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.

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 that means 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, because in order to negate a modifier, you'd have to 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.

But there is reason why wi is used with base modifiers, and that is because it can be used to apply modifiers to modifiers (i.e. adverbs).

wi and Adverbs

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

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

But because anything after je is automatically a noun, this can feel a bit clunky for a lot of speakers, and so another way to say "very good" arose:
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 not only allows modifiers to become adverbs that modify modifiers, but it also allows quantity words to describe the intensity of adjectives:

matuwa wi kusa jati le kota ta ja le cuma ki nin sone - "The annoyed parent said their goodbyes to the other person"

in husu je ta ka na nin le wisan in sin wi joli ani, men non je pan pucon le kota - "The council discussed whether or not that person knew what was most beneficial"

sin wi sankan mese le ta ja le ALU IN ANI JE MANI MI!! - "The more important thing is that he TOOK ALL OF MY MONEY!!"

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 again here. The collapsing works exactly the same as it would for je