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<H2>Practical Course in Verdurian - Lessons 1 & 2</H2>

<hr>

<center><font size=+1>
<a href="lessons.htm#Introduction">Intro</a>
<a href="lessons.htm#contents">Contents</a>
<a href="#1urek">1</a>
<a href="#2urek">2</a>
<a href="lessons34.htm#3urek">3</a>
<a href="lessons34.htm#4urek">4</a>
<a href="lessons56.htm#5urek">5</a>
<a href="lessons56.htm#6urek">6</a>
<a href="lessons78.htm#7urek">7</a>
<a href="lessons78.htm#8urek">8</a>
<a href="lessons910.htm#9urek">9</a>
<a href="lessons910.htm#10urek">10</a>
<a href="vglossary.htm"><b>Glossary</b></a>
</font></center>

<hr>

<h2><a name="1urek">Pere urek 
<img src="greenball.gif" align=absmiddle>
First lesson</a> <font size=-1><a href="lessons.htm#contents">[To Index]</font></a></h2>

</ul>

<h3>Ke ei? <img src="greenball.gif" align=absmiddle> Who are you?</font>
<font size=-1><a href="#1urek">Urek</a> <a href="#1loz">Lo&#x017e;i</a> <a href="#1vui">Vu&icirc;</a> <a href="#1mori">M&ouml;r&icirc;</a>
<a href="#1alu">Aluatas</a> <a href="#1ont">Onteca</a></font></h3>

<b>Klok!  Uestu uve so &#x010f;er.
<br>&#8212;Emai, Ihano!  mis sul&eacute;om.  Kiel l&auml;de?
<br>&#8212;Bo&#x017e;e, bo&#x017e;e.  Ac... urave, sulete gra&#x017e;enom, ke ei?  
<br>&#8212;Ai Mihel!
<br>&#8212;Ei Mihel?  Ac ke e Mihel?
<br>&#8212;Ac &#x0159;o &#x0161;ris?  Kuzulo l&euml;!  Piro es&euml; e N&iacute;colo.
<br>&#8212;Ei kuzulo es&euml;?  Er N&iacute;colo, ke ei?
<br>&#8212;N&iacute;colo... Mira li&euml; e Reveca.  
<br>&#8212;Reveca Titei?   Tana e vlaya es&euml;.  Er le, Mihel, e kuzulo es&euml;.  Dobre&#x017e;anul, kuzulo!
<br>&#8212;Reveca Titel?  Ac &#x0159;o, ava es&euml; e Reveca Solomei... Pyeru, Ihano.  &#x0158;o e &#x0111;aye dom.
<br>&#8212;Ar, pyeru.  Er tana, &#x0159;o et nomai Ihano!  Et nomai At&oacute;nio!</b>

<p>Knock!  A man opens the door.
<br>&#8220;Hello, Ihano!&#8221; says a young man.  &#8220;How are you?&#8221;
<br>&#8220;Fine, fine.  But... please, young sir, who are you?&#8221;
<br>&#8220;I&#8217;m Mihel!&#8221;
<br>&#8220;You&#8217;re Mihel?  But who&#8217;s Mihel?&#8221;
<br>&#8220;But don&#8217;t you know?  Your cousin!  My father is N&iacute;colo.&#8221;
<br>&#8220;You&#8217;re my cousin?  And N&iacute;colo, who is he?&#8221;
<br>&#8220;N&iacute;colo... His mother is Reveca.&#8221;
<br>&#8220;Reveca Titei?  She is indeed my aunt!   And so you, Mihel, are my cousin.  Welcome, cousin!&#8221;
<br>&#8220;Reveca Titei?  But no, my grandmother is Reveca Solomei.  I&#8217;m sorry, Ihano.  I must have the wrong house.  [Literally, It isn&#8217;t the right house.]&#8221;
<br>&#8220;Yes, I&#8217;m sorry.  And besides, my name isn&#8217;t Ihano!  My name is At&oacute;nio!&#8221;

<h3><a name="1loz">Lo&#x017e;i <img src="greenball.gif" align=absmiddle> Words </font></a>
<font size=-1><a href="#1urek">Urek</a> <a href="#1loz">Lo&#x017e;i</a> <a href="#1vui">Vu&icirc;</a> <a href="#1mori">M&ouml;r&icirc;</a>
<a href="#1alu">Aluatas</a> <a href="#1ont">Onteca</a></font></h3>

If a word isn't listed here, look for it in the Grammar section.

