Sentence Structure
Basic Word Order
Neelan follows Verb-Subject-Object (VSO) word order with a distinctive dash binding system.
VERB SUBJECT-OBJECT
Vyl bey-Bidumyz
"I have the ability."
vyl (have) + bey (I) + Bidumyz (ability)
Ayban yuqp-l-Eyks
"You like the cat."
ayban (like) + yuqp (you) + Eyks (cat)
The Dash System
The dash (-) is a crucial grammatical element that binds the subject to the object:
- Regular dash (-): Used when object begins with consonant
- Extended dash (-l-): Used when object begins with vowel
Nevol bey-l-Utim
"I see the house."
Nevol bey-l-Eyks
"I see the cat."
The Copula "to be"
The verb "to be" (bacp) has special properties and does not use the dash system. Note that it's often abbreviated to bac', or informally, bá:
Bac' yuq' Wotvij
"You are a teacher." (The full "you" is yuqp, but it too is often abbreviated.)
Bac' bey Himvijún
"I am a student." (casual)
Forms: bacp (formal), bac' (neutral), bá (casual)
Direct and Indirect Objects
When both direct and indirect objects are present:
- Direct object takes the normal position after the dash
- Indirect object comes at the beginning, before the verb
Út* xntoq bliwtél bey-l-Owh
"I gave the dog to him."
út* (to) + xntoq (him) + bliwtél (gave) + bey (I) + Owh (dog). Note that the apostrophe next to the Ú and é make them into long vowels, and are often written as accents, or can be omitted.