Volapük Vifik: Lärnod Degid

"Beginnings and endings: the last pieces of the jigsaw"


Volapük has what is called an agglutinative language system, thatis to say, it makes use of affixes - PREFIXES and SUFFIXES - letters attachedto the beginning and/or end of words. This modifies their essential meaning,sometimes in a very subtle way. You are already familiar with the prefixes:A-, Ä-, E-, I-, O-, Ö-, U- and Ü- used to denote TIME orVERB TENSES.

Here are a few more PREFIXES with their meanings:

DÄ- = broken into pieces; 
DEI- = until death; 
DO- = downward motion; 
DU- = movement through; 
FA- = absence; 
FE- = complete consumption; 
FI- = to the end; completion; 
FÄI- = shut; 
LA- = raising up; 
LÄX- = ex-; emeritus; 
NI- = interior object; 
NÜ- = movement into; 
PLÖ- = exterior object; 
RU- = primitive; 
SÄ- = remission

There are not as many SUFFIXES, but here are few of them, again withtheir meanings:

-ÄB = recipient of 
-EL = maker of; 
-EP = plant; 
-ER = content(s); 
-IÄL = tendency; 
-IÄR = container; 
-OV = possibility; 
-ÜD = compass point

In order to become more familiar with the use of these affixes, hereare some sentences:

Rufats obsik un rutim äbinoms yagans.  (YAGÖN = tohunt)
Man edocöpom bimi in gad.  (CÖPÖN = to chop,to cut)
Son omik fablibom de lom oka.  (BLIBÖN = to remain,to stay)
Cils ifefidons flukis.  (FIDÖN = to eat; FLUK = a fruit)
Lasumobsös podis dis bim!  (POD = an apple; DIS = beneath;SUMON = to take)
Niklots ofa binons jeriks.  (KLOT = clothing; JERIK= expensive)
Odeilöfob oli, o mat oba!  (LÖFÖN = to love)
Vab at duveigon vati.  (VEIGÖN = to travel; VAB = acart)
Mutoy fäikleibön kövis us.  (KLEIBÖN =to stick; KÖV = an envelope)
Bodel fibakom bodi.  (BOD = bread; BAKÖN = to bake)
Nülogof ini biskutiär ai.  (BISKUT = a biscuit)
Säkusadons suvo lugiäli oma.  (SÄKUSADÖN= to excuse; LUG = a lie)
Ad nulüdön bödis, däbreikobs bodi.  (NULÜDÖN= to feed; BÖD = a bird)
Plöklots et binons removiks valöpo.  (REMÖN= to buy)
Bir binon lalkoholerik.  (BIR = beer)
Fluks figepas binons vero smekiks.  (FIG - a fig; SMEKIK= tasty)
Oyelo depütäbs okömons lü zif sulüdik. (DEPÜTÖN = to delegate)
Vom at atimo no vobof; binof läxtidan.

Now for a little practice. First of all, write out the above eighteensentences in Volapük. Underline the PREFIXES once, and the SUFFIXEStwice. Lastly, make a translation of each sentence into ENGLISH; you willfind that you really have to give this exercise some thought, which isgood, because in doing so, you enrich your knowledge of our your own language!

The true strength of any international, auxiliary language consistsin its flexibility, precision and ability to change with the times, without,however, losing its own real identity.

For this very reason we salute: VOLAPÜK, ITS INVENTOR, ITS REJUVENATOR,BUT MOST OF ALL ITS ADHERENTS!


Here we are at the end of our course of ten units. You have gained agood working knowledge of the language. Like any other language, however,it moves with the times. Never forget that we are always delighted to assistyou in any way we can. Good luck to you now as you speak out loud the followingwords!