<table><tr>
<td>
<table><tr><td colspan=2 bgcolor="A0E0A0"><i>General</i>
<tr><td><b>ac</b> <td>but
<tr><td><b>ar</b> <td>yes
<tr><td><b>dom</b> <td>house
<tr><td><b>&#x010f;aye</b> <td>right, correct
<tr><td><b>&#x010f;er</b> <td>door
<tr><td><b>er</b> <td>and
<tr><td><b>gra&#x017e;enom</b> <td>mister, sir
<tr><td><b>ke</b> <td>who
<tr><td><b>klok</b> <td>knock
<tr><td><b>mis</b> <td>says
<tr><td><b>&#x0159;o</b> <td>no, not
<tr><td><b>so</b> <td>the (masculine form)
<tr><td><b>sul&eacute;om</b> <td>young man
<tr><td><b>sulete</b> <td>young
<tr><td><b>(le) &#x0161;ris</b> <td>know
<tr><td><b>tana</b> <td>indeed
<tr><td><b>uestu</b> <td>man
<tr><td><b>uve</b> <td>opens
</table>
<td>
<table><tr><td colspan=2 bgcolor="A0E0A0"><i>Family members</i>
<tr><td><b>kuzulo</b> <td>remote cousin, relative
<tr><td><b>mira</b> <td>mother
<tr><td><b>piro</b> <td>father
<tr><td><b>avo</b> <td>grandfather
<tr><td><b>ava</b> <td>grandmother
<tr><td><b>cira</b> <td>wife
<tr><td><b>maris</b> <td>husband
<tr><td><b>bara&#x010f;u</b> <td>brother
<tr><td><b>s&auml;dra</b> <td>sister
<tr><td><b>besyun</b> <td>boyfriend
<tr><td><b>besya</b> <td>girlfriend
<tr><td><b>druk</b> <td>friend
<tr><td>&nbsp; <tr><td>&nbsp; <tr><td>&nbsp; <tr><td>&nbsp; <tr><td>&nbsp;<tr><td>&nbsp;
</table>
<td>
<table><tr><td colspan=2 bgcolor="A0E0A0"><i>Expressions</i>
<tr><td><b>Emai</b> <td>Hello
<tr><td><b>Ad onlel&aacute;n</b> <td>Goodbye
<tr><td><b>Kiel l&auml;de?</b> <td> How are you?
<tr><td><b>Bo&#x017e;e</b> <td>Fine
<tr><td><b>Dobre&#x017e;anul</b> <td>Welcome!
<tr><td><b>Pyeru</b> <td>I'm sorry
<tr><td><b>Et nomai...</b> <td>I'm called...
<tr><td><b>Urave</b> <td>Please
<tr><td><b>D&euml;kuy</b> <td>Thank you
<tr><td><b>E ni&#x0161; </b> <td>You're welcome
<tr><td>&nbsp; <tr><td>&nbsp; <tr><td>&nbsp; <tr><td>&nbsp; <tr><td>&nbsp; <tr><td>&nbsp; <tr><td>&nbsp; <tr><td>&nbsp;
</table>
</table>

<h3><a name="1vui">Vu&icirc; <img src="greenball.gif" align=absmiddle> Sounds </font></a>
<font size=-1><a href="#1urek">Urek</a> <a href="#1loz">Lo&#x017e;i</a> <a href="#1vui">Vu&icirc;</a> <a href="#1mori">M&ouml;r&icirc;</a>
<a href="#1alu">Aluatas</a> <a href="#1ont">Onteca</a></font></h3>

