Determiners

A type of word that describes the reference type of a noun. You could think of determiners as a special class of noun modifiers and the only ones that exist before the head noun.

[determiners][head noun] [modifiers]

Determiners involve something related to plurality (quantity), adequacy, or time. They are the fundamental attributes of nouns alongside what makes each noun unique.

Quantity

You can provide numerals as determiners and they allow you to specify the plurality or quantity of the nouns being referred to. Larger numbers are created by using the below method of assembling parts of a number:

Latin

Number	Hisyëö
0	xünyu
1	kut
2	düi
3	son
4	nonkü
5	tiü
6	toü
7	xëti
8	tukwos
9	eson
10	dus
11	önsu
12	bole
13	telö
14	zıyön
15	kinsë
16	ses
17	dus xëti
18	dus tukwos
19	dus eson
20	düi dus
21	düi dus kut
22	düi dus düi
23	düi dus son
100	fiyën
101	fiyën kut
234	düi fiyën son dus nonkü
1000	elfü kut
1,000,000	elfü düi
1,999	elfü kut, eson fiyën eson dus eson

ɽʋʄꜿɟʌ

Number	ɂ́ɟɀʇɽı
0	ɋ̃ʄɀʃ
1	ɔ̆ʃ
2	ʌʄɽɟ
3	ɐ̃
4	ƨ̃ɔʄ
5	cɟɽʄ
6	cɽʄ
7	ɋʇcɟ
8	c̑ʃʒ́
9	ɽɿɐ̃
10	ʌ́ʃ
11	ɽ̃ıɐʃ
12	ʋʓɿ
13	cɿʓı
14	ⱴȷɀ̃ı
15	ɔ̃ɟɐʇ
16	ɐ́ɿ
17	ʌ́ʃ ɋʇcɟ
18	ʌ́ʃ c̑ʃʒ́
19	ʌ́ʃ ɽɿɐ̃
20	ʌʄɽɟ ʌ́ʃ
21	ʌʄɽɟ ʌ́ʃ ɔ̆ʃ
22	ʌʄɽɟ ʌ́ʃ ʌʄɽɟ
23	ʌʄɽɟ ʌ́ʃ ɐ̃
100	ɤɟɀ̃ʇ
101	ɤɟɀ̃ʇ ɔ̆ʃ
234	ʌʄɽɟ ɤɟɀ̃ʇ ɐ̃ ʌ́ʃ ƨ̃ɔʄ
1000	ɽ͊ɿɤʄ ɔ̆ʃ
1,000,000	ɽ͊ɿɤʄ ʌʄɽɟ
1,999	ɽ͊ɿɤʄ ɔ̆ʃ, ɽɿɐ̃ ɤɟɀ̃ʇ ɽɿɐ̃ ʌ́ʃ ɽɿɐ̃

Add one of these before your noun and you have provided a quantity determiner (a cardinal number).

Latin

son sütüö lı cok sün zomo. "Three friends are leaving the group."

nü buswen son dus tiü ëfun oxon xe biek nı süwit öfo. "We need 35 minutes to bake this cake."

ɽʋʄꜿɟʌ

ɐ̃ ɐʄcʄɽı ʓȷ ꞇ̑ ɐ̃ʄ ⱴƶ. "Three friends are leaving the group."

ƨʄ ʋ́ʃʒ̃ɿ ɐ̃ ʌ́ʃ cɟɽʄ ɽʇɤ̃ʃ ɽɋ̃ ɋɿ ʋɟɽ̑ɿ ƨȷ ɐʄʒ̆ɟ ɽıɤ. "We need 35 minutes to bake this cake."

Providing a quantity determiner of "one" (kut) can be used as a kind of indefinite article. Like the English article "a" or "an".

Ordinal

Place a numeral word after the nucleus (before, in the midst, or after other modifiers) and it will represent a relative position of an item in a sequence (an ordinal number).

Latin

lı nomü son xe sün ximol, ü süko noyo. "The third tree from the left is my favorite."

noyo lı umo nonkü xe lı cok. "I was the fourth person to leave."

ɽʋʄꜿɟʌ

ʓȷ ƨƶʄ ɐ̃ ɋɿ ɐ̃ʄ ɋɟƶ͊, ɽʄ ɐʄɔ ƨɀ. "The third tree from the left is my favorite."

ƨɀ ʓȷ ɽʃƶ ƨ̃ɔʄ ɋɿ ʓȷ ꞇ̑. "I was the fourth person to leave."

The position of the ordinal does cause a split in the grouping of nouns.

Latin

noyo cöüfon mokon süwit kut xön onö. "You made the great first dessert."

noyo cöüfon mokon süwit xön kut onö. "You made the first great dessert."

