The Great Teshvo Course

Welcome to the study of Teshvo grammar!

Teshvo is not static; it’s a language that has evolved, shaped by necessity and philosophical debate as well as almost two billion years of history behind it.

This first chapter will lay the groundwork for understanding the structure of Teshvo by examining the essential differences between its two primary forms: Old Teshvo, which demands extensive context, and New Teshvo, which introduces clear grammatical structure.

Chapter 1: The Evolution of Teshvo

Teshvo is the language within the magical community of Mezchinhar. It was primarily conceived to allow the wizards to communicate without the need for touch after the Last Whisper. In this context, it is a language created by beings already familiar with many spoken languages of the human realm across the multiverse.

It also serves to teach primal wizards to speak a human tongue, and it has since become the primary spoken language within Mezchinhar.

Our study of Teshvo grammar must begin with the foundational understanding that the language exists in two distinct forms: Old Teshvo and New Teshvo.

I. The Contextual Reliance of Old Teshvo

Old Teshvo is characterised by its compound words and reliance on context. It uses significantly longer words but fewer than its modern counterpart, requiring the listener to rely heavily on situational understanding to identify the individual words and their intended meanings.

This contextual reliance stems largely from Teshvo’s unique conceptual approach to vocabulary:

Conceptual Nouns: Teshvo conceives many nouns not as singular objects, but as descriptive concepts. For example, the Teshvo word for “Law” literally translates to “Will of the ruler” (zenolovi). Similarly, “Lava” is literally translated as “Liquid fire stone” (dynaxshevina).

Length and Truncation: Consequently, many words in Teshvo can become quite long. In Old Teshvo, these conceptual compound words were more prevalent, necessitating reliance on context to parse long, dense statements. In modern (New) Teshvo, however, many of these compound words have been truncated and shortened for efficiency.

We will pick up both of these approaches in Chapters 4 and 5.

II. The Structural Shift to New Teshvo

The necessity for high context in Old Teshvo eventually led to grammatical additions to increase clarity. New Teshvo evolved by incorporating a lot of prepositions and similar grammatical additions. This shift allows for a more structured and less ambiguous form of communication, and especially record-keeping.

For example, where Old Teshvo relied purely on word order and implied meaning based on an awareness of context and speaker, New Teshvo utilises specific particles. Examples include prepositions such as za (part of/belonging to) and the shortened form of loyet, which is lo (of, from).

III. Lexical Evolution and Philosophical Change

The evolution of Teshvo was not purely structural; it also reflected evolving philosophical views among wizards:

Negation and Nuance: Old Teshvo is characterised by a strong prevalence of binary states using the powerful negation word va added as a suffix. For example, Zach (light) combined with va became Zachva (dark) in Old Teshvo. This classified darkness simply as the absence of light and exemplifies many Old Teshvo pair concepts that are either X or the opposite of X.

The Modern Concept: However, modern Teshvo has introduced more nuances and additions between many of these binary concepts, for example, introducing the word Zentaya for “dark”. This particular change occurred because scholars argued that Darkness should be classified as a natural state of things, rather than merely an absence of light, thereby justifying a separate, non-va derived word.

It is important to recognise that while New Teshvo dominates, older forms are still in use, particularly by older wizards. The Mezaiz dialect, for instance, naturally uses many old variants of words and is considered the oldest dialect. Therefore, familiarity with the principles of Old Teshvo is essential for understanding historical texts and communicating with wizards of specific regional origins.

In practice, Old Teshvo and the additions of New Teshvo often mix. Returning again to the word zach (light), zachva (darkness in old teshvo) and zentaya (darkness in new Teshvo), in modern use, zachva is still used when explicitly pointing out the absence of light and also introduced the word zentayava as an explicit observation of the absence of darkness.

Chapter 2: Writing and Typography

Teshvo is the language primarily used in written works within Mezchinhar, including journals, observations, and theoretical texts.

I. The Teshvo Script

Teshvo is primarily written in cursive. While mastering the cursive script itself requires practice, understanding the underlying principles is our first priority. We will tackle the letters in print and cursive in the next chapter.

II. Typographic Fundamentals: Capital Letters and Proper Nouns

In Teshvo, standard conventions such as capitalisation do not apply:

Absence of Capitals: Teshvo has no capital letters. All words begin with a lowercase letter, regardless of their position in a sentence or whether they refer to a proper name.

The Proper Noun Marker (●): To compensate for the lack of capitalisation, Teshvo uses a specialised typographic marker to identify named nouns and proper names. These are marked with a leading bullet (●).

Rule: The ● is placed immediately before the first letter of the named noun or name, with no additional space between the bullet and the word.

