Kala Sentences

Sentences

• Most sentences in Kala contain a verb phrase, typically denoting the occurrence of an action. A verb phrase consists of a verb plus any modifiers.

• Most sentences also contain at least one noun phrase, typically denoting a person or thing. A noun phrase consists of a noun plus any modifiers.

• The two most important noun phrases are the subject and the object. Their exact meaning depends on the choice of verb, but

loosely speaking, the subject is the person or thing that carries out the action, and the object is the person or thing that is directly affected by the action.

• Kala has an extremely regular grammar, with very few exceptions to its rules. Sentences are made up of one or more phrases. Each phrase consists of a subject (optionally followed by modifying particles) and a verb (optionally followed by modifying particles).

examples

• nahi ke maka nomo

girl top music like

The girl likes the music.

• ke yasa sauatse

top air damp-seem

The air seems damp.

• na ke ha aya omo

1sg top 3sg beautiful think

I think that she is beautiful.

• na'am ka'e onyomo yala

1pl.excl toward learn-place go

We are going to school.

• na ke naka pinayan pesoye

1sg top woamn wise-beautiful.adv meet.pst

I met a beautifully intelligent woman.

greetings & farewells

• Welcome - uatsa

• Hello; Hi! / Good bye - yata

• How are you? - to tayo ka (lit: Your way?)

to sana tayo ka (lit: How your health?)

ta tama ka (lit: You good?)

• See you soon - nanku anyatlihi (lit: small future we see each other)

• What's your name? - ke ata tayo ka

• Cheers/Good health/Salute - kampa

etiquette

• Please - tsepa

• Thank you (very much) - nyasa(mha)

• That's a shame - uatla malaha

language difficulties

• I (don't) understand / I (don't) know - na unya(k)

• Please say that again / repeat that - tsepa ta'etla kalamye

• Please speak more slowly - tsepa ma tlena kala

• Please write it down - tsepa ta'etla moya

• How do you say ...? - to ... etla kala ka

• Do you speak ...? - ta ke ... kala ka

• Do you understand? - ta unya ka

times & dates

• What time is it?

ama ka (lit: time INT) / tsima ka (lit: hour INT)

• It's one o'clock.

ke tsima na'o a

• It's a quarter past two.

ke tsima ima'o te ta'o a

• It's eight pm.

ke tsima taue'o a

• It's half-past 5.

ke tsima ita'o te ya'o a

• What day is it?

iyoma a ka

• nayoma - Thursday
• tayoma - Friday
• hayoma - Saturday
• mayoma - Sunday
• yomaya - Monday
• tsayoma - Tuesday
• kayoma - Wednesday

• yesterday - yomaye
• today - iyoma
• tomorrow - yomatli
• last - -ye / next - -tli
• night - yohua
• week - sema
• month - sayo
• year - anyo
• morning - yomua
• afternoon; evening - puama

• What date is it today?

ke sayoma ka / itla sayoma ka

• It's October 18^th.

yoma ha'o te sayo ueta'o a

Index

grammar outline | sentences | questions | lexicon | thematic lexicon | writing