ɽʋʄꜿɟʌ

ƨɀ ꞇıɽʄɤ̃ ƶɔ̃ ɐʄʒ̆ɟ ɔ̆ʃ ɋ̃ı ɽƨı. "You made the great first dessert."

ƨɀ ꞇıɽʄɤ̃ ƶɔ̃ ɐʄʒ̆ɟ ɋ̃ı ɔ̆ʃ ɽƨı. "You made the first great dessert."

Multiplier

Place a numeral word after (öni) and use this as a modifier to represent the number of times something is to be multiplied.

Latin

boholon yünyoü zınkon öni düi. "The closet has double doors."

niün lı kiösö ëto köi tüu zoston öni nonkü bı obunyun. "He's quite athletic and can do quadruple jumps with ease."

ɽʋʄꜿɟʌ

ʋɂʓ̃ ɀ̃ʄɀɽʄ ⱴ̃ȷɔ̃ ɽıƨɟ ʌʄɽɟ. "The closet has double doors."

ƨɟɽ̃ʄ ʓȷ ɔɟɽıɐı ɽʇc ɔıɽɟ cʄɽʃ ⱴ́c̃ ɽıƨɟ ƨ̃ɔʄ ʋȷ ɽʋ̃ʃɀ̃ʃ. "He's quite athletic and can do quadruple jumps with ease."

Adverbial

Place a numeral word after the manner/material thematic role marker (öni) and you get adverbial numerals.

Latin

noyo bı öni kut tölki mokon si biek botuk yë öni mulö "I have only once eaten pizza"

nimü bı öni düi küu yön sikot hoköli hön lono xokön. You should use your toothbrush twice a day.

ɽʋʄꜿɟʌ

ƨɀ ʋȷ ɽıƨɟ ɔ̆ʃ c͊ıɔɟ ƶɔ̃ ɐɟ ʋɟɽ̑ɿ ʋc̑ʃ ɀʇ ɽıƨɟ ƶʃʓı "I have only once eaten pizza"

ƨɟƶʄ ʋȷ ɽıƨɟ ʌʄɽɟ ɔʄɽʃ ɀ̃ı ɐɟɔ̆ ɂɔıʓɟ ɂ̃ı ʓƨ ɋɔ̃ı. You should use your toothbrush twice a day.

Distributive

You can make distributive numerals using xokön. First, to indicate that a predicate is occurring multiple times with the specified details, you would tack on a xokön at the end of a noun phrase. Here's a non-distributive action and contrasting distributive one:

Latin

umo Tom ü umo Zıl oköt son dıbo. "Tom and Jill carried three boxes."

umo Tom ü umo Zıl oköt son dıbo xokön. "Tom and Jill carried three boxes each."

ɽʋʄꜿɟʌ

ɽʃƶ ‹cƶ› ɽʄ ɽʃƶ ‹ⱴ͊ȷ› ɽɔ̆ı ɐ̃ ʌȷʋ. "Tom and Jill carried three boxes."

ɽʃƶ ‹cƶ› ɽʄ ɽʃƶ ‹ⱴ͊ȷ› ɽɔ̆ı ɐ̃ ʌȷʋ ɋɔ̃ı. "Tom and Jill carried three boxes each."

In order to specify that something is double the degree of the associated noun-phrase. You prefix a quantity phrase with xokön.

Latin

motüo wohi noyo bı xokön düi diyondë hön xe bı elentët lı ëo ınfultin öni düstu woküt. My mother was always doubly careful when winding the clock.

lı sonkon ü xe besol zınkon, ün bı xokön son hön bıtün. It is important to lock the door, and triply so at night.

lolü nimü oncëmon ëo xokön düi tönkö hön doho noyo. Your words feel doubly hurtful given my sacrifices.

ɽʋʄꜿɟʌ

ƶcʄɽ ʒɂɟ ƨɀ ʋȷ ɋɔ̃ı ʌʄɽɟ ʌɟɀ̃ʌʇ ɂ̃ı ɋɿ ʋȷ ɽɿʓ̃ɿc̆ʇ ʓȷ ɽʇɽ ɽ̃ȷɤ͊ʃc̃ɟ ɽıƨɟ ʌ́ʄcʃ ʒɔ̆ʄ. My mother was always doubly careful when winding the clock.

ʓȷ ɐ̃ɔ̃ ɽʄ ɋɿ ʋɿɐ͊ ⱴ̃ȷɔ̃, ɽ̃ʄ ʋȷ ɋɔ̃ı ɐ̃ ɂ̃ı ʋȷc̃ʄ. It is important to lock the door, and triply so at night.

ʓʓʄ ƨɟƶʄ ɽ̃ꞇʇƶ̃ ɽʇɽ ɋɔ̃ı ʌʄɽɟ c̃ıɔı ɂ̃ı ʌɂ ƨɀ. Your words feel doubly hurtful given my sacrifices.

