Word Showcase #1: yưândau
This is a new thing I want to try where I go more in depth on a word in one of my conlangs to explore some of the nuances how it's used in real life.
Yưândau /jyə˥.ⁿdəu/ is a quite common verb in Toeilaagi. When you look it up in the dictionary, the meanings that it would give you are generally something like "to last, to stay around". But this word has numerous uses and nuances that make it more complex than a basic dictionary definition may seem. Let's go in depth into this verb today.
To start with the obvious: the verb can obviously be used to talk about something lingering or staying around. This can be something concrete, like a resource (such as water); or something more abstract, such as time.
Ndưĭleiroeâ yưândau sra yae'ulhơû chiimù ră.
oil last INSTR six approx day
"The oil will last about six days."
Ră yưândau kơat aú.
time last PF NEG
"I've run out of time." (lit, (My) time has not lasted)
But it has a lot more uses than the above. In general, this verb conveys something existing in sufficient quantity, demand, or ability. The verb is commonly used with instruments to talk about their state:
A: Aai, chăt lhii soeânau leiprâ ndoap?
"Hey, do you need a new net?"
B: Yaâ, ni leiprâ yưândau lhal.
"No, my net is fine." (lit, "my net lasts")
\* Note the usage of lhal after the verb here - this can be used to emphasise the good quality of the object in question by essentially saying that it will last for an indeterminate amount of time.
Now, one must be careful when using this verb in the negative in this sense. If say you injured your knee, and you said,
Ntziîpa yưândau kơat aú!
knee last PF NEG
"My knee is hurt!"
If simply said in isolation, this would sound unnatural and strange. This is because yưândau inherently assumes a reason for the deprival of effectiveness. In other words, if a native speaker heard you say that, they would expect you to say why your knee didn't last, generally with a structure of X, lhau "X, then..." or X, ae tŏt "X, but..."
Ni lhûlhau tziík sra ră kae'iñk, lhau ntziîpa yưândau kơat aú.
"I ran for too long, and then my knee got hurt."
Summarising the above, yưândau is a very useful word, used for talking about the limits of things.
