Lexember 2025

[äreo]

Lexember 15 & 16 & 17 & 18 & 19 & 20 & 21 - Biology and Taxonomy:

zutto
[ˈzʏtθu]
mushroom, especially an edible one; bulge, protuberance; alteration from earlier thutto (itself likely from thýl tree, trunk + -(t)to diminutive, singulative, or "daughter of"; variant zutton "son of the tree" also exists) influenced by zus moss, lichen, fluff, fuzz

direct singular: zutto
direct plural: zuttu [ˈzʏtθʏ]
genitive singular: zuttu [ˈzʏtθʏ]
partitive/genitive plural: zuttone [ˈzʏtθɔnɛ]
dative singular: zuttos [ˈzʏtθɔs]
dative plural: zuttus [ˈzʏtθʏs]

Zetta puttu zuttu pittittem.
[ˈzɛtθa ˈpʏtθʏ ˈzʏtθʏ ˈpɪtθɪtθɛm]
thousand bitter.PL mushroom.PL tap-PASS-PL
A thousand bitter mushrooms are (being) tapped.

oira
[ˈɔiɾa]
fingers (pl.); (occasionally) toes; legs (of a mollusk, crustacean, or insect); singular ox, originally "knuckle", is rare

direct singular: ox [ɔks]
direct plural: oira
genitive singular: oire [ˈɔiɾɛ]
partitive/genitive plural: octe [ˈɔktɛ]
dative singular: octis [ˈɔktɪs]
dative plural: oiraes [ˈɔiɾaːs]

fór
[fwɔɾ]
dog; loyal servant; best friends (in the plural); possibly imitative, but Msérsca grammarians relate it to fos (plural fori) kindness, indulgence

direct singular: fór
direct plural: foae [fwaː]
genitive singular: fói [ˈfwɔi~føːi]
partitive/genitive plural: forre [ˈfɔrɛ]
dative singular: forris [ˈfɔrɪs]
dative plural: fóraes [ˈfwɔɾaːs]

neaura
[ˈnjauɾa]
cat; aloof person; from *naupusa > *neapsa > *neavza, but possibly also imitative

direct singular: neaura
direct plural: neaure [ˈnjauɾɛ]
genitive singular: neaure [ˈnjauɾɛ]
partitive/genitive plural: neaurane [ˈnjauɾanɛ]
dative singular: neauras [ˈnjauɾas]
dative plural: neaures [ˈnjauɾɛs]

cnanga
[ˈknaŋga~ˈgnaŋga]
crab; from earlier *knakna, "stepper, crawler"; related to cnans step, perch and cnarar to climb; variant cnacca also attested

direct singular: cnanga
direct plural: cnange [ˈknaŋgɛ]
genitive singular: cnange [ˈknaŋgɛ]
partitive/genitive plural: cnangane [ˈknaŋganɛ]
dative singular: cnangas [ˈknaŋgas]
dative plural: cnanges [ˈknaŋgɛs]

áif
[oːif]
whale; gargantuan; from *haakifu

direct singular: áif
direct plural: áiva [ˈoːiva]
genitive singular: áivi [ˈoːivɪ]
partitive/genitive plural: áiphe [ˈoːiʍɛ]
dative singular: áiphis [ˈoːiʍɪs]
dative plural: áivaes [ˈoːivaːs]

zéac
[zɛːk]
griffin; dragon; dinosaur

direct singular: zéac
direct plural: zéaea [ˈzɛːja]
genitive singular: zéai [zɛːi]
partitive/genitive plural: zéace [ˈzɛːkɛ]
dative singular: zéacis [ˈzɛːcɪs]
dative plural: zéaeaes [ˈzɛːjaːs]

[Man in Space]

Lexember 23

Economy and Exchange

Kgáweq’

snǫ’wa’owałókg’yeet /sno̰ʔwaʔoʕˈɬokx’jeᵊt/ ‘money, currency, coinage; (by extension) one’s assets, one’s net worth’

snǫ’w-

COLL.XVI

a’o-

INV

wa-

RELS

łókg’yeet

stamp_via_die

qu’â’uwâtâqín /quʔəʔuwətəˈqin/ ‘credit’

qo’a-

COLL.XV

a’o-

INV

wa-

RELS

tâqín

grant_to_s.o.

