GRAMATIKA
Grammar
Contents
The Petaylish alphabet consists of forty letters and can be written with either Latin or Petaylish script.
There are twenty three phonemes.
| Letter | IPA |
| A | /a/ |
| B | /b/ |
| D | /d/ |
| E | /i/ |
| F | /f/ |
| G | /g/ |
| H | /h/ |
| J | /dʒ/ |
| K | /k/ |
| L | / |
| M | /m/ |
| N | /n/ |
| O | /o/ |
| P | /p/ |
| R | /ɹ/ |
| S | /s/ |
| T | /t/ |
| U | /u/ |
| V | /v/ |
| W | /w/ |
| Y | /j/ |
| Z | /z/ |
The phoneme /e/ also exists in Petaylish but only as part of X /eks/.
The letter I represents the descending diphthong /ai/.
The same consonant sound should never repeat. The same vowel sound should not repeat except in the last character of a grammatical letter and the first letter of a stem when using Latin script.
zaabilita
The Latin characters that compose the Petaylish grammatical letters appearing in a word do not necessarily indicate a grammatical letter.
wisela...................................... /waisila/
xalaka...................................... /eksalaka/
poyzona.................................... /pojzona/
When trying to petaylishize a foreign word, such as a person’s name or the name of a place, the original pronunciation should be approximated as closely as possible with Petaylish’s alphabet and phonology while maintaining the rules of capitalization and attaching any appropriate prefixes and suffixes to the word.
Peter Philip Crisci
becomes
petera flipa krisea
Sometimes all or part of a name can be replaced by Petaylish words instead.
Maple Street
becomes
via maptimbero
John’s Diner
becomes
lokanara zujona
Finally, words may be left as they appeared in their native language if Petaylish’s rules of capitalization are maintained.
.mea bi peter philip crisci.
.mea yagi toe maple street.
.mala yamemasmi ine john’s diner.
| Grammatical Letter | IPA |
| WA | /wa/ |
| WI | /wai/ |
| WO | /wo/ |
| WU | /wu/ |
| XA | /eksa/ |
| Xi | /eksai/ |
| XO | /ekso/ |
| XU | /eksu/ |
| YA | /ya/ |
| YI | /yai/ |
| YO | /yo/ |
| YU | /yu/ |
| ZA | /za/ |
| ZI | /zai/ |
| ZO | /zo/ |
| ZU | /zu/ |
The first of the grammatical letters represent the four modular forms.
WA is attached to a verb to express ability.
WI is attached to a verb to express possibilty.
WO is attached to a verb to express necessity.
WU is attached to a verb to express expectation.
The next four of these letters express verbal mood or make a noun or pronoun plural.
XA expresses the subjunctive mood.
XI expresses the imperative mood.
XO expresses the interrogative mood.
The absence of XA, XI or XO expresses the indicative mood.
XU is attached to a noun or pronoun to show that it is plural.
Letters from the third group express tense or aspect.
YA shows the past tense.
YI shows the future tense.
The lack of YA or YI shows the present tense.
YO shows the imperfect aspect.
YU shows the progressive aspect.
The final group of letters are used in negation, to create words and to indicate possession.
ZA makes a word positive.
ZI makes word negative.
ZO indicates one who..., something that..., something which...
ZU is attached to a noun or pronoun to indicate possession.
When multiple gramatical letters are used they should appear in alphabetical order.
I did not have it.
.mea yizihavi ita.
ZA is used to create the positive form of a word. ZI is used create the negative form of a word. They can also express the superlative and when used together they express moderation.
bagoa..................................... goodness
zabagoa.................................. good
zibagoa................................... bad
zazibagoa................................ neither good nor bad/mediocre
zazabagoa............................... very good/better
zazazabagoa............................ extremely good/excellent/best
zizibagoa................................. very bad/worse
zizizibagoa............................... extremely bad/horrible/evil/worst
therma.................................... temperature
zatherma................................. hot
zitherma.................................. cold
zazitherma............................... warm/tepid
zazatherma.............................. very hot/more hot
zazazatherma........................... extremely hot/hottest
zizitherma................................ very cold/more cold
zizizitherma.............................. extremely cold/coldest
When used alone, ZA and ZI have the following meanings.
| Letter(s) | Literal Meaning | Idiomatic Meanings |
| ZA | Yes | let’s go, come on, pay attention, hey, good, nice |
| ZI | No | stop, go away, damn, bad, mean |
| ZAZI | expresses moderation | so so, alright, not bad, indifference |
A sentence can be negated by attaching ZI to either the verb or the object of the verb.