Example: The name “Zenozarax” would be written as ●zenozarax. Similarly, the place name “Mezchinhar” would be written as ●mezchinhar.

III. The Punctuation System

Teshvo utilises a concise system of punctuation markers, essential for conveying flow, finality, and emphasis in written communication. These markers are generally placed at the end of clauses or sentences.

Marker	Function	Example
—	Used to mark a pause within a sentence or phrase.	|sasen tax surtvaje — alez atosas tax loyet|
|	Used to mark the end of a sentence (Sentence Terminator). Also used to signal a change in speaker when quoting or a change in subject by adding a leading | at the start of the sentence.	jax nazova| |jax nazova||yvay jax|—tax javit|
||	Used for strong emphasis. This is achieved by doubling the sentence terminator.	jax nazova||

1. The Pause Marker (—)

The dash (—) serves the function of marking a pause within a sentence or a phrase.

Unlike some languages that utilise commas for slight breaks, Teshvo uses the optional pause marker to signify a brief stop in the flow of thought, often functioning where an English sentence might use a comma before a coordinating conjunction, or simply to separate clauses. As a New Teshvo addition to the language, using the pause marker is, however, still optional. The examples below show how the pause marker is generally used in New Teshvo.

Application Example:

To articulate a thought composed of multiple clauses, the pause marker can be used for clarity.

Sasen tax surtvaje — alez atosas tax loyet|

(He didn’t trust me, but now he does.)

Application Example:

The Pause Marker is also used to connect a sentence to a quote by either leading before the sentence terminator at the start of the quote or after the sentence terminator after the quote.

|yvay jax|—tax javit|

(“Me neither,” he said.)

Sasnov tax javit—|yvay niki|

(Then he said: “Me neither”)

2. The Sentence Terminator (|)

The single vertical line (|) is the fundamental marker used to signal the end of a sentence.

In Teshvo, a sentence remains grammatically complete until this terminal mark is encountered. It indicates the resolution of the current idea and the formal close of the statement.

Application Example:

Jax nazova|

(I don’t know.)

A sentence or paragraph can be enclosed in a leading end ending | to show a change in speaker when quoting or the change of subject.

Application Example:

|jax nazova| |yvay niki|—tax javit|

(“I don’t know.”)

(“Me neither,” he sais.)

Note: Yvay niki| translates literally to “Also me”. Instead of saying Jax (I) + nazova (don’t know) + yvay (either/also). Yvay niki| structurally places yvay (either/also) before the subject jax (I), confirming that the speaker is also included in the previously established negative context.

In written cursive Teshvo, | is often written with a slant like /

3. The Strong Emphasis Marker (||)

For statements requiring intense feeling, urgency, or crucial importance, the Sentence Terminator can be doubled up (||) for strong emphasis.

This marker replaces the function of an exclamation point in English, conveying excitement, shock, or absolute certainty.

Application Example:

Da, ata zavoit ne yocto indiny||

(Yes, that build is really good!)

4. Note on Question Punctuation (Grammar over Typography)

A critical concept in Teshvo is that the language has no extra punctuation for questions.

Instead of relying on a dedicated mark like the question mark, Teshvo relies entirely on grammatical structure to indicate an inquiry. A sentence is signalled as a question by putting the questioning verb or adverb before the sentence subject.

Because the grammatical structure already fulfils the role of identifying a question, no specialised final punctuation (like a question mark) is necessary. The sentence simply concludes with the standard Sentence Terminator (|).

Chapter 3: The Rhythm of Teshvo: Writing and Speaking

I. The Ashbal (the alphabet)

Latin Equivalent	Teshvo Print	Teshvo Cursive
a	a	A
b	b	B
c	c	C
d	d	D
e	e	E
f	f	F
g	g	G
h	h	H
i	i	I
j	j	J
k	k	K
l	l	L
m	m	M
n	n	N
o	o	O
p	p	P
q	q	Q
r	r	R
s	s	S
t	t	T
u	u	U
v	v	V
w	w	W
x	x	X
y	y	Y
z	z	Z
ь	ь	Ь

II. Pronunciation

1. Difference between Old and New Teshvo

Besides grammatical differences, Teshvo differs significantly between the Old and New Teshvo Dialects. Old Teshvo can hence refer to the grammar and pronunciation separately.

Old Teshvo carries many pronunciations that are based on the historic use of the language, and less on the letters actually used to write the word.

The rules for pronunciation in the next part will therefore include an additional section for any case where there is an Old Teshvo exception to the rule.

