Yesese Grammar Rules — Yesese Grammar

The Yesese alphabet has 20 letters: A, E, F, G, H, I, J, K, L, M, N, O, P, R, S, T, U, W, Y, '
Use 'ū for linkers.
Word order is VSO.
The ' (Ā'a'a'a) always represents /ʔ/ and must be pronounced. It is also considered a letter and a consonant.
Use the Ō'ā'ā'ā'ā (¯) over a vowel to indicate that the vowel is stressed/emphasized.
Use 'ōa ('ōa'ā if there is a consonant after it) for past tense; put after the first syllable of the verb root (Ex: Ka'ām --> Ka'ōa'ām). Use 'īa ('īa'ā if there is a consonant after it) for present tense; put it after the first syllable of the verb root (Ex: Ka'ām --> Ka'īa'ām). Use 'ēa for the future tense; put it after the end of the verb root (Ex: Ka'ām --> Ka'ām'ēa).
Use 'ē before a word or phrase that describes how an action is performed. Use 'ā before a word or phrase that describes a person. Use 'ō before a word or phrase that describes any noun aside from a person.
Follow this rule: NOUN + DESCRIPTION MARKER + DESCRIPTION.
Use 'ūa before a noun-description construction to state that the noun has that description.
Use "na'ā" before a verb to negate an action, make the statement negative, negate a noun, and to state that something does not exist/is absent.
Use "na'ā'ō" for description negation.
Question words (Ē'a, Ēo, Ē'ī, Ē'ō, Ēi, Ēo'ō, Ē'ī'ō) go first in a sentence, while the rest of the sentence retains VSO word order.
Use “ī'ā'ō” before a noun to indicate plurality.
Numbers + 'ō are placed before the noun being counted. The number and 'ō are combined into one.
Use "kā" for possession and possession markers. kā + NOUN + POSSESSOR.
When a noun has possession and a description, the order is PLURAL + NOUN + POSSESSION + POSSESSOR + DESCRIPTION MARKER + DESCRIPTION.
Use 'ū to mean “and” when connecting nouns, phrases, or clauses. Use 'ūo to mean “or” when connecting alternatives. Use 'ūa to mean “but” when contrasting words, phrases, or clauses.
Use “ūo” before a verb to form a command. Use “ūa” before a verb to form a negative command (“don't”).
Use “ā'ū” before a noun/noun phrase to mean “at.” Use “ā'ā'ū” before a noun/noun phrase to mean “to/toward/towards. Use “ū'ā” before a noun/noun phrase to mean “from.”
Location and directional phrases are placed after the core VSO clause. Time expressions are placed after the core VSO clause.
Use “fī” before a noun/noun phrase to mean “in/inside.” Use “fā'ā” before a noun/noun phrase to mean “under/below.” Use “fō” before a noun/noun phrase to mean “on/on top of.” Use “fū” before a noun/noun phrase to mean “above/over.” Use “fā'ū” before a noun/noun phrase to mean “near.” Use “fā'ū'ā” before a noun/noun phrase to mean “beside/next to.” Use “fō'ā” before a noun/noun phrase to mean “between.” Use “fā'ō” before a noun/noun phrase to mean “behind.” Use “fō'ū” before a noun/noun phrase to mean “in front of.”
"lē'īko" is used before an action to express “to ___.” It is connected to the following action using the linker ('ū), and the construction is written as one word. If the action begins with a vowel, The ā'a'a'a (') is placed after the linker before the vowel (Example: lē'īko'ū'ēfī'īo = “to record.”).
When a number is present, the plural marker ī'ā'ō is absent.
When a noun has multiple descriptions, repeat the description marker.
A verb without 'ōa, 'īa, or 'ēa expresses the root.
For a monosyllabic verb, 'ōa and 'īa are placed at the end.
When two verbs occur together (“want to eat,” “can go”), the second verb is linked with 'ū.
Use kā' (kā'ā if there is a consonant after it) before a description to intensify it. Use kō' (kō'ō if there is a consonant after it) before a description to reduce its intensity (“slightly/somewhat”).
Use "hā" with a description to form a comparative (“more/-er than”). Use "hā'ī" for "than."
Use “ē'ōa” with a description to form a superlative (“most/-est”).
Yesese uses a decimal number system. Numbers are formed by combining the forms for each place value from largest to smallest. A place value that is not present in the number is generally omitted.
The basic numbers are:
0 = erō
1 = ō'ō
2 = pūa
3 = tūa
4 = fōa
5 = fa'āk
6 = sē
7 = la'āk
8 = ūē
9 = nanā'ī
For numbers from 10 to 99, the tens value comes first and the ones value follows after 'ū.
Examples:
10 = ō'ū'erō
11 = ō'ū'ō'ō
15 = ō'ūfa'āk
20 = pūa'ū'erō
22 = pūa'ūpūa
57 = fa'āk'ūla'āk
99 = nanā'ī'ūnanā'ī
Beginning with 100, Yesese uses different stems for each place value. Lower place values are added directly after higher place values. The ones digit continues to be introduced with 'ū.
Examples:
100 = tēo'erō
150 = tēofa'āk
222 = rēopūa'ūpūa
999 = lēonanā'ī'ūnanā'ī
1,000 = tīo'erō
1,234 = tīorēotūa'ūfōa
9,999 = līolēonanā'ī'ūnanā'ī
10,000 = tūo'erō
100,000 = tāo'erō
1,000,000 = kēo'erō
10,000,000 = ke'ēo'erō
100,000,000 = keke'ēo'erō
For larger numbers, each nonzero place-value form is written from largest to smallest to create a single number.
Example:
123,456,789 =
keke'ēoka'ēokokēouāofūopīomēoūē'ūnanā'ī
The number system currently extends through 999,999,999.
999,999,999 =
kīkī'ēokī'ēokīkēolāolūolīolēonanā'ī'ūnanā'ī
The Ō'ā'ā'ā'ā (¯) are important in Yesese numbers and must not be omitted, as they indicate stress and may distinguish different numerical forms. The ' (Ā'a'a'a) represents the Yesese glottal stop and must also be written and pronounced.
Yesese uses standard Arabic numerals (0–9) for ordinary written numbers. The full Yesese forms are primarily used when numbers are spoken or written out as words.