I am not honest.
.mea zibi joneka.
or
I am dishonest.
.mea bi zijoneka.
If both the verb and the object in a sentence are negated, the sentence is affirmative.
I am not dishonest.
.mea zibi zijoneka.
ZO indicates one who..., something that..., or something which...
good person................................. zazobagoa (someone who is good)
bad person................................... zizobagoa (someone who is bad)
thermometer................................ zotherma (something that tells temperature)
clock........................................... zokroma (something that tells time)
indicator...................................... zoindikata (something that indicates)
hygrometer.................................. zoareahidra (something that shows humidity)
singer......................................... zokanta (one who sings)
chef............................................ zokoka (one who cooks)
Most words end in a letter that corresponds to their part of speech. The word does not change as its part of speech changes, only the ending does.
| Part of Speech | Ending |
| Noun/Pronoun | a |
| Preposition | e |
| Verb | i |
| Adverb/Adjective/Article | o |
| Conjunction | u |
All numbers end with n and all possessive adjectives end with a, regardless of their parts of speech.
If the last letter in a stem is the same as the ending, it is dropped.
Noun
salt........................................ sodia
Verb
salts....................................... sodi
Subjects are words, phrases or clauses that show who or what is performing an action or who or what is described by a linking verb.
The car is hers.
.awtomobela peteo bi zufemala.
I will give it to him.
.mea yizainkekazbi ita toe mala.
The person who I know lives there.
.antra peteo hoa mea kozoki zabiei terea.
Objects of verbs are words, phrases or clauses that receive the action of an action verb or give information about the subject of a linking verb.
A direct object receives the action of an action verb.
She wants a car.
.femala xakeri awtomobela beno.
I want that bicycle and that bicycle.
.mea xakeri foridea tato andu foridea tato.
An indirect object indirectly receives the action of an action verb. The indirect object should be accompanied by either the preposition toe or fore.
I want that bicycle and that bicycle for him.
.mea xakeri foridea tato andu foridea tato fore mala.
or
.fore mala mea xakeri foridea tato andu foridea tato.
Fore suggests uncertainty as to whether or not the indirect object received the action yet. Toe suggests that the indirect object has received the action.
I got it for him (and I gave it to him).
.toe mala mea yazidesgavi ita.
(literally: I got it to him.)
I got it for him (but I did not give it to him yet).
.fore mala mea yazidesgavi ita.
(literally: I got it for him.)
Predicate nominatives name the subject of a linking verb.
I am Petey.
.mea bi petea.
(The predicate nominative "petea" tells who the subject "mea" is.)
He is my friend.
.mala bi zumea frenda.
(The predicate nominative "frenda" tells who the subject "mala" is.)
Predicate adjectives describe the subject of a linking verb.
I am tall.
.mea bi zaalta.
(The predicate adjective "zaalta" describes the height of the subject "mea.")
That is heavy.
.tata bi zawatea.
(The predicate adjective "zawatea" describes the weight of the subject "tata.")
Prepositions are words that show the relationship between the object of the preposition and another part of the sentence.
I went in the snow.
.mea yagi ine thermahidra peteo.
I am from that city.
.mea bi fre pola tato.
Of all foods, pizza is the best.
.pezarea bi ofe xunara anumeno zazazabagoa.
Interjections are parts of speech that are not linked to the other words in a sentence. They may be placed anywhere.
Oh no, I’m dying!
!o zi, mea yuzibiei!
or
!mea, o zi, yuzibiei!
or
!mea yuzibiei, o zi!
Wow, that’s great!
!vo, tata bi zazazabagoa!
or
!tata, vo, bi zazazabagoa!
or
!tata bi, vo, zazazabagoa!
or
!tata bi zazazabagoa, vo!
Help me, Petey.
~ua xihelpi mea, petea~
or
~ua xihelpi, petea, mea~
or
~ua, petea, xihelpi mea~
or
~petea, ua xihelpi mea~
To show possession the letter ZU is added to a noun or pronoun.
Petey’s clock
zupetea zokroma
Bob’s shoe
zuboba sirkumpoda
Whose is that?