gnâtâlk’irts’ânstús /gnətəlk’iʕtsənˈstús/ ‘debt’

gna-

COLL.XIV

talk-

poverty

r<>

OV.3

ts’-

3SG.SBJ

ânstús

develop

glasektlęe’ots’yónton /glasektlḛᵊʔots’ˈjonton/ ‘interest’

gl(a)-

COLL.XIII

siktlįi-

generation

’w-

INV

ts’-

3PL.SBJ

ónton

arise

Religion/Spiritual Artifacts/Sacred Materials/Sacred Places

Kgáweq’

so’réelekyad /sa̰ᵊʕˈeᵊlekjad/ ‘graveyard, catacombs’

so’r-

COLL.VIII

íilik

deceased

-yad

LOC

[Travis B.]

Lexember 22nd, 23rd, 24th, 25th, and 26th

teyk /tæjk/ [tsɛːk] m. inan. 'money'
suuq' /suːqʼ/ [soːqʼ] m. inan. 'open market', 'bazaar'
pfv. luuda /luːdɑ/ [ˈluːðɐ], ipfv. liida /liːdɑ/ [ˈʎiːðɐ], imp. aluud /ɑluːd/ [ɐˈluːd̪] 'trade', 'exchange'
pfv. waka /wɑkɑ/ [ˈwɑkɐ], ipfv weka /wækɑ/ [ˈwækɐ], imp. uwak /uwɑk/ [oˈwɑk] 'rent'
pfv. tuurt /tuːrt/ [t̪uːrt̪], ipfv. taart /tɑːrt/ [t̪ɑːrt̪], imp. aturt /ɑturt/ [ɐˈt̪urt̪] 'charge money'

[äreo]

Lexember 22 & 23 & 24 & 25 & 26 & 27 & 28 - Economy and Exchange:

covea
[ˈkɔvja]
wares, goods for sale; price; from *kopau, result noun formed from *kopii "to sell, assign value to, declare," which diverged in meaning early, giving Msérsca covi to adore and mediopassive covitti to be worth [x]; *kopau mii "to give goods for sale" gives us *kopmii > Old combi > combe to sell, much like Latin vēnum + dō; later covimi (from the genitive + "to give") is mediopassive/reflexive "to sell, to be for sale"

direct singular: covea
direct plural (rare): covi [ˈkɔvɪ]
genitive singular (rare): covi [ˈkɔvɪ]
partitive/genitive plural: covine [ˈkɔvɪnɛ]
dative singular: coveas [ˈkɔvjas]
dative plural (rare): covis [ˈkɔvɪs]

sterro
[ˈstɛru]
marketplace, forum, assembly; related to stetta to understand, originally "to assemble"; we can also say veath literally "square" or pollima market, mall, bazaar, shopping, from pol shop, store; trade + -(:/n)im(-/a) collective infix/suffix

direct singular: sterro
direct plural: sterru [ˈstɛrʏ]
genitive singular: sterru [ˈstɛrʏ]
partitive/genitive plural: sterrune [ˈstɛrʏnɛ]
dative singular: sterros [ˈstɛrɔs]
dative plural: sterrus [ˈstɛrʏs]

polle
[ˈpɔlːɛ]
to trade, exchange; to switch, convert; formed from pol with a quite productive suffix that was once a verb *ere "to do, make"; literally "to do trade"

lotta
[ˈlɔtθa]
to buy, procure, provide; to provoke, instill, inculcate; to get a rise out of [someone]; possibly originally meaning "to seek" and related to lorro goal, mission in the same way stetta relates to sterro

címea
[ˈciːmja]
wealth, riches; means, resources; related to cími to like, enjoy

direct: címea
genitive singular (rare): cími [ˈciːmɪ]
partitive/genitive plural: címine [ˈciːmɪnɛ]
dative: címeas [ˈciːmjas]
This noun, like covea but even more strictly, follows a pattern shared by many -ea nouns, whereby only singular forms are used with the exception of the genitive, which prefers the plural (e.g. ídeane címine smorro "the source of their wealth" is more likely than ídi cími smorro)

ftávisse
[ˈftoːvɪsːɛ]
to be resourceful; to extend the value of a good; to savor; to get a good deal; literally ftá rain + bisse to drink, "to drink rain"

lestemi
[ˈlɛstɛmɪ]
to give away, donate; to relinquish; literally leste genitive plural of lest open hand + mi to give, "to give from open hands" (cf. pentemi "to play [an instrument]" with genitive plural of pens hand, forearm)