Fractional

Latin

noyo ke döstoc son fun son dus tiü icwon noyo. I will receive three thirty-fifths of my inheritance.

fiki yë sobüni et onö lı si niök lon son ün fun son. The disease rate has increased by 3 and one-third.

ɽʋʄꜿɟʌ

ƨɀ ɔɿ ʌ́ıc̄ ɐ̃ ɤ̃ʃ ɐ̃ ʌ́ʃ cɟɽʄ ɽ̄ɟʒ̃ ƨɀ. I will receive three thirty-fifths of my inheritance.

ɤɟɔɟ ɀʇ ɐʋʄƨɟ ɽ̆ɿ ɽƨı ʓȷ ɐɟ ƨɟɽ̑ı ʓ̃ ɐ̃ ɽ̃ʄ ɤ̃ʃ ɐ̃. The disease rate has increased by 3 and one-third.

Relative

Relative determiners provide relativistic information about the head phrase that they are attached to. They can be relative quantities which are like the above numerical quantities but with a non-exact non-finite understanding of what the exact numerical quantity the noun actually is.

Latin

total/all: möi sütüö noyo süko kontol doi osyen. All my friends like classical music

highest/most: öfo lı numüno yë eswen sonkon en möi. This is the most important example.

high/many: lı ëto toliko bësu yë xe cöüfon. "There are many different ways to cook a meal."

higher/more: lı eswen toliko yë xe tüu öfo, en fos noyo köi tüek tö kut. "There are more ways to xe this than I can count."

lower/fewer: lı mënüs umo hoi öfo bı ibüdü. "There are less people here now."

low/some: yoüti umo süko kon mühoyon. "Some people like camping."

lowest/least: noyo bı tölki yünyoü zötëstö oxon xe cıfü mënüs cıno yë nıwos en möi. I can only afford to pay the least of the bills.

zero/none: xünyu yë düi umo lı sumon. No two people are the same.

ɽʋʄꜿɟʌ

total/all: ƶıɽɟ ɐʄcʄɽı ƨɀ ɐʄɔ ɔ̃c͊ ʌɽɟ ɽ́ɀ̃ɿ. All my friends like classical music

highest/most: ɽıɤ ʓȷ ƨʃƶʄƨ ɀʇ ɽ́ɿʒ̃ɿ ɐ̃ɔ̃ ɽ̃ɿ ƶıɽɟ. This is the most important example.

high/many: ʓȷ ɽʇc cʓɟɔ ʋʇɐʃ ɀʇ ɋɿ ꞇıɽʄɤ̃. "There are many different ways to cook a meal."

higher/more: ʓȷ ɽ́ɿʒ̃ɿ cʓɟɔ ɀʇ ɋɿ cʄɽʃ ɽıɤ, ɽ̃ɿ ɤ́ ƨɀ ɔıɽɟ cʄɽ̑ɿ cı ɔ̆ʃ. "There are more ways to xe this than I can count."

lower/fewer: ʓȷ ƶʇƨ́ʄ ɽʃƶ ɂɽɟ ɽıɤ ʋȷ ɽɟʋʄʌʄ. "There are less people here now."

low/some: ɀɽʄcɟ ɽʃƶ ɐʄɔ ɔ̃ ƶʄɂɀ̃. "Some people like camping."

lowest/least: ƨɀ ʋȷ c͊ıɔɟ ɀ̃ʄɀɽʄ ⱴıćʇcı ɽɋ̃ ɋɿ ꞇȷɤʄ ƶʇƨ́ʄ ꞇȷƨ ɀʇ ƨȷʒ́ ɽ̃ɿ ƶıɽɟ. I can only afford to pay the least of the bills.

zero/none: ɋ̃ʄɀʃ ɀʇ ʌʄɽɟ ɽʃƶ ʓȷ ɐʃƶ̃. No two people are the same.

There's also the universal classifications of "every" and "each". The former is used for speaking of a group as a whole and the latter is used for speaking of each individual within a group.

Latin

küu lı gufıs yë fos nimü xüsten xokön xolu bı xön. Make sure you wash each bowl well.

binton lono onö lı lö bı cën hoi xokön lono hëlxun ün lı lö bı sël hoi xokön bıtün. The sun comes up each morning and sets each night.

möi umo xe hoi küncën onö, di si totsı ün hoküxı. Every person in the room stood and cheered.

ɽʋʄꜿɟʌ

ɔʄɽʃ ʓȷ ꜿʃɤ́ȷ ɀʇ ɤ́ ƨɟƶʄ ɋ́ʄc̃ɿ ɋɔ̃ı ɋʓʃ ʋȷ ɋ̃ı. Make sure you wash each bowl well.

