Open Questions

This page is intentionally a scratchpad for decisions that should be driven by use rather than solved prematurely.

Everyday lexicon

High-value everyday vocabulary is still incomplete.

Strong provisional verb candidates awaiting explicit commitment:

• et — eat
• drink — drink
• slip — sleep
• les — read
• hor — hear
• þenk — think / thought or idea, potentially using the same root as both verb and noun

Other current proposals are collected on Current Proposals.

Useful everyday vocabulary still to explore includes:

• say / tell
• ask / answer
• buy
• drive
• listen
• look / watch
• meet
• return / come back
• love
• help

Larger numbers

Cardinal numerals from zero through ninety-nine are specified.

The current system uses:

• tin for 11–19
• -tigg for multiples of ten
• a separate ones numeral after the tens form for values such as 21 or 36

Hundreds and larger place values remain intentionally deferred. When revisited, the system should remain straightforward, decimal, and mechanically parseable rather than copying irregular historical patterns.

Fractions and decimals are also deferred. A regular ordinal -te proposal is being tested but is not yet canon.

Quantity

The basic quantity system includes null, zumm, faa, mang, all, mer, and ferr. Degree words currently include tuu and zer.

A general word for enough / sufficient has not yet been selected.

Comparison

Comparatives are formed through ordinary qualifier + root compounds using mer or ferr, such as mergod and ferrhard.

Superlatives remain intentionally undefined.

Imperatives

Imperatives have not yet been formally defined. The bare verb is a likely candidate.

Relative and complement clauses

Structures equivalent to:

• the man who…
• the thing that…
• I think that…
• I know that…

have not yet been defined.

Aspect

The present perfect is now committed as hav + VERB-de.

No dedicated progressive has been added. Bare present forms continue to carry ongoing readings from context where appropriate.

Further aspect machinery should only be added if actual usage shows that it earns its place.

Compounding

Compounds remain deliberately permissive. The final head normally carries whole-compound inflection, while internal morphology may appear when it contributes meaning.

Transparent compounds may develop vernacular meanings without automatically becoming formal dictionary entries.

Vernacular

Colloquial contractions, semantic drift, and ellipsis should be documented descriptively without being promoted into formal grammar merely because they are understandable.