?tata xobi zuhoa?
That is mine.
.tata bi zumea.
Articles are a kind of adjective that indicates how a noun is refered to.
The partitive article, sumeo, is placed after a noun to show that it is a certain portion of a group.
?ua xokeri pezarea sumeo?
Do you want some pizza?
(a certain portion of the pizza, not the whole pizza)
The definite article, peteo, is placed after a noun to show that it is a certain, individual member of a group.
The clock is mine.
.zokroma peteo bi zumea.
(A specific clock is being referred to.)
The indefinite article, beno, is used to refer to a noun in general.
They have a book.
.xunuta havi bibla beno.
(No particular book is being referred to.)
One article cannot be attributed to several nouns simultaneously.
He wants a good lunch and dinner.
.mala xakeri benalmerza beno zabago andu denalmerza beno zabago.
Pronouns are words that are used in place of nouns. Pronouns have two cases in Petaylish, normal case and possessive case.
Normal case pronouns are used in all instances except to show possession.
First Person
I, me........................................ mea
we, us...................................... xumea
Second Person
you.......................................... ua
you (plural)............................... xuua
Third Person
he, him..................................... mala
she, her.................................... femala
his or hers/gender unknown......... nuta
it............................................. ita
they (all male)........................... xumala
they (all female)........................ xufemala
they (all inanimate).................... xuita
they (any combination)............... xunuta
Possessive case pronouns are used to show possession. They are the same as normal case pronouns with the addition of the prefix ZU.
First Person
mine, my.................................. zumea
our, ours................................... xuzumea
Second Person
your, yours................................ zuua
your, yours (plural)..................... xuzuua
Third Person
his........................................... zumala
hers......................................... zufemala
his or hers/gender unknown......... zunuta
it............................................. zuita
theirs, their (all male)................. xuzumala
theirs, their (all female).............. xuzufemala
theirs, their (all inanimate).......... xuzuita
theirs, their (any combination)..... xuzunuta
When referring to a person or an animal in the third person, (xu)mala, (xu)femala or (xu)nuta are used. If the gender is unknown, to refer to either gender or to not reference gender nuta is used.
When the doctor comes, he (or she) will examine me.
.medika'p yizaxmi mea, wenu nuta komi.
Who is he?
?mala xobi ho?
or
?nuta xobi ho?
He and she went home.
.xunuta yabi kasa.
When referring to inanimate objects or to parts of living things, ita is used.
It is my house.
.ita bi kasa zumea.
It is my foot.
.ita bi poda zumea.
That belongs to it.
.tata bi zuita.
(literally: That is it's.)
Petaylish does not have reflexive pronouns.
I bought it for myself.
.mea yazateradi ita toe mea.
I like myself.
.mea sazi mea.
Verbals are verb forms that are used as nouns or adjectives. Petaylish does not have verbals in the sense that it instead uses a standard noun or adjective form.
Walking quickly, he arrived at my house.
.mala yalegi, kamina zaspedo, ate zumea kasa.
(literally: He arrived, walk quickly, at my house.)
I want to learn.
.mea xakeri miestra.
(literally: I want learn.)
That is a good climbing tree.
.tata bi timbera kemabo zabago beno.
(literally: That is tree climb good a.)
I like walking.
.mea sazi kamina.
(literally: I like walk.)
Conjunctions connect parts of a sentence.
He and I walked quickly.
.mala andu mea yakamini zaspedo.
He has been very happy because he won the new computer.
.mala yobi zazahapia sinsu mala yawi zokopuantra peteo ziago.
They said they would go, but they didn’t.
.xunuta yalogi tatu xunuta xagi, butu xunuta yazigi.
When linking all items in a series all commas, all conjunctions or a combination of the two may be used.
I love red, yellow and blue.
.mea zaamori oha, amara, azua.
or
.mea zaamori oha andu amara andu azua.
or
.mea zaamori oha, amara andu azua.
In a series with ou (or) or nu (nor), the conjunction must appear between each item.
I want red, yellow or blue.
.mea xakeri oha ou amara ou azua.
I want neither red, yellow nor blue.
.mea xakeri oha nu amara nu azua.
In Petaylish, a conjunction must always appear between independent clauses.
I believe it is good.
.mea krei tatu ita bi zabagoa.
Petaylish does not have correlative conjunctions.
I want either this or that.
