Conlang Relay 18/Jarda

Jarda text:

Kelzêvô jô kipvo rêłvôd diṛ. Liṛvi runi gru, ņazŏs krağ rêł. Ğêlra vŏṛa zel źṛêņna nŏ raś au kêg au pin, źê pinsiķag lôxôm, ķödadol zulṛêma logê Jez. Zulṛêmvo stê wel ņêr zabê nêv nŏ ðizŏs kêz ni ļev nêslö baṛ ðan, ni ṛel źŭğ au mavlö, ni mêð sün stônta ģün źê tṛaz. Źin ğöṛ ślŭ pṛapṛinvo, au fömmas vŏ jô. Plên ṛoxê lul kêzṛa ni voṛ faṛvu ka źev łim dêgol vŏ.

Vocabulary:

adv	adverb
art	article
conj	conjunction
na	noun (animate)
nab	noun (abstract)
ni	noun (inanimate)
pron	pronoun
rp	relative pronoun
vi	verb (intransitive)
vt	verb (transitive)

au	(au) conj - and (joins two verbs)
baṛ	(baɻ) vi - to stand
dêg	(deɡ) nab - front
diṛ	(diɻ) vi - small, little
ðan	(ɮan) vi - vertical, upright
ðiz	(ɮiz) vt - to support (physically)
faṛ	(faɻ) vt - to play (a game)
föm	(føm) vi - to be proud of, satisfied with
gru	(ɡru) vi - young
ģün	(ɟyn) vi - orange (color), dark yellow
ğêl	(ɣel) vt - send, emit, transmit
ğöṛ	(ɣøɻ) vt - to forget
jez	(jɛz) ni - iron (Fe, element 26)
jô	(jo) adv - again, re-
ka	(ka) art - the (inanimate)
kel	(kɛl) vt - to begin, start
kêg	(keɡ) vt - to break, snap
kêz	(kez) na - woman, adult female
kip	(kip) nab - corner, angle
krağ	(kraɣ) na - a small flying dragon, the size of a fruit bat
ķöd	(cød) vt - surround, encompass; around, surrounding, encompassing
liṛ	(liɻ) na - arm, from shoulder to wrist
log	(lɔɡ) vt - to call, name, label
lôx	(lox) vi - old
lul	(lul) adv - not more than, at most; just, only
ļev	(ʎɛv) ni - clothing, garment
łim	(ɬim) vi - to shine, glow
mav	(mav) vt - to admire
mêð	(meɮ) ni - cheek (side of face)
nês	(nes) vt - to see, view
nêv	(nev) ni - snow
ni	(ni) vt - having, with
ņaz	(ɲaz) vt - to awaken, wake up.
ņêr	(ɲer) vi - broad, wide (in size, esp. laterally)
nŏ	(nɤ) rp - which
pin	(pin) vt - to tie, knot
plên	(plen) vt - to pull, draw
pṛa	(pɻa) vt - to precede; earlier
pṛin	(pɻin) nab - time (as a dimension), duration
raś	(raɕ) vi - to rotate, spin, roll
rêł	(reɬ) vt - to carve, sculpt
run	(run) na - man; adult male
ṛel	(ɻɛl) ni - face; facial features
ṛêm	(ɻem) nab - place, spot, site, location
ṛox	(ɻɔx) vi - to descend; down
siķ	(sic) vt - to write
stê	(ste) vi - there is, there are
stôn	(ston) nab - color
sün	(syn) vt - to color, dye, paint
ślŭ	(ɕlɯ) nab - all, everything
tṛaz	(tɻaz) ni - tea, beverage made from leaves in boiling water
voṛ	(vɔɻ) na - smile
vôd	(vod) nab - form, structure
vŏ	(vɤ) pron - he, she, it, him, her, his, its
wel	(wɛl) ni - table (furniture)
zab	(zab) vi - to cover, shield, insulate
zel	(zɛl) nab - voice, vocal sound (produced by larynx)
zêv	(zev) vi - to move around in place; be active
zul	(zul) vt - trade, exchange, barter, buy, sell
źev	(ʑɛv) nab - mask
źê	(ʑe) vt - like, as, in the manner of
źin	(ʑin) conj - and, but, however
źṛêņ	(ʑɻeɲ) nab - smoke
źŭğ	(ʑɯɣ) vi - arrogant, conceited