alna dönu = all over again
atan = the latter (person)
ba = maybe, perhaps
benö! = fine!
bluvik = astounded
bos = anything, something
dabinön = to exist
dalön = to allow (= may, ought)
desumön = to take away
diled = a piece, a scrap
dodön = to make excuses
dotimik = sceptical
dotön = to doubt
duinön = to do, to work out
ekö! = behold! see!
fagikumio = further (afield)
fam = fame, renown
fäg = capability
ga = certainly, indeed
gegolön = to return to go back
gesagön = to reply
gid = justice
gitöfik = legal, rightful
go = very much
in tef at = in this respect
it = itself, oneself
jenön = to happen, to occur
jinön = to appear, to seem
jüs = until, as far as, up to
kalkul = a calculation
kalkulavan = an arithmetician
keblünön = to contribute
kemen = (one's) fellow-man
klänöfik = secret
klülabik = evident
kod = a reason
kotenükam = satisfaction
küpädik = remarkable
laidulön = to persist
latik = late (= not on time)
lejonod = (the) teaching
lelilön = to hear (everywhere)
lukofiko = in derision; mockingly
lätik = last (of all)
ma = according to
milag jönik! = some miracle!
moikön = to disappear, to destroy
neföro = never
nemödikam = decrease, diminution
nendas = without (that.. )
neodü = for need of
numön = to count, to enumerate
nunön = to announce, to inform
piano = gradually
plak = experience
pö tum oka = in his/her turn
sakrifot = a sacrifice
sevädan = an acquaintance
soäsä = just as
stib = a pencil
stunik = amazed
sunädo = immediately
tumyel = a century
vegü = on the way to
vero = in truth
veütik = important
vö! = really and truly!
zuo = furthermore, in addition


NO NEED TO ASK ABOUT THE OUTCOME OF LISABET'S STORY - HERE IT IS!

SAPAN FOTA (FIN)

Blods äprimoms ad numön. änumoms, ed änumoms dönu,äreidoms alna dönu tästumi fata oksik. Jevods ämutonspadilön ad laf, ad kildil bal, e ad züldil bal.

Laf degjöla äbinon zül; kildil bal degjöla äbinonmäl; züldil bal degjöla zuo äbinon tel. Dot no ädabinon:alan omas igetom dilodi gitöfik oka, e ga jevod sapana äreton.äbinos klülabik: milag ijenon!

Kludo blods äspidoms ad golön ko jevod lü sapan fota.Atan äjinom go no stunik, ven älogom omis. Te äsmililom,äröbülom balibi oka, ed äsäkom: "Benö!o cils! ekanols-li dilön nimis ad kotenükam olas?"

"Si!" blods äsagoms, "e vö! milag ejenon! Alan obasegetom dilodi nu gitöfiki oka, ab jevod olik, o sapan! refon ai!"

"O cils oba!" ägesagom sapan, "binonös atos lejonodpro ols! ägivob oles vero jevodi lätik oba ad nätükönpüdi bevü ols; ab i esagob, das Büologal binon gid it, edas ögegivon pötatimo obe jevodi obik, if atos binonöv VilOna in tef af. E soäsä logols: Büologal ya egegivon obejevodi obik, nendas edesumon oles ga bosi - kelos lejonon oles, das neförodaloy dodön ad keblünön sakrifoti neodü kemen okik."

Blods bluvik ägegoloms lomio, ed änunoms plaki küpädikoksik valikes flenes e sevädanes okas. Ed atans, pö turn okas,äkonons oni dönu fagikumio; e piano, vol lölik älelilondö sapan gretik e dö milag, keli idunom me jevods degvel.

E fam sapana älaidulon nen nemödikam dü tumyels, jüskalkulavan dotimik äsumom stibi e papüri, ed äduinom kalkuliklänöfik. Täno äsagom lukofiko: "Ekö! Milagjönik!"

Diled et papüra ye emoikon, sodas nu alan, kel ba doton tefüfäg sapana fota ad dunön milagis, muton duinön oke it kalkulistefü din at!


1. Read the above story, then make a translation of it into ENGLISH:

2. Answer the above questions in VOLAPÜK:

1. Blods kil äreidoms alna dönu tästumi fata oksik.Kikodo?
2. Kis äbinos-li klülabik?
3. Sapan fota, kisi edunom, ven älogom blodis?
4. Lejonod sapana, kin binon-li?
5. Blods kil, kisi edunoms, ven egegoloms lomio?

3. Translate the following passage into ENGLISH:

Jiflen omik opotof penedi sunädo, bi äpromof, das öpotofoni; if no nog egetom penedi ofik, kod no ubinon, das no upotof oni, abdas potadins adelo binons suvo latiks. Ven ipromof, das üpotof penediat vegü bür, no idotom, das üpotof penedi so veütikima prom oka.