The Verdurian words used here are <b><i>romanized</b></i>, transliterated into the Roman alphabet from the Verdurian.  The transliteration, like Verdurian orthography, is quite straightforward.  For now, here's what you need to know:<ul>

<li> Pronounce the <b><i>vowels</b></i> with their Italian or Spanish values.  Thus <b>urave</b> is <i>oo-rah-vay</i>, not <i>you-rave</i>.  
<li> <b><i>Accent</b></i> the next-to-last syllable&#8212; thus, <b>kuzulo</b> is <i>koo</i>-<font size=2>ZOO</font>-<i>loh</i>.  But if there's a long mark &#x00a8; over a vowel, accent that syllable (<b>es&euml;</b> = <i>eh</i>-<font size=2>SYEH</font>); and if there's an explicit accent &#x00b4;  over a vowel, accent it (<b>onlel&aacute;n</b> = <i>ohn-leh</i>-<font size=2>LAHN</font>).
<li> <b>c</b> and <b>g</b> are always hard: <b>cira</b> is <font size=2>KEE</font>-<i>rah</i>, not <i>see-rah</i>.  
<li> When you see <b>&euml;</b> rather than <b>e</b>, insert a <b>y</b> sound before the vowel.  So <b>d&euml;kuy</b> = <font size=2>D</font><font size=2><u>Y</font></u><font size=2>EH-</font><i>kuy</i>.

<li>Pronounce <b>&#x0161;</b> like English <i>sh</i>; <b>&#x010d;</b> like <i>ch</i>; <b>&#x017e;</b> like <i>&#x017e;</i>.  <b>&#x010e;/&#x010f;</b> is the beginning sound of &#8216;that&#8217;.  If you can&#8217;t write the accents (in e-mail, for instance), use h instead: <b>dher</b> for door, etc.

</ul>

<h3><a name="1mori">M&ouml;r&icirc; <img src="greenball.gif" align=absmiddle> Culture </font></a>
<font size=-1><a href="#1urek">Urek</a> <a href="#1loz">Lo&#x017e;i</a> <a href="#1vui">Vu&icirc;</a> <a href="#1mori">M&ouml;r&icirc;</a>
<a href="#1alu">Aluatas</a> <a href="#1ont">Onteca</a></font></h3>

Family (<b>&#x017e;en&aacute;t</b>) is very important to Verdurians&#8212; and that means extended families.  The situation in the reading&#8212; meeting a remote cousin (<b>kuzulo</b>) you didn't even know you had&#8212; is not uncommon.  Verdurians you meet will generally want to know who your family is, what your father does, how many brothers and sisters you have, how many children you have, and so on.

<p>The extended family generally lives nearby, and is available for family celebrations, business contacts, babysitting, emotional support, religious observance, and financial assistance.  Significantly, Verdurian has two words for 'orphan': <b>sampire</b>, used for those without parents, and <b>sam&#x017e;enate</b> for the more serious condition of not having a family.  

<p><b>Reveca Titei</b> is called that not because her family name is <b>Titei</b>, but because her father is <b>Tito</b>.  It's very common to call a Verdurian by his or her name (<b>nom</b>) and patronymic (<b>pirei</b>).</ul>

<h3><a name="1alu">Aluatas<img src="greenball.gif" align=absmiddle> Grammar </font></a>
<font size=-1><a href="#1urek">Urek</a> <a href="#1loz">Lo&#x017e;i</a> <a href="#1vui">Vu&icirc;</a> <a href="#1mori">M&ouml;r&icirc;</a>
<a href="#1alu">Aluatas</a> <a href="#1ont">Onteca</a></font></h3>

<cite>Sentence order</cite>.  The normal order in a Verdurian sentence is subject, verb, object: 

<blockquote>
<table>
<tr><td><b>Uestu</b> <td><b>uve</b> <td><b>so &#x010f;er.</b>
<tr><td><i>subject</i> <td><i>verb</i> <td><i>object</i>
<tr><td>a man <td>opens <td>the door
</table>
</blockquote>

<p><cite>Articles</cite>.  Verdurian just has one article, the definite article <b>so</b> 'the'.  There is no indefinite article&#8212; where we would say &quot;a door&quot; or &quot;a father&quot; in English, a Verdurian would just say <b>&#x010f;er</b> or <b>piro</b>.