2. Common Pronunciation

A	A as in Swan
B	B as in Bee
C	Not pronounced separately - only in combination with S or H (see below)
D	D as in the name Dan or the word damm
E	E is pronounced “eh” like in “bet”
F	F as in fish
G	G pronounced as in “go”
H	H before a consonant is mostly silent in the newer Teshvo Dialects. More audible in the older variants. H before a vowel and the beginning of a syllable is audibly spoken ( Mezbohan - think of “Han Solo”. (Exceptions based on dialects will be covered in the next part)
I	i before vowel or at the end of a word pronounced “ee” as in “me”. I before consonant = ia
J	J before a vowel is pronounced soft like a “chj” sound (smotja = pronounced smotchja.) Otherwise if it is found at the beginning of a word it’s a hard J sound (for Ja je jax etc. for example)
K	Hard K is pronounced like k in “kiwi” or c in “crap”
L	Pronounced like l in “opal”
M	Pronounced like m in “me”
N	Pronounced like n in “chin”
O	Pronounced “oo” like o in “buero”
P	Pronounced like p in “opal”
Q	Qu is a softer K sound but is usually only found in old Teshvo (like Quadirymir = Kjadirymir)
R	A hard rolling r pronounced like r in “rum”
S	Pronounced like s in “sun”
T	Pronounced like t in “time”
U	Pronounced like
V	A hard v as in “very”
W	A very soft w as in “we”
X	X at the beginning or end of a word and before a consonant is a hard X like “xs” as in “tax”. X before a vowle (ch). Old Teshvo Exception: In Old Teshvo and most old Names X is always pronounced hard.
Y	Y like in “you”.
Z	Pronounced like “ss” like z in “zoo”
Ь	Ь is completely silent and indicates a short pause.

3. Difference between ch and sh

Example razachshela (starlightsilk)

In Old Teshvo, “ch” is often pronounced the American/English way (like in the name Zach - making it zak).

In New Teshvo, it is a softer ch sound like “ch” in champagne

The sh is pronounced sch like in “shy” (in razachshela “shel” sounds like the English word “shell”)

4. Dialects

Mezbohan has a light drawl, noticeable especially in more longer drawn “a” sounds, and h is almost always completely silent (even where it is usually pronounced: Mezbohan becomes Mezboaan)

Mezdovat speaks “High-Teshvo” as dialect-free as it gets. Next to Mezaiz, you can hear most letters pronounced clearly in the modern way here.

Mezaiz has the oldest dialect naturally, using many old variants of words too, where the difference between ch and x is getting very small, tending to k sounds most of the time. Also, the letter H is much more pronounced, and many r have a heavy roll to it.

For example, comparing the two extremes, Mezchinhar - and its root Nhar (Realm/Space = the original name to the space surrounding the Iumzache) is one of the oldest words in Teshvo that exists and is basically pronounced differently in all circles.

Mezbohan ditches the h completely, focuses on the “ar” in the end, drawing both out. (Mezchianaar)

Mezaiz pronounces the h fully, and the ch becomes very hard, making it (Mez-ki-an-harr).

Chapter 4: Conceptual Nouns

A defining feature of Teshvo is its approach to vocabulary, which views many nouns not as isolated words but as descriptive concepts. This means that Teshvo names things based on their function, composition, or relationship to established ideas.

I. The Principle of Conceptual Definition

In Teshvo, a word often functions as a condensed phrase or definition. This is especially true for abstract or highly technical terms used by wizards.

Examples of Conceptual Nouns:

English Concept	Teshvo Term	Literal Translation (Conceptual Definition)
Law / Rule	Zenolovi	“Will of the ruler”
Lava	Dynaxshevina	“Liquid fire stone”
Dread	Nevzogamsara	“Absent hope”
Hope	Gamsara	Abbreviation from “wish for future”
Universe	Syannhar	“A contained space”
Knowledge	Nazonuk	(Derived from nazo - to know)

II. The Mechanics of Conceptual Compounding

The vast majority of Teshvo nouns are complex conceptual compounds, linking together simpler words (nouns, adjectives, verbs, or particles) to form a new descriptive whole.

The resulting compound word is the literal definition of the concept:

Defining Physical Concepts: Concepts relating to material composition or physical reality are built through descriptive chains:

Lava is translated literally as “Liquid fire stone” (dynaxshevina).

An alloy is literally “two metal” (sekatar).

A room is an abbreviation of the concept “enclosed part of a structure” (rozahedivsyan).

Defining Abstract Concepts: Abstract concepts reflect philosophical or hierarchical definitions, often combining titles and actions:

Law/Rule is literally defined as the “Will of the ruler” (Zenolovi).

The “Will of the lords” is Izvi (“The Knife”).

Dread is defined as “Absent hope” (Nevzogamsara).

Compounding in Proper Names: This compounding structure is so intrinsic to Teshvo that almost all proper wizard names are compounded nouns, which often function as descriptive titles:

The name Ioheindny means “One truly alone”.