.mea xakeri tisa ou tata.
(literally: I want [subjunctive] this or that.)
Niether he nor she are my friends.
.mala nu femala bi xufrenda zumea.
(literally: He nor she are friends my.)
Aspect shows how a verb relates to time with respect to when it began, when it ends and how often it occurs. Petaylish has two verbal aspects: imperfect and progressive
The imperfect aspect shows that something is continuing from the past. It is denoted by the letter YO attached to the verb.
I have been resting
.mea yobi resta.
(The act of resting started at a time in the past and is continuing.)I have been very sick.
.mea yobi ziziinferma.
(Sickness is continuing from the past.)He has been happy since Monday.
.mala yobi zabegine monterarotata zahapia.
(Happiness is continuing from the past.)
The progressive aspect shows that something is in progress now. It is denoted by the letter YU attached to the verb.
I am walking quickly.
.mea yukamini zaspedo.
(The act of walking is in progress now.)
Sentences written in other aspects should be translated into Petaylish in the past or future tense.
He had been walking.
.mala yakamini.
(He walked.)
He will have been asleep by then.
.mala yibi dorma ate tena.
(He will be asleep by then.)
Tense is the property of a verb that describes when something occurs with respect to the past, present or future.
The present tense shows something that occurs now. It is shown by the lack of the letters YA or YI.
He is happy.
.mala bi zahapia.
The past tense shows something that occurred in the past. It is denoted by the letter YA attached to the verb.
She went to the store.
.femala yabi toe tenda peteo.
The future tense shows that something will occur in the future. It is denoted by the letter YI attached to the verb.
They will go a long time from now.
.xunuta yigi kromaeo.
Mood is the property of a verb that shows how it relates to reality. Petaylish has four verbal moods: indicative, subjunctive, interrogative and imperative.
The indicative mood is used to state a fact or an opinion. It is shown by the lack of the letters XA, XI or XO.
I read the book.
.mea bibli bibla peteo.
I love this person.
.mea zaamori antra tiso.
I believe she is nice.
.mea krei tatu femala bi zakinda.
The subjunctive mood is used to express doubt that something will occur or to express certain things that are not factual.
If I were rich, I would go to the moon.
.mea xagi toe luna peteo, lesu mea xabi zaweltha.
(The subject is not rich and cannot go to the moon.)
She would love to go.
.femala xaamori ga.
(Just because the subject would love to go does not mean she will go.)
They will probably love it!
!xunuta xayiamori ita!
(It is uncertain whether or not they will love it.)
I want a little sleep.
.mea xakeri dorma zimuklando.
(Whether or not the subject will get a little sleep is unknown.)
I wanted it and I have it.
.mea yakeri ita andu mea havi ita.
(The subject’s want was realized so the verb is not subjunctive.)
The use of the subjunctive gives the sentence a different meaning than the indicative, even if the difference is not directly stated.
I want to speak to him.
.mea xakeri loga toe mala.
(means: I want to speak to him, but I’m not sure if I can.)
.mea keri loga toe mala.
(means: I want to speak to him and I know I can.)
The imperative mood is used to give a command. It is denoted by the letter XI attached to the verb.
Go to the store.
~u’xigi toe tenda peteo~
Sit there.
~ua xisiti terea~
Let's go!
!~xumea xigi~!
God help me!
!~diosa xihelpi mea~!
The interrogative mood is used to ask a question. It is denoted by the letter XO attached to the verb.
Where do you sit?
?ua xositi wero?
Do you have any books?
?ua xohavi xubibla sumeo?
Where is my car?
?zumea awtomobela xobi wero?
| Form | Letter | Description |
| First Modular | WA | expresses ability (can/could) |
| Second Modular | WI | expresses probability (may/might) |
| Third Modular | WO | expresses necessity (must) |
| Fourth Modular | WU | expresses expectation (ought/should) |
I should go.
.mea wugi.
To negate modular form, place the letter ZI after the modular prefix.
You cannot go.
.ua wazigi.
Adjectives are words that modify nouns.
The dusty machine is loud.
.makina dusto peteo bi zaawdia.
One adjective cannot modify two or more nouns simultaneously.
He wants a good lunch and dinner.
.mala xakeri benalmerza beno zabago andu denalmerza beno zabago.
Adjectives do not agree with the nouns they modify.
The dusty machines are loud.