suffixes

-a	(-a) genitive case (abstract nouns)
-ad	(-ad) nab - verbal noun representing an abstraction; quality of being, -ness
-ag	(-aɡ) nab - verbal noun representing the object of a verb
-ê	(-e) passive participle
-i	(-i) genitive case (animate nouns)
-lö	(-lø) vi - worthy of, deserving
-ma	(-ma) reflexive
-na	(-na) dative case (abstract nouns)
-ol	(-ɔl) ablative case (abstract nouns)
-ô	(-o) present tense
-ôm	(-om) augmentative
-ŏs	(-ɤs) imperfective aspect
-ra	(-ra) repetitive aspect
-ṛa	(-ɻa) ergative case (animate nouns)
-s	(-s) imperfective aspect
-ta	(-ta) instrumental case (abstract nouns)
-vi	(-vi) locative case (animate nouns)
-vo	(-vɔ) locative case (abstract nouns)
-vu	(-vu) vi - to resemble; similar to, like, -ish

Grammatical notes:

Jarda has three categories of nouns: animate, inanimate, and abstract. Nouns take different case endings depending on their category. The plain, unadorned form of the noun is the absolutive case, which is considered the primary object of a verb or preposition (the only one which cannot normally be omitted). Subjects of verbs are typically in the ergative case, although some verbs take a subject in the dative case. The locative case typically represents the location where something exists or an action takes place. The ablative case, among other uses, marks the source or origin of a thing, and the dative case marks a destination.

Case suffixes:

	animate	inanimate	abstract
ergative	-ṛa	-ka	-ma
absolutive	-	-	-
ablative	-lü	-öl, -l	-ol, -l
dative	-na, -n	-in, -n	-na, -n
instrumental	-ta	-ŏt	-ta
genitive	-i	-ê	-a, -ja
locative	-vi	-vö	-vo

Jarda has intransitive verbs which take a single argument in the absolutive case, as well as transitive verbs with an ergative subject and absolutive object. The verb typically precedes its subjects and objects. Transitive verbs, such as "prêl" (to open), can be used intransitively without any change to the verb, simply by omitting the subject. For example:

prêl	zi-ṛa	ķufê
open	I-ERG	box

"I opened a box"

prêl	ķufê
open	box

"a box has been opened"; "a box is open"

The verbs in these examples are in the perfective aspect, which is unmarked. The imperfective aspect is marked with the suffix "-sê" (after vowels) or "-ŏs" (after consonants). Jarda also has a repetitive aspect, marked with -ra, which denotes a series of short, repeated actions.

prêl-ŏs	zi-ṛa	ķufê
open-IPF	I-ERG	box

"I am opening a box"

prêl-ra	zi-ṛa	ķufê
open-REP	I-ERG	box

"I am opening boxes"

Verbs in Jarda often take on the role of an adjective or a preposition in languages like English. As an adjective, a phrase like "an open box" in English becomes "a box that has been opened" in Jarda. Compare:

prêl	ķufê
open	box

"a box has been opened"; "a box is open"

ķufê	(nŏ)	prêl
box	that	open

"a box that has been opened"; "an open box"

Note that the relative pronoun "nŏ" is optional in this sort of phrase and typically omitted. So you can essentially think of verb roots as having a double role as verbs and as adjectives.

A typical use of a verb as a preposition is the word "ni", which can mean "to have" or "with".

ni	krağ	-na	jêṛ	füļ
have	bat-dragon	-DAT	wing	short

"the bat-dragon has short wings"

krağ	ni	jêṛ	füļ
bat-dragon	with	wing	short

"the bat-dragon with short wings"

Smooth English translations

Translation from Kēlen:

A small statue is stirring on the corner again; in the crook of a young man’s arms, a carved small predator awakens; it barks at the smokes that have become twisted and also broken and knotted like a letter in the interlace alphabet, from around the market Iron; at the market there is a broad table covered with snow that has above it a well-dressed woman standing upright, her face disdainful and awe-inspiring, her cheeks flushed with pink as tea; but all past events have become forgotten, and proud again; the woman with a playful smile only pulled down the shining mask from in front of her.

Translation of Jarda text:

A small carved form starts to move around again on the corner. In the arm of a young man, a carved bat-dragon awakens. It sends repeated vocal sounds to the smoke that is spinning, broken, and knotted, like ancient knot-writing, from around the market called Iron. At the market is a broad table covered in snow which supports a woman with attractive clothes standing upright, with an arrogant and admiration-worthy face, with cheeks colored a dark orange color like tea. But everything in the past has been forgotten, and she is proud again. The woman with a playful smile only pulled down the shining mask from in front of her.