<p><cite>Questions and negatives</cite>.  There are several ways to form questions in Verdurian.  The simplest is just to use a rising intonation of the voice:

<blockquote>
<p><b>E &#x010f;aye dom?  </b>Is it the right house?
</blockquote>

<p>To negate a statement, insert <b>&#x0159;o</b> before the verb:

<blockquote>
<p><b>Piro es&euml; <u>&#x0159;o</u> uve so &#x010f;er.  </b><br>My father doesn't open the door.
<br><b>So uestu <u>&#x0159;o</u> e sulete.  </b><br>The man isn't young.
</blockquote>

<p><cite>To be</cite>.  The basic forms of <b>esan</b><i> </i>'to be' are:

<blockquote>
<table>
<tr><td><b>ai  <td>(I) am
<tr><td><b>ei  <td>(you) are
<tr><td><b>e   <td>(he, she) is
<tr><td><b>am <td>(we) are
<tr><td><b>eo  <td>(you all) are
<tr><td><b>eu  <td>(they) are
</table>
</blockquote>

<ul>
<li> You generally don't need to put subject pronouns (&quot;I, you, he, it,&quot; etc.) into the sentence in Verdurian. <b>Ei Mihel</b> is a complete sentence (&quot;You're Mihel&quot;)&#8212; it doesn't need <b>le</b> 'you'.  (If you do put in the pronouns, it adds emphasis: <b><u>Le</b></u><b> ei Mihel</b>, &quot;<i>You,</i> you're Mihel.&quot;
<li> Verdurians carefully distinguish singular and plural <i>you</i>.  <b>Ei</b> means &quot;you are&quot; when you're talking to one person; <b>eo</b><i> </i>is used when you're talking to several people.</ul>

<p><cite>Possessive pronouns</cite>.  To indicate who something belongs to, you use the possessive pronouns, <i>after</i> the noun:

<blockquote>
<table>
<tr><td>cira <b>es&euml; <td>my wife
<tr><td>maris <b>l&euml; <td>your husband
<tr><td>cira <b>li&euml; <td>his wife
<tr><td>maris <b>li&euml; <td>her husband
</table>
</blockquote>

<ul>

<li> <b>L&euml;</b> and <b>li&euml;</b> sound very similar (<i>lyeh</i> vs. <i>lee-yeh</i>).  Make sure you draw out the <b>i</b> in <b>li&euml;</b> to help distinguish them.
<li> Again, you must distinguish singular and plural <i>you</i>.  <b>L&euml;</b> refers only to one person.  We'll learn the plural equivalent later.
<li> <b>Li&euml;</b> means either 'his' or 'hers'.  </ul>

<h3><a name="1ont">Onteca<img src="greenball.gif" align=absmiddle> Exercises </font></a>
<font size=-1><a href="#1urek">Urek</a> <a href="#1loz">Lo&#x017e;i</a> <a href="#1vui">Vu&icirc;</a> <a href="#1mori">M&ouml;r&icirc;</a>
<a href="#1alu">Aluatas</a> <a href="#1ont">Onteca</a></font></h3>

1. Memorize the forms of <b>esan</b>. Learn to say them quickly and in any order.

<p>2. Using the vocabulary from this lesson (or the <a href=
"vglossary.htm">glossary</a>), make up some sentences expressing your relationship to people you know.

