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| __NOTOC__
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| = Phonology =
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| '''kalama''' has nine consonants (/p, t, k, s, m, n, l, j, w/) and five vowels (/a, e, i, o, u/). Stress is word final.
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| == consonants ==
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| {| class="wikitable" style="text-align: center; width: 300px;"
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| !
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| ! Labial
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| ! Coronal
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| ! Dorsal
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| |-align=center
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| ! Nasal
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| | m
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| | n
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| |-align=center
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| ! Plosive
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| | p
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| | t
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| | k
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| |-align=center
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| ! Fricative
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| | s
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| |-align=center
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| ! Approximant
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| | w
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| | l
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| | j ('''y''')
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| |}
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| == vowels ==
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| {| class="wikitable"
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| |-
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| !''Vowels''!!Front!!Back
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| |- align="center"
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| !Close
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| |i||u
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| |- align="center"
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| !Mid
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| |e||o
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| |- align="center"
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| !Open
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| | colspan="2" |a
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| |}
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| === diphthongs ===
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| There are two diphthongs [ai̯] '''ai''', and [au̯] '''au'''. These are rare and typically only occur word-finally.
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| == syllable structure ==
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| All syllables are of the form (C)V(N), that is, optional consonant + vowel + optional final nasal, or V, CV, VN, CVN.
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| == phonotactics ==
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| A few syllables sequences are disallowed; /ji, wu, wo/. Also, a syllable-final nasal may not occur before /m/ or /n/ in the same root.
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| == allophony ==
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| The nasal at the end of a syllable can be pronounced as any nasal stop, though it is normally assimilated to the following consonant. That is, it typically occurs as an [n] before /t/ or /s/, as an [m] before /p/, as an [ŋ] before /k/, and as an [ɲ] before /j/. Because of its small phoneme inventory, '''kalama''' allows for quite a lot of allophonic variation. For example, /p t k/ may be pronounced [b d ɡ] as well as [p t k], /s/ as [z] or [ʃ] as well as [s], /l/ as [ɾ] as well as [l], and vowels may be either long or short. Both its sound inventory and phonotactics (patterns of possible sound combinations) are found in the majority of human languages and are therefore readily accessible.
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| = Word Order =
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| '''kalama''' has a strict word order. The general word order is:
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| :: ''subject noun phrase — verb phrase (— object noun phrase) ''
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| ::: '''yano payo''' - "John runs"
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| ::: '''mailya sami yano''' - "Maria hears John"
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| A noun phrase has this order:
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| :: ''(determiners —) noun (- quantifiers) (— adjectives)''
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| ::: '''nano san ta''' - "The three large men"
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| ::: '''ona aku malu''' - "The many small women"
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| A verb phrase has this order:
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| :: ''(leading verb —) verb (— tense/mood) (— adverb)''
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| ::: '''nesa le kome sali''' - "needed to eat quick(ly)"
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| ::: '''nesa sa kome lento''' - "will have to eat slow(ly)"
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| A prepositional phrase generally follows what it modifies, and has this order:
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| :: ''noun phrase — prepositional verb''
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| ::: '''o kusina loka yu''' - "in the kitchen"
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| ::: '''o wala loka note-naka yu''' - "after midnight"
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| = Nouns =
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| Nouns only decline for number and possession. They are altered with '''-lo''' to show plurality, and possessiveness with '''-yo'''.
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| = Determiners =
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| Determiners in '''kalama''' precede the noun they modify.
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| {{col-begin}}
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| {{col-break}}
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| * '''kula''' - all
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| * '''pu''' - this; these
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| * '''su''' - that; those
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| * '''xxx''' - every; each
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| * '''xxx''' - whichever; whatever
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| * '''xxx''' - some; several; a few
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| * '''ne''' - no; none; zero
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| {{col-break}}
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| * '''aku''' - many; much (one hundred)
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| * '''malu''' - few; a little
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| * '''xxx''' - more
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| * '''xxx''' - less; fewer
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| * '''xxx''' - other
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| * '''xxx''' - same
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| * '''xxx''' - such
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| {{col-end}}
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| = Pronouns =
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| '''kalama''' has three basic pronouns; '''wa''' [1sg], '''ni''' [2sg], and '''ko''' [3sg]. These do not indicate gender.
