Lesson 11: YA Subclusters

How to Use This Lesson

This lesson is divided into five sections. Please move through them in this order: Warm-Up, Grammar, Vocabulary, Practice, Flashcards.

Do not try to memorize! Just read through the content attentively. The warm-ups and flashcards will bring the vocabulary back later!

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Warm-UpGrammarVocabularyPracticeFlashcards

How much do you remember?

Check the boxes for words you think you know. Then click Show Answers to reveal the meanings.

u Marker

Now, see if you can understand these sentences. If you scroll bellow, you will see tips, and then answers.

run i anona e molcui u falfal.

hay i daium i anona e mouje u run.

run fare i anona e molcui u nim?

nim i foum i mo.

Tips

anona = give
molcui = bowl
falfal = child
mouje = drink
fare = parent
molvou = bottle
(ani)dai = to want
(ani)fou = to need

Click to Reveal the Answer

Possible translations: You give the cup to the child. He does not want to give a drink to you. Does your parent give a bowl to me? I don't need to eat.

And here's a short dialogue. There's a new word in it: eloan, which means gratitude, thank you. See if you can understand it:

N: Nim i aniyel! Cedom run?
B: i anefene en bonfene.
N: Nim i anifou e molvou yasoi. Nimas fano i anidai e moulu. Cedom run i anefe e molvou? En bonjae?
B: Um, en bontame! Nim i anona u run.
N: Eloan. i daium i boemo...
B: Nim i boemo u run.

Click to Reveal the Answer

Possible translations: "I arrived! Where are you?" "I am resting in bed." "I need a bottle fast. Our child wants cold milk. Where did you put the bottle? In the cabinet?" "No, on the table! I give it to you." "Thank you. I don't want to cook..." "I cook for you."

Congratulations! This was our first dialogue. Notice that in casual conversations you can drop pronouns and markers if the meaning is clear from context. As we get more used to the grammar, we can drop more and more :)

Now try to create a sentence using the u marker, or 3 if you're up for a challenge! Remember:

a [subject] i [verb] e [thing] u [recipient]

Save My Answer

The YA Subclusters

Remember what YA indicated?

Click to check

YA = objective or measurable characteristics.

Now look at these words and see if you can spot the narrower patterns.

Remember, do not try to memorize them. Just read it through attentively.

Oravia	English
yahci	sharp
yahlul	smooth
yahgor	solid
yalnou	deep
yalen	long
yaltan	big

What do you notice about these words? Can you spot any patterns with YAL and YAH?

Click to Reveal Subcluster Meanings

YAL is about dimension/size, and YAH is about surface texture

Recognize the Roots

Take another look at yalnou. Do you recognize any roots you've learned before?

Click to Reveal the Roots

yalnou → NOU = low / falling

🌍 Sound Connections

Ci means sharp, like Mandarin 刺 cì (to stab, prick, sharp); Arabic سكين sikkīn (knife, sharp); Sanskrit छिद् chid (to cut, sharp action); Swahili kisu (knife, sharp).

Tan comes from Greek Titan (giant).

That's why we have:
wiltan = city (human-made geography + large), just like yaltan = big/large (objective quality dimension + large).

Now try the exercise.

Matching Games

Time to practice! Match the Oravia words with their English meanings. Use sound-meaning associations as clues. For example, the subcluster sound tells you the category, even for words you haven't seen before.
If you don't remember or make a mistake, that's totally fine! We will have plenty of opportunities to practice. Right now just give it a try.
Click one word from each column to match them. The game will check automatically when you select both words.

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Round 1

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Round 2

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Round 3

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Round 4

🎉 Lesson 11 Complete!

Use the Flashcards tab for another quick review.

Come back tomorrow for Lesson 12.