<p>3. Using the conventional expressions, write a very short, polite conversation between two Verdurians who meet in the street.</ul>

<hr>
<h2><a name="2urek">Ftore urek 
<img src="greenball.gif" align=absmiddle>
Second lesson</a> <font size=-1><a href="lessons.htm#contents">[To Index]</font></a></h2>

<h3>So malsfaom  <img src="greenball.gif" align=absmiddle>  The barbarian </font>
<font size=-1><a href="#2urek">Urek</a> <a href="#2loz">Lo&#x017e;i</a> <a href="#2vui">Vu&icirc;</a> <a href="#2mori">M&ouml;r&icirc;</a>
<a href="#2alu">Aluatas</a> <a href="#2ont">Onteca</a></font></h3>

<b>So malsfaom e sal&euml; e lase.  Ilu lele hutor er dom.  Klok!  
<br>&#8212;Hutorom!  Kt&euml; ei, cuon?
<br>So hutorom &#x017e;e er uve so &#x010f;er.  &#8212;Ar, gra&#x017e;enom?
<br>&#8212;Vulu &#x017e;&ouml;h!  
<br>&#8212;Vuleu &#x017e;&ouml;h!  Er &#x0159;o &#x0161;ris mizec &lt;urave&gt;?
<br>&#8212;Ai belgom, cuon!  Vulu &#x017e;&ouml;h er n&uacute;nece!
<br>&#8212;Ar, ar, tana.  Cira es&euml;!  Elu&aacute; malsfaom ke vule &#x017e;&ouml;h!
<br>Soa cira &#x017e;e er lele so malsfaom.  &#8212;Emai, gra&#x017e;enom.  Ei le ke vuleu &#x017e;&ouml;h?  
<br>&#8212;Ai.  Le ei cira li&euml;?  Ei beluana, tilka es&euml;.  
<br>Soa cira &#x0159;o mis ni&#x0161;, ac l&auml;de im dom.  Ila &#x017e;e on; tene so &#x017e;&ouml;h.  So malsfaom pite er l&auml;de.  &#x0158;o mis &lt;d&euml;kuy&gt;.
<br>&#8212;Ce-malsfaom e at&uuml;&#x010d;y, mis so hutorom.
<br>&#8212;Tana.  Ur&euml; pite &#x017e;&ouml;h li&euml;&#8212; er &#x0159;ark es&euml;.</b>

<p>The barbarian is dirty and tired.  He sees a farm and a house.  Knock!
<br>&#8212;Farmer!  Where are you, dog?
<br>The farmer comes and opens the door.  &#8220;Yes, sir?&#8221;
<br>&#8220;I want mead!&#8221;
<br>&#8220;You want mead!  And you don&#8217;t know how to say please?&#8221;
<br>&#8220;I&#8217;m a warrior, dog!  I want mead, and right now!&#8221;
<br>&#8220;Yes, yes, indeed.  Wife!  There&#8217;s a barbarian who wants mead!&#8221;
<br>The wife comes and sees the barbarian.  &#8220;Hello, sir.  Is it you who wants mead?&#8221;
<br>&#8220;It is.  Are you his wife?  You&#8217;re a beauty, my chick.&#8221;
<br>The wife says nothing, but goes into the house.  She comes again, carrying the mead.  The barbarian drinks and goes.  He doesn&#8217;t say thank you.
<br>&#8220;That barbarian is a villain,&#8221; says the farmer.
<br>&#8220;Yes indeed.  That&#8217;s why he&#8217;s drinking his mead&#8212; and my spit.&#8221;</ul>

<h3><a name="2loz">Lozhi <img src="greenball.gif" align=absmiddle> Words </font></a>
<font size=-1><a href="#2urek">Urek</a> <a href="#2loz">Lo&#x017e;i</a> <a href="#2vui">Vu&icirc;</a> <a href="#2mori">M&ouml;r&icirc;</a>
<a href="#2alu">Aluatas</a> <a href="#2ont">Onteca</a></font></h3>

