Writing Grammatical Rules for Conlangs in the Conlang itself

 Has anyone currently on the list tried to write
grammatical texts about the grammar of your conlangs
using the conlang itself?

 I know this has been done before. And I've just
started something about it in Silindion.

    The following is how to form the passive
participle, in a very succinctly written Silindion
grammatical teatise. Much its succinctness derives
from the slightly unusual use of the benefactive
suffix -nur to indicate "for the use of" (an extension
of its usual meaning "in support of, for the sake of,
etc". Also unusual is the use of the words for letters
(ara, ana, ada, etc.). In this text they're used to
indicate that a verb *ends* in these letters. The word
"minyate" "double" is used to mean "cluster of two".
Which is a technical use of the word. Finally, the
text is unusual in creating words out of suffixes,
such that "de" a suffix, is treated as an ay-stem
noun.

The full text in English is:

"In order to form the passive part (of verbs), there
are five endings "në, ë, dë, të, rë". "Në" is for use
with verbs in "r". "ë" is for use with verb in
labials, dentals, gutturals and clusters of two
consonants. (The following) sound changes (occur):
Gutturals become "nk" or "ng" (before the ending).
Labials become "mp" or "mb" (before the ending). But
as for "m" (it becomes) "mm" (before the ending). "Të"
is used with sibilants.

ETC. ETC. you get the point :)

Here it is in Silindion:

1.1 kesemari    nekessëa  fantanu
    kesema-ri   nekessea   fanta-nu
    division-GEN. patient  making-DAT

    vonto ëo dorë vossa, në, ë, dë, të, rë
    vo-nto    ëo   dora-i vossa, në, ë, dë, të, rë
    exist-3pl five ending-pl i.e. në, ë, dë, të, rë

1.2 në ara-nur
    ne "r"-BENEFACTIVE

1.3a ë sambivanur, tanievamma, urdëavamma, minyatëamma

 ë sambiva-nur, tanieva-mma, urdëava-mma, minyatë-amma
 ë labial-BEN, dental-COMM, guttural-COMM,
double-COMM.

1.3b  veska lisseiri:
      veska lissë-ri
      change sound-GEN.

1.3c yassar   urdëava anki mino angi
     yass-a-r      urdëava ank-i       mino ang-i
     become-PRS-3s guttural "nk"-ESS. or   "ng"-ESS.

1.3d yassar sambiva ampi mino ambi
     yass-a-r      sambiva amp-i     mino amb-i
     become-PRS-3s labial  "mp"-ESS. or   "mb"-ESS.

     në  amatma ammi
     në  ama-tma amm-i
     and "m"-REL."mm"-ESS.

1.4 të siskanur
    të siska-nur
    të hissing-BEN.

Elliott LAsh


		
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