.xumakina dusto peteo bi zaawdia.
not
.xumakina xudusto peteo bi zaawdia.
Adverbs modify verbs, adjectives and other adverbs.
I walk quickly.
.mea kamina zaspedo.
I eat the lunch now.
.mea yamemasmi kromtiso benalmerza peteo.
I want a bright yellow house,
.mea xakeri kasa'b oho zalumo.
The comparative is a construction used to show equality between two things. It is formed using the conjunction amuku.
I am as happy as you are.
.mea bi zahapia amuku ua bi zahapia.
(literally: I am happy [amuku] you are happy)
I have as many as you do.
.mea havi kantida amuku ua havi.
(literally: I have amount [amuku] you have.)
That is as much mine as it is yours.
.tata bi zumea kantida amuku ita bi zuua.
(literally: That is mine [amuku] it is yours.)
The superlative is a construction used to show inequality between two things. It can be constructed using the conjunction zaamuku or zaza[stem]a + tanu.
That is more mine than yours.
.tata bi zumea kantida zaamuku zuua.
(literally: That is mine amount more than yours.)
or.tata bi zumea zazakantida tanu zuua.
(literally: That is mine more than yours.)
I am happier than everyone.
.mea bi zahapia zaamuku anumeno.
(literally: I am happy more than everyone.)
or
.mea bi zazahapia tanu anumeno.
(literally: I am happier than everyone.)
You have more than me.
.ua havi kantida zaamuku mea.
(literally: You have amount more than me.)
or
.ua havi zazakantida tanu mea.
(literally: You have more amount than me.)
When using the Latin script, all words in sentence should be either in upper or lower case.
.mala andu mea kamini zaspedo.
or.MALA ANDU MEA KAMINI ZASPEDO.
not.Mala andu mea kamini zaspedo.
Punctuation is the symbols that give structure to text. The writer has a great deal of flexibility in its use.
The period (.) should appear at the beginning and end of all sentences that state a fact or opinion. The tilde (~) should appear at the beginning and end of all sentences that give a command. The question mark (?) should appear at the beginning and end of all sentences that ask a question. The exclamation point (!) should appear at the beginning and end of a sentence that express strong emotion.
I am here.
.mei hera.
Do that.
~ua xidi tata~
I asked "where did he go?"
.mea yakwestoni "mala xoyagi wera?"
Spaces should appear between each word. It is not necessary to put spaces in between sentences.
Colons (:) indicate that a list of items is about to follow.
Semicolons (;) separate clauses.
Commas (,) are used to separate items in a list, to add clarity, to separate information that is not essential to the meaning of a sentence and to separate ideas that interrupt a sentence.
Quotation Marks (“”) are used to denote a person’s exact words. When the quotation is within another sentence, punctuation in placed inside the quotes. When the entire sentence is the quotation, punctuation is placed outside the quotes.
I asked "where did he go?"
.mea yakwestoni "mala xoyagi wera?"
"Where did he go?"
?"mala xoyagi wera"?
Apostrophes (‘) are used in abbreviations and contractions.
Parentheses () are used to enclose additional information.
Dashes (-) show sudden interruptions.
In Petaylish there is a series of symbols that can be placed over words or groups of words to express pace, emotion, volume and inflection.
Syntax is the order in which words, phrases and clauses are arranged in a sentence.
Grammatical letters always should appear in alphabetical order and be attached to the beginning of a word.
I will not want it.
.mea yizikeri ita.
All sentences are arranged in the order of subject, verb, object.
He will go this October.
.mala yigi oktoba tiso.
(The verb "yigi" is preceeded by the subject "mala" and is followed by the object "oktoba.")
Do you want some of my snack?
?ua xokeri zumea merenda sumeo?
(The verb "xokeri" is preceeded by the subject "ua" and is followed by the object "merenda.")
That is not fair.
.tata bi zijudea.
(The verb "bi" is preceeded by the subject "tata" and is followed by the object "zijudea.")
There is no “you understood.”
Look at the sky!
!ua xioptiki ate sela peteo!
Indirect objects may come either before or after the subject-verb agreement.
I want that bicycle and that bicycle for him.
.mea zakeri foridea tato andu foridea tato fore mala.
or
.fore mala mea zakeri foridea tato andu foridea tato.