<table><tr>
<td>

<table><tr><td colspan=2 bgcolor="A0E0A0"><i>General</i>
<tr><td><b>ce-</b> <td>that (before a noun)
<tr><td><b>elu&aacute;</b> <td>here is, there is, behold
<tr><td><b>ilu</b> <td>he
<tr><td><b>im</b> <td>in
<tr><td><b>kt&euml;</b> <td>where
<tr><td><b>lase</b> <td>tired
<tr><td><b>ni&#x0161;</b> <td>nothing 
<tr><td><b>n&uacute;nece</b> <td>now
<tr><td><b>on</b> <td>again
<tr><td><b>sal&euml;</b> <td>dirty
<tr><td><b>ur&euml;</b> <td>therefore, thus
</table><td><table><tr><td colspan=2 bgcolor="A0E0A0"><i>Nouns</i>
<tr><td><b>at&uuml;&#x010d;y</b> <td>villain, rascal
<tr><td><b>belgom</b> <td>warrior
<tr><td><b>beluana</b> <td>beauty
<tr><td><b>cuon</b> <td>dog
<tr><td><b>hutor</b> <td>farm
<tr><td><b>hutorom</b> <td>farmer
<tr><td><b>malsfaom</b> <td>barbarian
<tr><td><b>tilka</b> <td>chick, girl
<tr><td><b>&#x0159;ark</b> <td>spit
<tr><td><b>&#x017e;&ouml;h</b> <td>mead
<tr><td>&nbsp; 
</table><td><table><tr><td colspan=2 bgcolor="A0E0A0"><i>Verbs</i>
<tr><td><b>l&auml;de</b> <td>goes
<tr><td><b>lele</b> <td>sees
<tr><td><b>pite</b> <td>drinks
<tr><td><b>mizec</b> <td>to say
<tr><td><b>tene</b> <td>has
<tr><td><b>vulu, vuleu</b> <td>I want / you want
<tr><td><b>&#x017e;e</b> <td>comes
<tr><td>&nbsp; <tr><td>&nbsp; <tr><td>&nbsp; <tr><td>&nbsp; 
</table>
</table>

<h3><a name="2vui">Vu&icirc; <img src="greenball.gif" align=absmiddle> Sounds </font></a>
<font size=-1><a href="#2urek">Urek</a> <a href="#2loz">Lo&#x017e;i</a> <a href="#2vui">Vu&icirc;</a> <a href="#2mori">M&ouml;r&icirc;</a>
<a href="#2alu">Aluatas</a> <a href="#2ont">Onteca</a></font></h3>

Several new sounds are introduced here:<ul>

<li> <b>&ouml;</b> and <b>&uuml;</b> are pronounced as in German (or like French <i>oe</i> and <i>u</i>).  If these sounds are new to you:
<li> To pronounce <b>&uuml;</b>, say a series of <b>i</b>'s, and then round your lips as you would for <b>u</b>.  You'll end up with a <b>&uuml;</b>.
<li> Similarly, you can get to <b>&ouml;</b> by saying <b>e</b> and rounding the lips for <b>o</b>, or by saying <b>o</b> and relaxing the lips.
<li> The <b>h</b> in Verdurian is silent.  So <b>&#x017e;&ouml;h</b> is pronounced <i>&#x017e;&ouml;</i>, with no final consonant.
<li> Verdurian <b>&#x0159;</b> is pronounced far back in the throat, like a French or German <i>r</i>. Try pronouncing a sustained <b>h</b> and moving your tongue a little forward as if you were going to say an <b>r</b>.  It should get louder and a bit messier.  You've succeeded when it occurs to you that <b>&#x0159;ark</b> is a very good word for 'spit'.</ul>

<h3><a name="2mori">M&ouml;r&icirc; <img src="greenball.gif" align=absmiddle> Culture </font></a>
<font size=-1><a href="#2urek">Urek</a> <a href="#2loz">Lo&#x017e;i</a> <a href="#2vui">Vu&icirc;</a> <a href="#2mori">M&ouml;r&icirc;</a>
<a href="#2alu">Aluatas</a> <a href="#2ont">Onteca</a></font></h3>

Mead (<b>&#x017e;&ouml;h</b>) is a very common alcoholic drink in Verduria; it's made from fermented honey.