The name Zenozarax means “Ruler of Fire”.

III. Length and The Modern Trend of Truncation

Because Teshvo builds concepts through compounding, many words can become quite long.

Length in Old Teshvo and the use of the ь separator

In Old Teshvo, long compound words that combined two or more already compounded words were chained together by the ь separator, such as the acronym AVK, which stands for Atsiyaestvoьdeьvorpazulkrayutno, or “Channelling device for the chaos barrier.”

Spoken, this only indicates a slight pause, separating two parts of one compound word to prevent the syllables from bleeding into each other. Since old Teshvo is much more reliant on clear context, the clarity of the words spoken is much greater than in New Teshvo.

The Necessity of Truncation: While Old Teshvo texts may retain the complete, long forms of these compounds, modern Teshvo (New Teshvo) has adapted toward efficiency and ease of reading/writing. Consequently, many compound words have been truncated and shortened for practical usage.

This evolution reflects the transition from Old Teshvo, which was reliant on context and comprehensive verbal definitions, to New Teshvo, which prioritises grammatical additions (like prepositions) and shorter lexical forms for clearer, quicker communication.

For instance, a complex concept like a “room” (rozahedivsyan), which literally translates to “enclosed part of a structure” (ronya za hedive sanya), is often shortened in modern usage. However, the full conceptual definition remains informative.

Understanding this duality, the underlying conceptual depth versus the practical modern preference for truncation, is key to mastering the Teshvo lexicon.

The use of ‘ in Truncation

The shortening ‘ is used exclusively in New Teshvo when adapting Old Teshvo words. The ‘ is used to shorten the individual words.

Chapter 5: Noun Formation by Suffix

I. Noun Formation via the -ax Suffix

Beyond conceptual compounding, Teshvo has a standardised mechanism for deriving nouns, particularly agent nouns (those describing a person or thing that performs an action), from verbs.

Rule: To form a noun from a verb, one usually adds the suffix “ax”.

This process defines the entity by the action it performs:

The verb vorit (to work) becomes the noun voritax (worker).

The verb xen (to make, to create) yields nouns like xenax (Maker).

The verb surt (to trust) becomes the noun surtax (who trusts/trustee)

II. Noun Formation via the -nuk Suffix

Rule: To form an inanimate noun (those describing a static, inanimate, or theoretical thing), one usually adds the suffix “nuk”.

The verb nazo (to know) becomes the noun nazonuk (knowledge)

The verb vorit (to work) becomes the noun voritnuk (the work)

This system is highly consistent for nouns that can be derived from verbs and is essential for expanding your Teshvo vocabulary.

III. Irregular Nouns

Some, usually older, inanimate nouns are irregular, meaning they are not derived via the addition of a suffix to the corresponding verb.

sur (trust) - surt (to trust)

zeno (ruler) - zenat (to rule)

oshka (mistake) - oshkat (to be mistaken)

Chapter 6: Adjectives: Placement and Function

Teshvo utilises adjectives to impart crucial information regarding the quality, state, or relationship of a noun. These modifiers are essential for conveying nuance and judgment within the language.

I. Adjectives

1. Absolute Negation (-va):

Teshvo adjectives can express two states of a noun by adding the suffix -va, where the adjective declares the state of the noun, and the addition defines the absence or lack of that state.

When the powerful word of negation, va, is added as a suffix to an adjective, it simply negates the quality, indicating the absence of the adjective, but not always the logical opposite.

The adjectives yocto and udan illustrate this principle:

Yocto (good) means adhering to a standard.

Yoctova (not good) means not adhering to a standard, but not in a “bad” way.

Udan (bad) means not adhering to a standard.

Udanva (not bad) means adhering to a standard but not in a “good” way.

This distinction is crucial: yoctova is substandard, whereas udan is inherently bad.

Adjective	Negated Form (-va)	Meaning of the negated form	Contrast
indiny (true/ real)	indinyva (false / not true)	Not true	Not equal to (lie)
syan (contained)	Syanva (not contained)	Free

II. Placement: The Post-Nominal Rule

A consistent feature of Teshvo sentence structure is the placement of adjectives.

Rule: Teshvo adjectives generally follow the noun they modify (post-nominal placement).

This structure contrasts with many English descriptive phrases but is consistently observed in Teshvo examples:

Teshvo Phrase	Literal Translation	Meaning
razachbin	starlight little	little starlight
meta indiny	purpose true	true purpose

The placement of the adjective after the noun it modifies is a key element of Teshvo syntax that must be applied consistently.

