wi

wi is a derivational marker that forces words into base modifiers. This means that it can take a phrase, and turn it into a base modifier. The phrase takes on whatever meaning it has when it's meant as a modifier.

This means that when using wi on a verb (e.g. "wi makan"), the phrase "wi <verb>" will be a base modifier with the meaning of whatever the verb means in its modifier form.

So for example, makan in its modifier form means "food-like/edible". If wi were to be used with it, it would turn into wi makan.

Here are a few more examples, with their original meaning, and then their new meanings when used in different places in combination with wi.

| Word | Original meaning | Original modifier meaning | New noun meaning | New verb meaning | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | makan | to eat (food) | edible/food-like | edibility/food-like-ness | to be edible/food-like | | teka | to see (a sight) | visible/sight-like | visbility/sight-like-ness | to be visible/sight-like | | onton | to wear (clothing) | wearable/clothing-like | wearability/clothing-like-ness | to be wearable/clothing-like |

Due to how wi functions, when it is used with a base modifier, it has no effect. wi converts the base modifier into a base modifier meaning the modifier meaning of the base modifier, so it literally converts it to itself. So the two phrases "tope" and "wi tope" are indentical.

This, however, does not mean that wi is useless with base modifiers. Most obviously, in order to negate a modifier, you'd say wi no <modifier>.

So in order to say "not good", you would say "wi no tope". wi is required here because no does not negate any words itself, but rather negates the grammatical particle behind it.

There is another way wi can be used, and that is in that it can be used to apply modifiers to modifiers.

wi and Adverbs

This topic is already explained in the clarifying descriptions section, however, je is a word that roughly translates to "of" in English, and is used as a genitive.

However, je can also be used to apply modifications to adverbs. If you were to say something is "very good", you could say it as "je tope lan" (of much goodness).

However, because anything after je is automatically a noun, this can feel a bit clunky for a lot of speakers, and as such another common way to say "very good" arise: wi tope lan

(It should be noted that both je and wi are correct in this context, and either can be used)

When using wi, the head modifier, that being the modifier that comes directly after wi, is modified by any modifiers that come after it.

This means that saying "wi tope canu tason" means "plannable coldly good". I don't know what that means either but the grammar holds up either way.

This allows quantity words to describe the intensity of adjectives:

In order to specify that something coming after wi isn't part of the wi clause, wa can be placed for the phrase to collapse it. This is fully described in clarifying descriptions, so this will not be explained in depth.