Derivational Morphology

Verbs to Nouns

Infinitives are the dictionary form of a verb. They are formed from a stem, and the infinitive ending (-(e)d/-(o)d). The verb stem is used to form derivations of the verb. On its own, it means nothing, though it can be compounded with other words, where it gains the meaning of an English gerund (the running, the swimming), assuming that the compound is a noun. There are two types of derivable verb: object verbs and instance verb.

ha-

When the prefix 'ha-' is joined to a verb stem, the verb becomes a noun. If the verb is an object verb, then it takes on the meaning of its typical object (indicated in square brackets in the dictionary). If it is an instance verb, then it becomes an instance of the verb taking place. Below are some examples.

Object Verbs:
darad (to hang) -> hadara (something hanging)
galod (to walk) -> hagal (a path, a track, a trail, a road)
leiged (to learn) -> haleig (a fact, a piece of knowledge)

Instance Verbs:
calikod (to sit) -> hacalik (a sit, a sitting)
falad (to trade) -> hafala (a trade)
mileńed (to undress) -> hamileń (an undressing)

The grammatical gender of a 'ha-' noun will always be masculine, regardless of whether or not that makes sense given the animacy system.

'Ha-' causes an exception to stress, where the stress will always be on the 'ha'.

'Ha-' only affects the vowel harmony of other prefixes or compound parts before it, because vowels harmony extends bidirectionally from the root.

-sem/-som

The suffix '-sem/-som' takes any verb, and converts it to a noun, with the meaning of a tool used to [verb]. Examples:

tacod (to write) + -som -> tacsom (quill; tool used for writing)
mileńed (to undress) + -sem -> mileńsem (knife used to cut off clothes; any other tool used to undress someone)
lafsid (to swim) + -som -> lafsisom (flippers (though usually leather or wood contraptions, rather than modern flippers)

'-Sem/som' nouns are always feminine.