Some useful quantitative adjectives

Indefinite:

Translation	Teshvo
several	insekut
some	ironya
all	inwitzar
any	quadjaronya
few	sekut
much	in
most	kopronya

Numerical:

Translation	Teshvo
zero	aty
one / someone	io
two	sekat
three	ta
four	jain
five	fer
six	dex
seven	dor
eight	xer
nine	tane
nothing	otoraz

III. Exception: Adjectives in compound nouns

The only time the rule of post-nominal placement of adjectives is frequently broken is within common compound nouns or proper names.

Teshvo	Literal	Meaning
sekatar	two metal	alloy
katar sekat	Metal two	Two counts of metal
moakatar	Precious metal	Propper Wizard name
katar moa	Metal precious	Actual precious metal
katar sekat moa	Metal two precious	Two precious metals

Note: Teshvo allows, when listing different types of the same noun, to chain them together without using a connector like y (and). Staying with the example above, if you want to say: “I found two precious metals and one hard metal,” you can say “Sasen je zayte katar sekat moa io su”

This is, however, only possible if it is a quantitative listing, since the quantitative adjective is always first.

IV. Describing Degree and Intensity

Teshvo offers several tools for defining the degree and intensity of an adjective. Like all modifiers of other words, they are placed behind the word they modify.

The order for adjective modifiers follows this order:

(Adjective)(Negation) (Quantitative Adjectives) (Other Adjective Modifiers)

V. Other Important Adjectives

Teshvo also provides specific adjectives for common concepts, which adhere to the post-nominal placement rule:

Adjective	Meaning
nyv	new
he	alone / lone / one
anix	distant
isktya	initial / first (as in zachisktya - dawn / first light)
isdeny	last (as in zachisdenya - twilight / last light)

Chapter 7: The Adverbial System and Markers of Location and Time

Adverbs in Teshvo serve to modify verbs, adjectives, or other adverbs, providing essential details about the circumstances of the action. This system is particularly vital for establishing time and location.

I. Temporal Markers: Defining Tense and Aspect

Teshvo does not rely on complex verbal conjugation to express when an action takes place; instead, it uses explicit time adverbs to anchor the verb in the past, present, or future. These temporal markers effectively set the “tense” of the sentence.

1. Present and Immediate Time

The marker for present action is atosas (now, this time). Its presence indicates that the action is current or immediate:

Atosas, tien layet hatar? (Now, you do what? / What are you doing right now?).

It is used in contrast to the past: alez atosas tax loyet (but now he does).

The temporal marker for the current cycle is atodes (today, this cycle).

2. Past and Future Time

Sasen (past, gone time): This adverb clearly marks an event that has already transpired.

Sasen tax surtvaje... (He didn’t trust me [in the past]...).

Sasen tien zayteninax. (You have found me [in the past].)

Datosasen (ongoing, still): This marks an event that has started in the past and is still ongoing.

Datosasen tez vorit. (He is still working)

Saya (future, coming time): This marks future events.

Sayabin (soon): This is a diminutive form, literally meaning “little future”.

Sasbin (recently): This is a diminutive form, literally meaning “little time”.

3. Frequency and Duration

Teshvo uses specific adverbs to express frequency and duration:

Ikoy (always): Ikoy tiex tasheniki (You always help me)

Ikoyva (never): Using the -va suffix Ikoy (always) becomes Ikoyva (never). Ikoyva jax dovat o kal (I have never learnt about life)

Novu (again)

Davex (till)

Schton (when): This is the primary interrogative adverb for inquiring about time.

II. Locational Adverbs and Direction

Location in Teshvo is specified using both prepositions (discussed later) and clear locational adverbs.

1. Defining Place (Here, There, Where)

Ezo (here) and Eza (over there, there): These simple adverbs establish position relative to the speaker.

Patani, rogti eza (Please, go over there).

Hatjo (where): The interrogative adverb for location. Critically, hatjo must be placed before the sentence subject when forming a question:

Hatjo tax surt| (Where is he trusted?).

2. Negative Location

The word of negation, va, can also be applied to most adverbs:

Hatjova (nowhere): This term is used directly as an adverb and is also the root for the verb rohatjova (to get lost, literally “go nowhere”).

Ezova (not here)

Ezava (not there)

III. Deriving Adverbs from Verbs (the -azo Suffix)

Many Adverbs that have a corresponding verb can be derived by using the -azo suffix

Yoctoviazo (carefully)

Nazoazo (knowingly)

Loyetazo (actively, in a doing manner)

Surtazo (trustingly)

IV. Other Essential Adverbs

Teshvo has several key adverbs of affirmation, negation, and manner:

Da (yes): Basic affirmation.

Vano (no): Basic negation.

Patani (please): Used to express a polite request.