<p><b>Malsfaom</b> ('barbarian') literally means someone who 'speaks badly'&#8212; that is, someone who doesn't speak Verdurian.  By convention speakers of Isma&icirc;n, Kebreni, and Flaidish are not considered <b>malsfaom&icirc;</b>.  So the word ends up referring to someone from outside the Ca&#x010f;inorian Plain; and in practice anyone in this category who might be met inside the Plain is likely to be one of the southern or western nomads (loosely including Ka&#x010d;anza and Caizura in this category), or someone from the western mountains or the Western Wild.  Most of these are 'barbarians' in our sense&#8212; nomads, warriors, unfamiliar with the graces of urban civilization.

<p>Many barbarians, however, are fine and courteous individuals, quite unlike the one in the reading.</ul>

<h3><a name="2alu">Aluatas<img src="greenball.gif" align=absmiddle> Grammar </font></a>
<font size=-1><a href="#2urek">Urek</a> <a href="#2loz">Lo&#x017e;i</a> <a href="#2vui">Vu&icirc;</a> <a href="#2mori">M&ouml;r&icirc;</a>
<a href="#2alu">Aluatas</a> <a href="#2ont">Onteca</a></font></h3>

<b><cite>Pronouns</cite>.  The personal pronouns are:

<blockquote>
<table>
<tr><td><b>se  <td>I
<tr><td><b>le  <td>you (singular)
<tr><td><b>ilu  <td>he
<tr><td><b>ila  <td>she
<tr><td><b>ta  <td>we
<tr><td><b>mu <td>you (plural)
<tr><td><b>ca  <td>they
</table>
</blockquote>

<p></b>These are subject pronouns (that is, <b>se</b> is &quot;I&quot;, not &quot;me&quot;).  Since Verdurian verbs show person and number, it usually isn't necessary to use the subject pronouns at all.  They're sometimes useful, however:<ul>

<li> for emphasis: <b>E <u>le</u> ke vuleu so &#x017e;&ouml;h?</b>  &quot;Is it <i>you</i> who want the mead?&quot; <p>
<li> to distinguish &quot;he&quot; and &quot;she&quot; in the third person.</ul>

<p><cite>Gender</cite>.  Verdurian nouns, as in French, German, or Greek, have <i>gender</i>.  Each noun belongs either to the <i>feminine</i> or the <i>masculine</i> class.  Words referring to males are usually masculine, and those referring to females are usually feminine; but this doesn't always hold, and gender assignments are often arbitrary.  

<p>Fortunately, the gender of a word is (with a very few exceptions) obvious <i>from its form</i>.  For now all you need to know is that nouns ending in a consonant or -<b>o </b>are masculine, and nouns ending in -<b>a</b> are feminine.

<blockquote>
<p> <i>Masculine</i>: <b>avo</b> grandfather; <b>hutor</b> farmer; <b>maris</b> husband; <b>dom</b> house; <b>cuon</b> dog 
<br><i>Feminine</i>: <b>ava</b> grandmother; <b>tilka</b> chick; <b>cira</b> wife; <b>beluana</b> beauty; <b>besya</b> girlfriend
</blockquote>

<p>The definite article has different forms for feminine nouns.  You use <b>so</b> only for masculine nouns; for feminine nouns you use <b>soa</b>:

<blockquote>
<table>
<tr><td><b>so maris <td>the husband
<tr><td><b>so dom <td>the house
<tr><td><b>soa cira <td>the wife
<tr><td><b>soa tilka <td>the chick
</table>
</blockquote>

<p></b><cite>Verbs</cite>.  Verdurian verbs are <i>inflected</i>; that is, their endings vary to indicate tense, number, and person.  The same is true of English; &quot;comes&quot;, for instance, indicates third person, singular number, and present tense.

