Þe Secondary Mode: Þe Deferential Mode, Þe Existential Mode, ond Þe Honorifick Mode.
I love you.
Respectfully, I love you.
I, indeed, love you.
You honor mee by loving mee.

Þe Presumptivë Mode
Hath Fivë Aspects
Which may be declined
In Þe Experincer
Construct ond Ingeminate Case.
These are:
Þe Imperfect Aspect,
Þe Perfect Aspect,
Þe Progreßivë Aspect,
Þe Eternal Aspect, Þe Vatick Aspect.
I keep loving you.
I loved you one tyme.
I am loving you.
I always love you.
‘tis fated Þæt I love you.
Thise are Þe forms of Language.

I love you with all Þe forms of Language
Ond with all Þe words of my heart
Oh my sweetheart, oh my princess,
Oh my beloved, Éfhelìnye,
Learn now Þe words of love!