Rostoro (just, simply, easily): Adverb of manner, indicating simplicity or ease:

Smotya rostoro yu naz| (Just look at him).

Gova (without): Functions adverbially to indicate lack of accompaniment or resource, derived by negating the preposition go (with/by).

IV. Placement of Adverbs

Temporal Adverbs are conventionally placed at the very start of the sentence to indicate the temporal position of the sentence.

All other types of adverbs are usually placed after the subject + verb + adjective structure they apply to, but can, for emphasis, be placed before as well, but not before the temporal adverb. (“Always in the past” would be translated as “Sasen ikoy” not “Ikoy Sasen”)

The temporal adverb can be omitted in consecutive sentences as long as the temporal placement of the event does not change.

The temporal adverb atosas (now) is often omitted in casual speech altogether, assuming one speaks of the presence so long that no other temporal adverb is given.

Chapter 8: Prepositions and Relational Particles

Prepositions in Teshvo are words that clarify the links between nouns, verbs, and other sentence elements. They are the structural glue that defines possession, location, and instrumentality.

I. Relational and Possessive Particles (Loyet and Za)

These particles are crucial for defining belonging, origin, or a part-to-whole relationship.

1. Loyet (of, from) and the Shortened Form “Lo”

The term loyet is the primary particle used to express “of” or “from”.

The Rule of Truncation: Critically, loyet is almost always shortened to lo when it is placed between two nouns.

Example of Lo in Compound Words: The word for “knowledge” is nazonuk (derived from nazo, to know). The full definition of a related concept might utilise lo to connect the known subject.

2. Za (Part of, Belonging to)

The preposition za explicitly defines something as a component or property of something else.

za = part of, belonging to

This is often used to define conceptual nouns that involve physical segmentation:

The whole conceptual word for “room” (rozahedivsyan) is an abbreviation of “enclosed part of a structure” (ronya za hedive sanya). Here, za clarifies that the room is a “part of” the structure.

II. Locational and Positional Prepositions

These prepositions define position relative to an object or space.

Teshvo Preposition	Meaning
ve	in
yu	at
veshto	in front (Etymology referring to time “before now”)
de	for

Application Example (Spatial Jump): The phrase describing readiness for travel utilises de (for):

Atosas zavisa tosva de vatyrgabatry (Now get ready for dimensional jump!).

III. Instrumental and Thematic Prepositions

These particles define how an action is carried out or what subject it pertains to.

1. Go (With, By)

This preposition is used both to describe accompaniment (“with”) and to invoke a relationship of authority or oath (“by”):

Go je iz (By my lords). (Used by a Singular Part)

Go niki gendira (With my staff)

2. O (About)

This particle is used to introduce the subject matter of a verb of communication or learning:

Je dovat o kal (I learn about life).

3. She (on)

Resting upon or in contact with a surface.

Chapter 9: Standard Sentence Structure

Teshvo generally follows a predictable structure, but it is heavily influenced by the necessary placement of temporal and interrogative markers.

I. The Basic Sentence Structure

The core structure of Teshvo is inferred to be Subject-Verb-Object (SVO), though temporal markers or introductory adverbs often precede it.

The most basic and frequently used order is:

1. [Temporal Adverb]
2. [Questioning Verb or Adverb (for Questions)]
3. [Adverb (emphasis)]
4. [Subject]
5. [Verb (Base Form)][Verb (Negation)][Verb (Object) Pronoun)]
6. [Verb (Adjective)]
7. [Adverb (focus on the Verb)]
8. [Prepositions]
9. [Object]
10. [Object (Adjective - quantitative Adjectives first)]
11. [Adverb (normal)]

Example:

atosas shton taz vorit yoctoviazo novu she gandira katar|

Where is he working again carefully on the metal staff?

Component	Teshvo Example	Meaning
Subject + Verb (Simple)	Tax surt	He is trusted
Subject + Verb + Object	Je dovat o kal	I learn about life
Subject + Negated Verb	Jax nazova	I don’t know

II. Component Placement Rules

1. Temporal Adverbs (Initial Placement)

Because Teshvo verbs do not conjugate for time, temporal adverbs often occupy the beginning of the clause or sentence to set the entire context (Past, Present, or Future).

Atosas (Now) and Sasen (Past) initiate temporal clauses:

Sasen tax surtvaje, alez atosas tax loyet. (He didn’t trust me, but now he does.)

Atosas, tien layet hatar? (Now, you do what?).

Unless the temporal context changes, the temporal clause is omitted in the following sentences.

2. Adjective Placement (Post-Nominal)

Adjectives (like yocto or indiny) consistently follow the noun they modify, a rule we identified in Chapter 6.

meta indiny (true purpose)

zavoit ne yocto indiny (build is good true)

3. Negation Placement (Suffixation)

Negation does not require a separate verb or word placement. The absolute negation marker va is always attached directly as a suffix to the element it modifies (verb, adjective, or adverb).

