Noun Cases, Negation

Lesson Vocab

English	Part of speech	IPA	Lugso	Comment
can	AUX	vɣʌv	vgov
essence	N	ɸus	pus
exchange	VB	ziɮx	zilx	transact, converse
hunger	VB	χuʃ	hu5	also “love”, “want to”
IMP	VB suffix	ɣi	gi	imperative mood (a command)
larva	N	ɮʌɻɣ	lorg
mind	N	θʌχθ	toht
go	VB	ɣʌ	go
NEG	suffix	zi	zi	negation suffix
MAL	N suffix	niʔəɣ	ni’og	malefactive case - with evil intent for N, against N, in opposition to N
revolve	VB	ɮni	lni	circle, encircle
sky	N	ʃxi	5xi
thought	N	sʌθ	sot
time	N	ʃif	5if
transgress	VB	θuɣ	tug

Cases

What is a noun case? In a sense, it is the difference between “I” and “me”. Unfortunately English does not have many exmaples of noun case. We typically use prepositions to communicate the things that noun cases communicate. “I go to the store”, versus “I go store-ACC” (accusative).

In Lugso, various aspects of language are communicated with noun case.

Case	Part of speech	IPA	Lugso	Notes
ABL	N suffix	uɣ	ug	ablative case - about N, from location
ACC	N suffix	iɻ	ir	accusative case - to N, towards location
BEN	N suffix	ɮuɮ	lul	benefactive case - for the sake of N
COM	N suffix	nij	niy	comitative case “together with N, alongside N”
GEN	N suffix	sʌ	so	genitive case - of N, from N, N’s (not possession - contrast POSS)
INS	N suffix	ifʔfə	if’fo	instrumental case - using N
LOC	N suffix	ʃix	5ix	locative case - at N, in N
NOM	N suffix	∅	∅	nominative case - the subject/actor/topic in a sentence
PROL	N suffix	ɸzuvʒ	pzuv3	prolative case (by way of N, via N, through N)
TEMP	N suffix	zxi	zxi	temporal case - during N
VOC	N suffix	u	u	vocative case - Hey N! O, N!

Examples

Below, NOM is marked on the subjects of each sentence, but note that there is no phoneme for marking the subject; it is implicitly marked by an un-marked noun, and further denoted by the last noun phrase in the sentence - remember, Lugso is mostly Verb-Object-Subject. Nowhere else will NOM be marked.

Notice also that the NEG suffix (“not”) is used in a few places.

ACC accusative

tug vgovzi pusir toht∅

transgress can-NEG essence-ACC mind-NOM

The mind cannot penetrate transcendence!

VOC vocative

lorgu gozigi

larva-VOC move-NEG-IMP

Don’t move, maggot!

Notice anything strange? The word order is different. The vocative case - “hey you! listen to this thing I’m saying” - “pulls” the noun to the front of the sentence. This makes sense if you think about it. You want to say a person’s name at the start of the speech, so they know to listen to the rest of it.

3figzobu zotso osgi no’ir

open-NMLZ.DER.agent-VOC way-GEN transmit-IMP 1SG-ACC

Opener of the Way, deliver me!

LOC locative

vsixi ovs5ix 5og’got∅

emerge pit-LOC shoggoth-NOM

The shoggoth emerges in the pit.

ugonogl5ix un

home-LOC 3SG

It is at home. (note the implicit copula)

BEN benefactive

hu5 nolul no’ir un∅

love 1SG-BEN 1SG-ACC 3SG-NOM

It loves me, for me.

ABL ablative

zyuzh 3uzug lug∅

descend fire-ABL blood-NOM

The blood falls from the fire.

GEN genitive

lug gu5lidso sotdso

blood deity_intelligent-PL-GEN thought-PL-GEN

the blood of the thoughts of the gods…

INS instrumental

pi5n gusxif’fo ipir snul’lso yug hupznu∅

crush heel-INS head-ACC snake-GEN great human-F-NOM

The woman crushes the head of the great serpent with (her) heel.

Also used for things that are given:

yurg gvifnlul gu5zi bgoxzobzonif’fo ubiso

give body-BEN sapient-NEG lead-NMLZ.DER.agent-NMLZ.DER.act-INS organization_human-GEN

The unthinking body is given leadership of the organization.

TEMP temporal

fhtogi vgov itdzxi fhtog∅

sleep can aeon-PL-TEMP death-NOM

In strange aeons, death may die.

COM comitative

zilx pusir lorgniy hupz∅

exchange soul-ACC larva-COM human-NOM

The human exchanges souls with the maggot.

PROL prolative

lni 5xidpzuv3 yols-yols-lihd∅ oldri5

revolve sky-PL-PROL child--child--star-PL-NOM strange

Strange moons circle through the skies.

MAL malefactive

TODO

Negation

-zi negates any non-verb.

oxo lu5zi unso

eye liquid-NEG 3SG-GEN

Its illiquid eye…

ov5ozi

patient-NEG

impatient…