Adjectives almost always follow the nouns they modify. Adverbs should always follow the verbs, adjectives or adverbs they modify.
He will go this October.
.mala yigi oktoba tiso.
(The adjective "tiso" follows the noun it modifies, "oktoba.")
Why do you have to go?
?ua woxogi yeo?
(The adverb "yeo" must follow the verb it modifies, "wogi.")
I eat the lunch quickly.
.mea memasmi zaspedo benalmerza peteo.
(The adverb "zaspedo" must follow the verb it modifies, "memasmi.")
When a number acts as an adjective or adverb, it may be placed either before or after the word it modifies.
I have thirty friends.
.mea havi xufrenda denken.
or
I have thirty friends.
.mea havi denken xufrenda.
First of all, go to the store.
~ua an xigi toe tenda peteo~
literally: You one go to store the.
or
~ua xigi an toe tenda peteo~
literally: You go one to store the.
When a possessive pronoun acts as an adjective it also may be placed before or after the word it modifies.
That is my house.
.tata bi zumea kasa.
or
.tata bi kasa zumea.
Articles are only placed after nouns.
Do you want some of my snack?
?ua xaxokeri zumea merenda sumeo?
(The partitive article "sumeo" follows the noun "merenda.")
I am the chef.
.mea bi zokoka peteo.
(The definite article "peteo" follows the noun "zokoka.")
Multiple modifiers may be arranged in any order as long as it is clear which word they are modifying.
Look at the big, blue sky!
!ua xioptiki toe sela peteo zasizo azuo!
!ua xioptiki toe sela zasizo peteo azuo!
!ua xioptiki toe sela zasizo azuo peteo!
!ua xioptiki toe sela peteo azuo zasizo!
!ua xioptiki toe sela azuo peteo zasizo!
Prepositions must appear before the object of the preposition and after the part of the sentence being connected to it.
The doughnut on the table is mine.
.bunua peteo one taba peteo bi zumea.
(The preposition "one" follows "bunua" and preceedes "taba.")
Prepositional phrases and subordinate clauses should always follow the words they modify and be treated as whatever part of speech they are functioning as.
The doughnut on the table is mine.
.bunua peteo one taba peteo bi zumea.
(The prepositional phrase "one taba peteo" is acting as an adjective modifying the subject "bunua." Therefore, it must come after "bunua.")
He walked home by means of Maple Street.
.mala yakamini vie via maptimbero kasa.
The prepositional phrase "vie via maptimbero" is acting as an adverb modifying the verb "yakamini." Therefore, it must come after "yakamini."
The man who is my good friend lives in that house.
.mala peteo hoa bi zabagoa zumea frenda zabiei ine kasa tato.
(The clause "hoa bi zabagoa zumea frenda" is acting as an adjective modifying "mala." Therefore, it must come after mala.)
I do not know why she did that.
.mea ziintrasiki yiu femala yadi tata.
(The clause "yiu femala yadi tata" is acting as the object so it therefore must follow the verb.)
Contractions are intended to make conversation more efficient, to make text more concise and for use in poetry and music. Contractions are neither formal nor informal. They should not be used in ways that would make the meaning of a sentence unclear.
When using a form of bi, the verb may be dropped and the subject given the verb’s ending and prefixes.
I am Petey.
.mea bi petea.
.mei petea.
She is not happy.
.femala zibi zahapia.
.zifemali zahapia.
This should be avoided when dealing with more complex subjects; it can make the sentence confusing.
That huge, very old house is his.
.kasa tato zazasizo, zazaago bi zumala.
not
.kasi tato zazasizo, zazaago zumala.
The first letter of a pronoun may be attached to the beginning of a verb with an apostrophe. The rest of the pronoun is dropped.
.mala yagi toe tenda peteo.
.m’yagi toe tenda peteo.
He went to the store.
Bi and its subject pronoun may also be contracted in this way.
.femala zibi zahapia.
.zif’bi zahapia.
She is not happy.
These kinds of contractions should not be used when they would lead to ambiguity.
He and I went home and I was happy to arrive.
.mala andu mea yagi kasa andu m’yabi hapia lega.
(It is unclear whether "mala" or "mea" was happy to arrive.)
The first letter of an article may be attached to the end of a noun with an apostrophe. The rest of the article is then
dropped.
.mala yagi toe tenda peteo.
.m’yagi toe tenda’p.
He went to the store.