ʋ̃ɟc̃ ʓƨ ɽƨı ʓȷ ʓı ʋȷ ꞇ̃ʇ ɂɽɟ ɋɔ̃ı ʓƨ ɂ͊ʇɋ̃ʃ ɽ̃ʄ ʓȷ ʓı ʋȷ ɐ͊ʇ ɂɽɟ ɋɔ̃ı ʋȷc̃ʄ. The sun comes up each morning and sets each night.

ƶıɽɟ ɽʃƶ ɋɿ ɂɽɟ ɔ̃ʄꞇ̃ʇ ɽƨı, ʌɟ ɐɟ c̆ɐȷ ɽ̃ʄ ɂɔʄɋȷ. Every person in the room stood and cheered.

Interplay with location and duration thematic relations

Using these with the location/time thematic relation (hoi) and the distance/duration thematic relation (lon) has subtle differences in interpretations.

Latin

nü ke niltügu xe lı lö bı fiki, hoi 5 mönbılı xokön. "We will stop running at 5 miles"

nimü ke döstoc iskö hoi möi 5 mönbılı xokön. "You will get a drink every 5 miles"

ke lı öni lö fiki bësu hoi xokön 5 mönbılı xokön. "There will be a different runner each 5 miles"

nü ke lı lö bı fiki lon 5 mönbılı xokön. "We will run for 5 miles"

ke lı öni lö fiki bësu lon möi 5 mönbılı xokön. "There will be a different runner for every 5 mile stretch"

nimü ke döstoc iskö dizel lon xokön 5 mönbılı xokön. "You get another drink for each 5 mile stretch"

ɽʋʄꜿɟʌ

ƨʄ ɔɿ ƨ͊ɟcʄꜿʃ ɋɿ ʓȷ ʓı ʋȷ ɤɟɔɟ, ɂɽɟ 5 ƶ̃ıʋȷʓȷ ɋɔ̃ı. "We will stop running at 5 miles"

ƨɟƶʄ ɔɿ ʌ́ıc̄ ɽ́ɟɔı ɂɽɟ ƶıɽɟ 5 ƶ̃ıʋȷʓȷ ɋɔ̃ı. "You will get a drink every 5 miles"

ɔɿ ʓȷ ɽıƨɟ ʓı ɤɟɔɟ ʋʇɐʃ ɂɽɟ ɋɔ̃ı 5 ƶ̃ıʋȷʓȷ ɋɔ̃ı. "There will be a different runner each 5 miles"

ƨʄ ɔɿ ʓȷ ʓı ʋȷ ɤɟɔɟ ʓ̃ 5 ƶ̃ıʋȷʓȷ ɋɔ̃ı. "We will run for 5 miles"

ɔɿ ʓȷ ɽıƨɟ ʓı ɤɟɔɟ ʋʇɐʃ ʓ̃ ƶıɽɟ 5 ƶ̃ıʋȷʓȷ ɋɔ̃ı. "There will be a different runner for every 5 mile stretch"

ƨɟƶʄ ɔɿ ʌ́ıc̄ ɽ́ɟɔı ʌɟⱴ͊ɿ ʓ̃ ɋɔ̃ı 5 ƶ̃ıʋȷʓȷ ɋɔ̃ı. "You get another drink for each 5 mile stretch"

Lastly, there are relative quantities that refer to the speakers feelings that the quantity is an adequate amount for their purposes.

Latin

noyo bı öhël iskö si zötëstö iskö kikölö ülzo hoi lono öfo. "I've already had enough coffee today."

nimü mokon si otıkon biek süwit hoi köndodü onö. "You ate too much cake at the party."

niün moskül lı büzök möfi hön xe hobiyö müt niün wohi. "He lacks the courage to tell her."

ɽʋʄꜿɟʌ

ƨɀ ʋȷ ɽıɂ͊ʇ ɽ́ɟɔı ɐɟ ⱴıćʇcı ɽ́ɟɔı ɔɟɔıʓı ɽ͊ʄⱴ ɂɽɟ ʓƨ ɽıɤ. "I've already had enough coffee today."

ƨɟƶʄ ƶɔ̃ ɐɟ ɽcȷɔ̃ ʋɟɽ̑ɿ ɐʄʒ̆ɟ ɂɽɟ ɔ̃ıʌʌʄ ɽƨı. "You ate too much cake at the party."

ƨɟɽ̃ʄ ƶ́ɔ͊ʄ ʓȷ ʋʄⱴ̑ı ƶıɤɟ ɂ̃ı ɋɿ ɂʋɟɀı ƶ̆ʄ ƨɟɽ̃ʄ ʒɂɟ. "He lacks the courage to tell her."