<p>The <i>dictionary form</i> is the infinitive, corresponding to expressions like &quot;to say&quot; or &quot;to go&quot; in English.  Infinitives for Verdurian forms always end in -<b>an</b>, -<b>en</b>, -<b>ir</b>, -<b>er</b>, or -<b>ec</b>.   

<p>We won't try to learn all the forms of the Verdurian verb yet; but you should know how to form the &quot;he/she&quot; form of the present tense.  It's quite simple: you take off the infinitive ending (-<b>an</b>, -<b>en</b>, -<b>ir</b>, -<b>er</b>, or -<b>ec</b>) and add -<b>e</b>.

<blockquote>
<table>
<tr><td><b>l&auml;dan</b> go  <td>&#x2192;&nbsp; <td><b>l&auml;de</b> goes
<tr><td><b>tenec</b> have  <td>&#x2192; <td><b>tene</b> has
<tr><td><b>uvir</b> open <td>&#x2192; <td><b>uve</b> opens
<tr><td><b>pitir</b> drink <td>&#x2192; <td><b>pite</b> drinks
<tr><td><b>lelen</b> see <td>&#x2192; <td><b>lele</b> sees
<tr><td><b>vulir</b> want <td>&#x2192; <td><b>vule</b> wants
</table>
</blockquote>

<p></b>With this simple rule you can look up verbs in the dictionary and start using them.  You should be aware that there are a few irregular verbs&#8212; though nowhere near the number you find in French or even English.  We've already met a few of them: 

<blockquote>
<table>
<tr><td><b>esan</b> be <td>&#x2192;&nbsp; <td><b>e</b> is
<tr><td><b>&#x017e;anen</b> come <td>&#x2192; <td><b>&#x017e;e</b> comes
<tr><td><b>mizec</b> say <td>&#x2192; <td><b>mis</b> says
</table>
</blockquote>

<p></b><cite>Double negatives</cite>.  In Verdurian, any number of negative words adds up to a single negation.  To put it another way, when you use a word like <b>ni&#x0161;</b> 'nothing', you must still put <b>&#x0159;o</b> before the verb:

<blockquote>
<b>So hutorom &#x0159;o lele ni&#x0161;.  </b>The farmer sees nothing.
</blockquote>

<h3><a name="2ont">Onteca<img src="greenball.gif" align=absmiddle> Exercises </font></a>
<font size=-1><a href="#2urek">Urek</a> <a href="#2loz">Lo&#x017e;i</a> <a href="#2vui">Vu&icirc;</a> <a href="#2mori">M&ouml;r&icirc;</a>
<a href="#2alu">Aluatas</a> <a href="#2ont">Onteca</a></font></h3>

1. What's the gender of the following words: <b>kuzulo, ava, piro, malsfaom, &#x010f;er, urek, onteca</b>?

<p>2. What's the &quot;he/she&quot; form of the following verbs: <b>&#x0159;arkir</b> spit, <b>sfahen</b> speak, <b>prosan</b> walk, <b>cre&#x017e;en</b> eat?  Find some more verbs in the dictionary and construct the he/she form.

<p>3. Invent a conversation between the barbarian and the farmer where the barbarian is a good deal more polite.</ul>

<hr>

<center><font size=+1>
<a href="lessons.htm#Introduction">Intro</a>
<a href="lessons.htm#contents">Contents</a>
<a href="#1urek">1</a>
<a href="#2urek">2</a>
<a href="lessons34.htm#3urek"><b>3</b></a>
<a href="lessons34.htm#4urek">4</a>
<a href="lessons56.htm#5urek">5</a>
<a href="lessons56.htm#6urek">6</a>
<a href="lessons78.htm#7urek">7</a>
<a href="lessons78.htm#8urek">8</a>
<a href="lessons910.htm#9urek">9</a>
<a href="lessons910.htm#10urek">10</a>
<a href="vglossary.htm"><b>Glossary</b></a>
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