Jax nazova (I don’t know).

Tax surtva (He (is) not trusted).

Jax nazovananux (I don’t know him.)

4. Prepositional Phrases

Prepositions and relational particles (o, de, go, za) are placed immediately before the noun or pronoun they govern, clarifying the object’s role in the sentence:

Je dovat o kal (I learn about life).

tosva de vatyrgabatry (ready for dimensional jump).

Chapter 10: Complex Pronoun Usage: Speaking as a Wizard

Wizards are inherently composed entities, and this status is grammatically recognised in Teshvo. When speaking, a wizard must select pronouns from three distinct categories based on which aspect of their being is communicating or being referred to.

This chapter provides comprehensive instruction on using Teshvo’s complex pronoun sets, which vary depending on whether the speaker or the referent is identified as the Singular Part, an Other Part, or the Whole Wizard.

I. The Three Pronominal Distinctions

The pronominal system is organised around three axes:

Singular Part: Refers to the individual “I” of the speaker, separate from the synchronised entity of a whole wizard.

Other Part: Refers to one or more other Parts of the wizard.

Whole Wizard: Refers to the integrated, complete identity encompassing all Parts.

II. First Person Pronouns (I, We, Me, Us, My, Our)

The table below details the necessary forms for referring to oneself, depending on the status being adopted:

Function	Singular Part	Other Part	Whole Wizard
I/My (Subjective/Possessive)	je	ja	jax
We/Our (Subjective/Possessive)	ezienje	ezianja	ezijax
Me (Objective)	niki	nika	ninax
Us (Objective)	jezien	tazian	jazix

Usage Examples:

Jax nazova| (I don’t know.) (The Whole Wizard speaking).

Go je iz. (By my lords.) (A Singular Part speaking).

I have never learnt about life. (Ikoyva jax dovat o kal.) (Whole Wizard speaking).

III. Second Person Pronouns (You, Your)

The second-person forms are similarly critical, as they dictate the identity the speaker recognises in the listener:

Function	Singular Part	Other Part	Whole Wizard
You (Subjective)	tien	tian	tiex
Your (Possessive)	—	—	tiexen

Usage Examples:

Tien moxe. (You can.) (Singular Part addressing a Singular Part or similar status).

Ikoy tiex tasheniki (You always help me.) (Addressing a Whole Wizard).

Tiex ne jax razachbin. (You are my little starlight.) (Whole Wizard addressing a Whole Wizard).

IV. Third Person and Impersonal Pronouns (He, She, They, Him, Her, Them, It)

Referring to others also requires selecting the correct “Part” status, reflecting the speaker’s perception of the referent:

Function	Singular Part	Other Part	Whole Wizard
He/She/His/Her (Subjective/Possessive)	tez	tau	tax
They (Subjective)	ezien	ezian	ezix
Him/Her/Them (Objective)	naz	nanau	nanux

Note on Impersonal Pronouns (It):

Teshvo distinguishes between specific and general inanimate referents:

Specific It: naz (Used when referring to a known, specific inanimate object).

General It: nazu (Used when referring to a general or undefined inanimate object).

Usage Example (Demonstrating Implied Third Person Subject):

While explicit third-person pronouns are used to refer to another wizard as a whole, the first-person “tez” is used to refer to all other sentient non-magical creatures:

He is absolutely perfect. (Netez ponetzia veshen). (Here, tez is the Singular Part pronoun for “he.”)

Tez is also used regardless of the subject’s gender.

V. Reflexive verbs and pronouns

To form a reflexive verb, the corresponding pronoun is added directly to the verb.

Jax nazovananux| (I don’t know him)

Tien tasheniki| (Du hilfst mir)

Chapter 11: Formation of Questions

The Teshvo approach to forming an interrogative sentence is straightforward: questions have no extra punctuation, but are marked entirely by the grammar used. This means that the interrogative element, whether it is a verb, an adverb, or a specific question word, must take precedence.

The Rule: The questioning verb or adverb is placed immediately before the sentence subject.

Function	Questioning Element	Teshvo Structure	Meaning
Closed (Yes/No) Question	Ne (to be)	Ne tax surt	Is he trusted?
Locational Question	Hatjo (where)	Hatjo tax ne	Where is he?
Identity Question	Haio (who)	Haio surtnaz	Who trusts him?

Rule: Questions are marked by the grammar used, specifically by putting the questioning verb or adverb even before the sentence subject.

Statement: Tax surt (He is trusted)

Question: Ne tax surt (Is he trusted?)