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| = Verbs =
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| Verbs do not change and are only ever modified by particles.
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| == Tense ==
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| Past tense is indicated by the particle '''le''' following the verb. Future tense is indicated by the particle '''sa'''.
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| * '''ko ne kome le'''
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| : <small>3sg NEG eat PST</small>
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| : ''He didn't eat.''
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| * '''walo wite sa ko'''
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| : <small>1pl see FUT 3sg</small>
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| : ''We will see her.''
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| = Questions =
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| = Number =
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| * '''sunya''' - zero; nothing
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| * '''iwa''' - one; single; alone
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| * '''ili''' - two; double; duo
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| * '''isan''' - three; triple
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| * '''isi''' - four
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| * '''ipen''' - five
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| * '''iwe''' - six
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| * '''ina''' - seven
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| * '''ipa''' - eight
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| * '''inun''' - nine
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| * '''iye''' - ten
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| * '''aku / ku''' - hundred
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| * '''mila''' - thousand
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| =palalo=
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| ===a===
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| * '''ama''' - but; yet; however
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| * '''awa''' - or; either
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| * '''ayo''' - any; whatever; whichever; whatsoever
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| ===e===
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| * '''enpo''' - be away from; move away
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| ===i===
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| * '''ila''' - be near; move toward; in direction of
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| ===k===
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| * '''kasa''' - house; building; apartment; room; residence
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| * '''kata''' - speak; talk; language
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| * '''kome''' - eat; consume
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| * '''koye''' - some; a few; a little
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| * '''kula''' - all; whole; entire; every; complete
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| ===l===
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| * '''lento''' - slow(ly); gradual; tardy
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| * '''loka''' - place; location; spot; point
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| * '''loma''' - bump, nose, hill, mountain, button
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| ===m===
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| * '''ma''' - interrogative particle
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| * '''malu''' - be small; little; tiny
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| * '''muki''' - ocean; sea; bay
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| ===n===
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| * '''nama''' - sleep; rest; relax
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| * '''nano''' - man; male
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| * '''ne''' - no; not; negative
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| * '''nesa''' - need; necessary; must; require; oblige
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| * '''note''' - night; darkness
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| ===o===
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| * '''o''' - direct object particle
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| * '''oma''' - female parent
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| * '''ona''' - woman; female
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| * '''opa''' - male parent
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| ===p===
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| * '''pala''' - word; morpheme; unit of language
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| * '''pan''' - food; bread
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| * '''paya''' - white; whiteness
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| * '''payo''' - run; move quickly
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| * '''peka''' - run; flee; move quickly
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| * '''pu''' - this; these
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| ===s===
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| * '''sali''' - quick(ly); fast; hurry; rapid
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| * '''sami''' - hear; listen
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| * '''simu''' - letter (of the alphabet)
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| * '''su''' - that; those
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| ===t===
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| * '''ta''' - be large; big; grand
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| * '''tani''' - be aware of; know; understand
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| ===u===
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| * '''u''' - and; also; too; as well
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| ===w===
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| * '''wite''' - see; look; watch; observe
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| ===y===
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| * '''ya''' - vocative / imperative particle
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| * '''yati''' - hand; arm
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| * '''yo / -yo''' - have; hold; contain
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| * '''yu''' - be in; at; on
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| * '''yuma''' - day; daylight
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| * '''yunta''' - gather; collect; amass
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| =phrases=
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| * '''wa tani ko'''
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| : <small>1sg know 3sg</small>
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| : ''I know her.''
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| * '''ma loka kasa niyo'''
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| : <small>Q place house 2sg.GEN</small>
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| : ''Where is your house?''
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