[äreo]

Lexember 29 & 30 & 31 - City Life (borrowing the final week's theme from the CBB's Lexember, which I only half-finished):

tammos
[ˈtamːɔs]
bridge; from the old locative plural of tám wall, originally "space or thing between"

direct singular: tammos
direct plural: tammora [ˈtamːɔɾa]
genitive singular: tammori [ˈtamːɔɾɪ]
partitive/genitive plural: tammosse [ˈtamːɔsːɛ]
dative singular: tammossis [ˈtamːɔsːɪs]
dative plural: tammoraes [ˈtamːɔɾaːs]

ambea
[ˈambja]
street, streetside, sidewalk (putting into focus buildings and concentrated activity like "street" often does in English); resultative form of ambe to open, begin, originally something like "to spread"; could be interpreted as "opened thing" or "spread (paved) thing"

direct singular: ambea
direct plural: ambi [ˈambɪ]
genitive singular: ambi [ˈambɪ]
partitive/genitive plural: ambine [ˈambɪnɛ]
dative singular: ambeas [ˈambjas]
dative plural: ambis [ˈambɪs]

eurem
[ˈɛurɛm]
city, town; the latter part of the word is surely from ýrem realm, domain, abode; the former may be from ex river or perhaps related to the é- "great, strong" seen in éthem waterfall, torrent

direct singular: eurem
direct plural: eurema [ˈɛuɾɛma]
genitive singular: euremi [ˈɛuɾɛmɪ]
partitive/genitive plural: euremme [ˈɛuɾɛmːɛ]
dative singular: euremmis [ˈɛuɾɛmːɪs]
dative plural: euremaes [ˈɛuɾɛmaːs]

Happy new year, everyone!

[Man in Space]

Lexember 24

(Quick explainer for Kgáweq’: where languages like, say, French will default to vous when making texts for general consumption, the typical form you’d find for a general-audience text assumes the collective audience as default—where the French might say mettez votre cahier sur la table on some formal set of instructions, Kgáweq’ defaults to collective agreement. I’m still working out the bugs, but that’s why you're seeing -geł/-gił so much here suddenly.)

Economy and Exchange

Kgáweq’

líwâq, -lewaqe- /ˈliwəq/ and ník’, -nek’o’- /ˈnik’/

Both of these words are, ultimately, ways to talk about handing things over to someone, but the particulars are somewhat involved. The verb ník’ is more of a simpler ‘to give’:

sqgâ’urník’âlgił /sq͡χəʔuʕˈnik’əlgiɬ/

sqga’-

COLL.X

r<>

OV.3

’o-

1SG.SBJ

ník’

give

-al

IMN

-geł

COLL.ADR

‘I am about to give it to him’

Líwâq, ‘to receive’, on the other hand, has more sophisticated operations:

tsâ’wulíwâqyugił /t͜səʔwuˈliwəqjugiɬ/

tsa’w-

3SG.M.OBJ

o-

1SG.SBJ

líwâq

receive

-yo

PST

-geł

COLL.ADR

‘I received (it) from him’

tsu’wulíwâqyugił /t͜suʔwuˈliwəqjugiɬ/

tso-

3SG.M.OBJ

’w-

INV

o-

1SG.SBJ

líwâq

receive

-yo

PST

-geł

COLL.ADR

‘he received (it) from me’

This changes a bit when Koopas themes are involved:

tsit’itslíwâqyugił /t͜sit’it͜sˈliwəqjugiɬ/

tsy-

SG.XII

t-

OV1

-(’i)ts-

3SG.M.SBJ

líwáq

receive

-yo

PST

-geł

COLL.ADR

‘he received it from me’

Note here how the subjective version marker l- shunts the giver into nor the subject nor the direct object but a secret third role, implying that the speaker had some more-than-cursory connection to the activity; simultaneously, the receiver is promoted to a Mafioso! the subject and the item received is now in the object. Such objects can be incorporated instead of using the respective concord affix:

’âlqât’itslíwâqyugił /ʔəlqət’it͜sˈliwəqjugiɬ/

lqa-

coin

t-

OV1

-(’i)ts-

3SG.M.SBJ

líwâq

receive

-yo

PST

-geł

COLL.ADR

‘he received the coin from me’

