Hand-book of Volapük/Persons

by Charles E. Sprague

---

PERSONS.

The pronoun of the FIRST person is ob, I; plural, obs, we.

When the verb is in the first person the pronoun is united with it as a person ending, forming one word. Binob, I am; pükob, I speak; kömobs, we come; golobs, we go.

The pronoun of the SECOND person is ol, thou or you (singular); ols, you, plural. See remarks on the distinction between ol and ols, page 5.

The syllables ol and ols are likewise suffixed to the verb, forming one word. Binol, thou art or you are; pükol, thou speakest or you speak; kömols flens, you, friends, are coming; golols, ye are going.

We may also translate “I am” by ob binob, and “thou art” by ol binol; but this repetition of the personal syllable is unusual, and only employed for emphasis or when it is desired to place the subject at a distance from the verb.

In the THIRD person there are four pronouns: om for masculins and neuters, he, it; of for feminins, she; os, neuter impersonal or abstract; on, collectiv, one (as “one says”), people, “they.” In the plural, oms and ofs, they.

These pronouns are also suffixed to the verb, binom, he is, it is (“IT” being some definit thing previously mentioned). Pükof, she speaks; golofs, they (the women) go; nifos, it snows; sagon, they say, people say, one says, it is said.

Even when the subject of the verb is a noun expressed, yet the om or of must be added: of for a feminin subject, om for any other. Vom binof jönik, the woman is beautiful. Man binom famik, the man is famous. Dom binom gletik (not dom binos gletik), the house is large. Doms binoms gletik, the houses are large. Jisons binofs yunik, the daughters are young.

We can now conjugate any verb through the persons of the present tense.—

1. binob, I am. 2. binol, thou art, you are. 3. binom, is, he is, it is. binof, is, she is. binos, it is. binon, one is, people are.

1. binobs, we are. 2. binols, you are. 3. binoms, are, they are. binofs, are, they are.

The mnemonic word OBOLOMOFOSON contains all the personal pronouns. If it be written from memory twenty times the verb endings will not be easily forgotten.

---

EXERCISE 3.
Vocabulary.

Buk, book. Lilob, I hear.

Kömob, I come. Binob, I am.

Golob, I go. Pükob, I speak.

Binob. Givob. Blinob. Pükob. Golob. Kömob. Labob buki. Givobs moni. Labobs bukis tel. Givob moni mane. Blinobs bukis pule. Blinobs bukis pula.

I speak. I go. I have the goose. We have the books. I have five books. We give money to the man. I give five dollars to the boy. We bring a dog to the man. I bring the books. I bring the boys' books. I bring books to the boys. We give books to the boys.

---

EXERCISE 4.

Labol buki. Pükol. Golol. Labols fati. Blinol buki obe. Blinob bukis ole. Givols moni pules. Kömols e golobs. Pükobs e lilols.

(In the English exercises we shall print YOU in small capitals where it refers to more than one.) You have the book. YOU have books. YOU speak and we hear. You see the man. We come and YOU go. You come and I go. You have books. You give books to the boys. You speak to me. I give money to you. You give money to me. He comes. She goes. He gives money to the man. She has the book. He brings a dog to the boy. She speaks. He sees the man and the boy. He gives me money.

---

EXERCISE 5.
Vocabulary.

Tid, instruction. Tidob, I teach. Fidob, I eat. Dlinob, I drink. Lilädob, I read. (formerly liladob.)

Selob, I sell. Lemob, I buy. Tedel, merchant. Vin, wine. Vat, water.

Bod, bread. Mit, meat. Yeb, grass. Vom, woman. Mot, mother.

Tidom. Kim tidom? Man tidom. Selom bukis. Kim selom bukis? Ob selob bukis. Givom moni. Kim givom moni? Fat givom moni. Man tidom puli. Tedel selom bukis. Man dlinom vati. Vom dlinof vini. Kat fidom mugi. Pul fidom bodi.

Kis? what?

Kisi givom pule? Givom moni e bodi pule. (Remember that, when the subject is not expressed, givom means he gives, or does he give?) Kisi blinof mane? Blinof vati. Kisi vom fidof? Fidof bodi e dlinof vati. Kisi man fidom? Fidom bodi e dlinom vini. Jip fidom yebi.

Supply the proper endings in the following sentences:

Man dlin— vin—. Vom dlin— vat —. Fat pul— giv— mon— vom—. Mot blin— bod— pul—.

He comes. Who comes? The man comes. He eats bread. I eat bread. He gives a dollar. Who gives a dollar? The father gives a dollar. The man has a dog. The boy buys a book. The father drinks wine. The mother drinks water. The dog sees the cat. The boy eats bread. What does he eat? He eats bread. Who eats bread? What does she give to the boy? She gives the boy money. What does the woman eat? She eats bread and meat. The dog sees three sheep.

I eat meat, you eat bread; he drinks water, she drinks wine. We have books, YOU have eyes, they have ears.

---

EXERCISE 6.

Penob, I write.	Pened, a letter (correspondence).
Tonab, a letter (of the alphabet).

Tidoms. Kims tidoms? Mans tidoms. Seloms bukis. Tedels seloms bukis pules. Laboms moni. Kims laboms moni? Tedels laboms moni. Mans fidoms bodi e miti. Voms dlinofs vini e vati. Man penom penedi. Tedels penoms penedis. Puls penoms tonabis. Voms penofs penedis manes.

The dogs see the sheep. The sheep see the dog. The sheep sees the dog. The men write letters. The boys see the letters (a, b, c). The women drink (not -oms) water. The men drink wine. The sheep eats grass.

---

EXERCISE 7.

Nim, animal. Julel, scholar.	Dlin, a drink. Nif, snow.	Fid, food. Töt, thunder.	Dil, part. Sag, say.
Das, that.

(Caution.—After the verb to be, use the kimfal, not the kimifal.)

Man binom tedel. Vig binom dels vel (not binos). Del binom dil viga. Düp binom dil dela. Mul binom dil yela. Vat e vin binoms dlins. Nifos. Tötos. Logon nimis. Dlinon vati. Fidon bodi. Lilädon bukis.

The boy is a scholar. Dogs and sheep are animals. The day is a part of the year. Bread is food. Wine is a drink. Water is a drink. I am a merchant. You are a scholar. YOU are scholars. It thunders. One eats meat. It snows. One says (they say) that you are a scholar.

Supply the proper endings:—Dog fid- bod-. Dogs e jips bin- nim-. Sagon das töt-. Logon das nif-.