In many other affirmative declarative sentences (like Tax surt), the verb “to be” is often implied and omitted for brevity.

This grammatical inversion is the absolute indicator of an inquiry.

To ask a simple yes/no question, Teshvo uses a main verb or an auxiliary verb that is moved to the initial position.

1. Using the Verb Ne (To Be)

The verb ne (to be) is frequently employed to form simple, direct questions about status or identity:

Declarative Statement

Interrogative Structure

Source

Tax surt (He is trusted)

Ne tax surt (Is he trusted?)

2. Using Auxiliary Verbs (Moxe)

Auxiliary verbs, such as moxe (can), also shift to the front when asking a question about ability:

Moxe jax tashtiex? (Can I help you?). (Whole Wizard speaking).

Moxe je thashtien? (Can I help you?). (Single Part speaking).

Similarly, the structure is used for negated ability questions:

Moxeva tien achtyaniki? (Can’t you see me?).

III. Forming Open Questions (Wh- Questions)

Open questions utilise specific interrogative adverbs and pronouns, all of which must precede the subject to fulfil the structural requirement.

Interrogative Word	Function
Haio	Who (pronoun)
Hatjo	Where (adverb)
Hatar	What (adverb)
Scho	What (misc/interrogative)

Application Examples (Interrogative Adverbs/Pronouns Precede Subject):

Questioning Location (Hatjo): Hatjo tax surt| (Where is he trusted?)

Questioning the Agent (Haio): Haio surnaz| (Who trusts him?)

Questioning the Object/Action (Hatar, Scho): Atosas, hatar tien layet? (What are you doing (right now)? Lit “Now, what you do?”). (Note: Atosas sets the time, but the core inversion is hatar tien layet).

Scho tien ovorty o? (What are you talking about?). (Here, Scho initiates the sentence.)

IV. Question Punctuation

Because the grammatical structure signals the question, no specialised final punctuation is necessary.

The Rule: All Teshvo questions, like declarative sentences, conclude with the standard Sentence Terminator (|). The strong emphasis marker (||) may be used if extreme emotion or urgency is involved.

Ne tax surt| (Is he trusted?).

Moxeva tien achtyaniki|| (Can’t you see me??).

Chapter 12: Conjunctions and Compound Sentences

Conjunctions and correlative adverbs serve to connect words, phrases, and clauses, establishing relationships of addition, contrast, cause, condition, and time. In Teshvo, these tools allow the speaker to articulate complex arguments without relying solely on the rigid Subject-Verb-Object (SVO) pattern.

I. Coordinating Conjunctions (Linking Ideas)

Teshvo uses specific conjunctions to join elements of equal grammatical weight:

Teshvo Conjunction	Meaning	Function
y	and	Addition
alez	but	Contrast
yle	yet / however	Stronger Contrast
yva	or	Disjunction

Application Examples:

Contrast (alez): This is commonly used when shifting temporal context:

Sasen tax surtvaje, alez atosas tax loyet. (He didn’t trust me, but now he does).

II. Subordinating Conjunctions (Establishing Dependence)

Subordinating conjunctions connect a dependent clause to an independent clause, establishing relationships of time, condition, or causation.

Teshvo Conjunction	Meaning	Function
presilky	because / for	Cause/Reason
quadja	if	Condition
datosas	since	Time/Reason
veshato	before	Time (Etymology: “before now”)
atyva	unless	Negative Condition

The Clause of Reason (Presilky and Datosas):

When justifying an action or state, Teshvo uses presilky (because, for) to introduce the dependent clause:

Jax nazova — presilky [reason clause]. (I don’t know, because [reason clause].)

The conjunction datosas means “since,” often functioning as a temporal link, but can also imply causality (since X occurred, then Y.)

III. Incorporating Temporal Conjunctions

Temporal markers, while often classified as adverbs, also function as conjunctions when linking clauses that describe sequences of events.

Schton (When): Used to introduce a time frame.

Atosas jax nazosa sas schton sasen anix ezijax ne witzar. (I remember the time when a long time ago we were whole.)

IV. Building Complex Sentence Flow

To successfully build compound and complex sentences in Teshvo, the student must apply the conjunctions alongside the established rules of punctuation:

Use the Pause Marker (—): For mild separation between linked clauses or to introduce a conjunction naturally.

Maintain Standard Word Order: Within each clause, the primary SVO order (or the VSO order if it is an inverted question) is maintained.

Place Adverbs Strategically: Temporal adverbs (atosas, sasen) always precede the clauses they modify, even if those clauses are linked by a conjunction.

By mastering these conjunctions and applying them consistently with the rules for negation, pronoun usage, and punctuation, you are fully equipped to construct complex and meaningful arguments in Teshvo.