Religion/Spiritual Artifacts/Sacred Materials/Sacred Places

Kgáweq’

kgęęk’ándo /k͜xḛᵊˈk’ando/ ‘void, empty area’
—> ’akgęęk’ándo /ʔak͜xḛᵊˈk’ando/ ‘cave, cavern’
—> ’okgęęk’ándo /ʔok͜xḛᵊˈk’ando/ ‘shrine; secluded area for worship, prayer, or meditation’ (etymology somewhat unclear but may be from the implication that, when engaged in religious activity, the shrine takes on a second, supernatural nature in addition to its strict material one)

[Lērisama]

Now it's January, and I gave up near the start to to various life pressures, without a mention, so I should probably do that now, err, sorry.

[Travis B.]

Lexember 22nd, 23rd, 24th, 25th, 26th, 27th, and 28th

habaleh /hɑbɑlæh/ [hɐβɐˈʎæh] m. inan. 'hawala' (obvious loan from Persian)
keebr /kæːbr/ [cæːbr] m. inan. 'agent'
qawhakeebr /qɑwhɑkæːbr/ [qɔhɐˈcæːbr] m. inan. 'agency'
t'aam /tʼɑːm/ [t̪ʼɑːm] adj. 'indebted'
qawt'aam /qɑwtʼɑːm/ [qɔˈt̪ʼɑːm] m. inan. 'debt'
suutar /suːtɑr/ [ˈsuːt̪ɐr] m. inan. 'currency'
zikku /zikku/ [ˈʒikːo] m. inan. 'value'

Lexember 29th, 30th, and 31st

(For these I am going with religion.)

yiistar(ha) /jiːstɑr(hɑ)/ [ˈjiːst̪ɐr(hɐ)] m./f. anim. 'god', 'diety' (generic)
pfv. q'umma /qʼummɑ/ [ˈqʼumːɐ], ipfv. q'amma /qʼɑmmɑ/ [ˈqʼɑmːɐ], imp. aq'umm /ɑqʼumm/ [ɑˈqʼumː] 'pray'
saah(ha) /sɑːh(hɑ)/ [sɑːh]/[ˈsɑːħːɐ] m./f. anim. 'angel', 'good spirit'
waaka(h) /wɑːkɑ(h)/ [ˈwɑːkɐ(h)] m./f. anim. 'demon', 'evil spirit'
k'arb /kʼɑrb/ [kʼɑrb] m. anim. '(false) idol'
Allah /ɑllɑh/ [ɐlˈlɑh] m. anim. 'Allah'
Saytan /sɑjtɑn/ [ˈsɑjt̪ɐn] m. anim. 'Satan'
Xarist /χɑrist/ [χɐˈɾist̪] m. anim. 'Christ'
Yeswa /jæswɑ/ [ˈjæswɐ] m. anim. 'Jesus'
Maryam /mɑrjɑm/ [ˈmɑrjɐm] f. anim. 'Mary'
Muhammad /muhɑmmɑd/ [moˈhɑmːɐd] m. anim. 'Muhammad'
Qetr /qætr/ [kæt̪r] m. anim. 'Lord'
lafadr(ha) /lɑfɑdr(hɑ)/ [lɐˈɸɑd̪r(hɐ)] m./f. anim. 'prophet'
Abram /ɑbrɑm/ [ˈɑbrɐm] m. anim. 'Abraham'
Muse /musæ/ [ˈmuʃɐ] m. anim. 'Moses'

[/ˌnɐ.ˈɾɛn.dɚ.ˌduːd/]

Now it's January, and I gave up near the start to to various life pressures, without a mention, so I should probably do that now, err, sorry.

I'm in the same boat, although I do have one phrase for new year's:

Rēmamunayomë Awi Kusorād!
lit. "new sun-cycle's greatness!"
Happy New Year!

[Travis B.]

On that note, even though New Year's was days ago, here goes:

lehha /læhhɑ/ [ˈʎæħːɐ] f. inan. 'joy'

[fædː ˈlɑʒe hɐˈʎæħːɐ]
/fædd lɑzi hɑlæhhɑ/
Fedd lazi halehha!
fedd lazi ha-lehha
year new ADJ-joy
lit. Joyous new year!
Happy new year!