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) |
| POSS | N suffix | ɣu | gu | possessive suffix - N’s (ownership) |
| 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
Marks the direct object of a verb (the thing being acted upon), or the destination of movement.
tug vgovzi pusir toht∅
transgress can-NEG essence-ACC mind-NOM
The mind cannot penetrate transcendence!
huf 5il3ir tlu∅
consume flesh-ACC beast-NOM
The beast consumes flesh.
so3 lihir tlu-sfu∅
fly star-ACC bird-NOM
The bird flies to the star.
VOC vocative
Marks direct address: “O N!”, “Hey N!”. Pulls the noun to the front of the sentence.
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!
gi5u u3-puydugi tuhzonir noso
master-VOC hear-IMP pray-NMLZ.DER.act-ACC 1SG-GEN
Master, hear my prayer!
LOC locative
Marks location in space: “at N”, “in N”, “on N”.
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)
fhtogi blofogx5ix tu5o∅
sleep tomb-LOC priest-NOM
The priest sleeps in the tomb.
BEN benefactive
Marks the beneficiary of an action: “for the sake of N”, “for N’s benefit”. Contrast with MAL (malefactive), which marks adverse effect.
hu5 nolul no’ir un∅
love 1SG-BEN 1SG-ACC 3SG-NOM
It loves me, for me.
tgus unlul tlu’ir yogo-sru3-zob∅
sacrifice 3SG-BEN beast-ACC cultist-NOM
The cultist sacrifices a beast for it.
nyu 5ubir volul tu5o∅
create artifact-ACC 1PL.EX-BEN priest-NOM
The priest creates an artifact for us.
ABL ablative
Marks movement away from, or origin/source: “from N”, “out of N”, “away from N”.
zyuzh 3uzug lug∅
descend fire-ABL blood-NOM
The blood falls from the fire.
vsixi volxug tlu∅
emerge void-ABL beast-NOM
The beast emerges from the void.
truts hsidvug hupzd∅
flee edifice-ABL human-PL-NOM
The humans flee from the edifice.
GEN genitive
Marks relation or origin: “of N”, “from N”, “pertaining to N”. Expresses that one noun is related to or derived from another.
GEN vs POSS: Genitive marks relation or origin (“the blood of the god” - the blood came from or pertains to the god). Possessive marks ownership (“the god’s book” - the god owns the book). Compare: “child of Nyarlathotep” (origin/lineage, GEN) vs. “Nyarlathotep’s child” (the child belongs to Nyarlathotep, POSS).
lug gu5lidso sotdso
blood deity_intelligent-PL-GEN thought-PL-GEN
the blood of the thoughts of the gods…
vtu3 pus’so noso
song soul-GEN 1SG-GEN
song of my soul…
zot gu3so
way chaos-GEN
the way of chaos…
INS instrumental
Marks the instrument or means by which an action is performed: “using N”, “with N”, “by means of N”. Also used for things that are transferred or given.
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.
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.
xib birbif’fo hupzir yogo-sru3-zob∅
murder knife-INS human-ACC cultist-NOM
The cultist murders the human with a knife.
TEMP temporal
Marks a point or period in time: “during N”, “in (time) N”, “at the time of N”.
fhtogi vgov itdzxi fhtog∅
sleep can aeon-PL-TEMP death-NOM
In strange aeons, death may die.
fih 3o3zxi lihd∅ 3xig
rise night-TEMP star-PL-NOM black
In the night, black stars rise.
zfoy purzxi tlud∅
come harvest-TEMP beast-PL-NOM
The beasts come at harvest time.
COM comitative
Marks accompaniment or association: “together with N”, “alongside N”, “in the company of N”.
zilx pusir lorgniy hupz∅
exchange soul-ACC larva-COM human-NOM
The human exchanges souls with the maggot.
yutl tluniy yogo-sru3-zob∅
travel beast-COM cultist-NOM
The cultist travels with a beast.
lo gu5liniy tu5o∅
speak deity_intelligent-COM priest-NOM
The priest speaks with a god.
PROL prolative
Marks movement through or across: “by way of N”, “via N”, “through N”.
lni 5xidpzuv3 yols-yols-lihd∅ oldri5
revolve sky-PL-PROL child--child--star-PL-NOM strange
Strange moons circle through the skies.
go volxpzuv3 pus∅
go void-PROL soul-NOM
The soul goes through the void.
vux gil’lid-hpi5pzuv3 tlu∅ yug
swim ocean-PROL beast-NOM great
The great beast swims through the ocean.
MAL malefactive
Used for curses or adverse effects to mark the maleficiary (opposite of “beneficiary”).
olp 5ubir nogu noni’og un
destroy artifact-ACC 1SG-POSS 1SG-MAL 3SG
It destroyed my artifact on me.
lov tlu’ir dogu doni’og un
kill beast-ACC 2SG-POSS 2SG-MAL 3SG
It killed your beast against you.
orx xuxir unso un’ni’og no
take food-ACC 3SG-GEN 3SG-MAL 1SG
I took its food against it.
hih ugonoglir vogu voni’og sigf
burn house-ACC 1PL.EX-POSS 1PL.EX-MAL 3PL
They burned our house on us.
Negation
-zi negates any non-verb.
oxo lu5zi unso
eye liquid-NEG 3SG-GEN
Its illiquid eye…
ov5ozi
patient-NEG
impatient…