Ring C: 5/11: Kardii

Kardii is almost entirely isolating. The only inflections are tense and mood markings on verbs, which are as follows:

Indicative: -cha -che -chii

Subjunctive / clausal: -sa -se -sii

Imperative: -ke -kii

(Past, present, future in that order in each row. There is no past imperative!)

If the -ch- suffixes come after a verb ending in "ch", one is dropped.

Word order is SVO, with indirect objects, auxiliaries and other modifications of the verb coming *before* the direct object. Adjectives follow nouns; postpositions come at the end of their phrases.

Word classes are fluid. A non-verb can be turned into a verb just by adding one of the tense suffixes. (A verb formed from a noun in this way often means to use that noun. A verb formed from an adjective can mean to become that adjective, or to make something else that adjective.) To make the noun form of a verb, use "pri" with the -se form: pri shase, "causing".

The most important grammatical function-words are "vin", "a" and "i". A brief explanation:

"vin" is a genitive marker: vin kathii, "of the child". Genitives come after other nouns: rendi vin kathii, "a friend of the child". "Vin" can also mean "for". When followed by the noun form of a verb, it makes "to do" or "for the sake of doing".

"a" is a general postposition. On its own it means "in" or "at". Other postpositions usually have "a" put after them. After a clause, "a" turns it into a "when" clause, saying that the verb of the main clause was done when or while another event happened.

"i" marks (comes after) the indirect object of a verb. It's never used together with "a"; if a postpositional phrase is the indirect object, "a" is dropped in favour of "i". "i" can be used for any sort of indirect object, so it can stand for "to", "with", "on", etc.

Pronouns, in both subject and object positions, are often dropped if clear from context. Also, there's no distinction between normal and possessive pronouns; for instance, iru "he" placed after a noun means "his". Pronouns never use the "vin" genitive.

Gender is marked on some nouns by the endings -u or -ru (male) and -ee or -ree (female).

Kardii has no articles or copula.