Hand-book of Volapük/Genders
GENDERS.
As explained under the third person (p. 10,) nouns denoting females are represented by the pronoun or person ending of; all others (whether masculin or neuter) by om. It may be said that Volapük has two genders of nouns: the feminin (of) and the non-feminin (om).
Ji- (English she) is prefixed to make nouns feminin when the sex is to be specifically pointed out: matel, husband; jimatel, wife. A few words, easily recognized, are always feminin, as mot (=jifat), kun (=jixol). Om- is occasionally prefixed to the name of an animal to point out the male when the sex is specifically pointed out. Jeval, horse, in general; omjeval, stallion; jijeval, mare.
Os means it, impersonally or abstractly, without referring to any noun. Binos velatik das edunob osi, it is true that I have done it.
Such phrases as “the true, the beautiful, the sublime, the ridiculous,” meaning “that which is true, that which is beautiful,” etc., are expressed thus: velatikos, jönikos, sublimikos, smilikos. This is usually termed a neuter adjectiv, but would seem rather to be an abstract noun. Neuter pronouns are formed in the same way: atos, this (this thing); kelos, what.
EXERCISE 8.
| Flen, friend. Lautel, author. Nelijel, Englishman. Vomül, Miss. |
Tidel, teacher. Lanel, angel. Sanel, physician, Matel, husband. |
Jeval, horse. Viudel, widower. Blod, brother. Maria, Mary. |
Express in Volapük:
Lady-friend. Doctor's wife. Widow. Authoress. Miss Mary is an angel. Doctress. Mare. Sister. Englishwoman. Wife.
This work was published before January 1, 1929, and is in the public domain worldwide because the author died at least 100 years ago.
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