Cheat sheet
A single-page reference for use while reading Tonesu texts or checking composition rules.
34 primitive roots
| Root |
Core meaning |
Root |
Core meaning |
mu |
object / artifact |
ma |
matter / substance |
zo |
living thing |
li |
social agent / person |
ki |
motion |
ka |
intentional action |
be |
growth / increase |
de |
decay / decrease |
su |
structure / order |
to |
conceptual pattern / thought |
fe |
boundary / limit |
ne |
relation / connection |
pe |
part / component |
go |
cause / origin |
du |
result / effect |
zi |
mutual / coupling event |
pa |
place / space |
di |
direction |
ko |
containment / interior |
ti |
time / sequence |
re |
repetition / cycle |
se |
perception / sense |
so |
sound |
lu |
light / visibility |
si |
signal / representation |
vo |
value / quality |
wi |
will / intention |
no |
negation / absence |
nu |
quantity / number |
ru |
unity / singularity |
pu |
plurality / collective |
ra |
energy / force |
ha |
heat / thermal state |
fa |
affective substrate |
Core grammar
Basic sentence frame
la-{agent} {verb/predicate} lo-{patient}
| Particle |
Role |
Example |
la- |
agent prefix |
latoli — the scholar (as agent) |
lo- |
patient prefix |
lotosu — the theory (as patient) |
lu- |
result / beneficiary |
luzo — for the organism's benefit |
ne |
copula (property) |
latoli ne toli — the knower is a scholar |
go |
causal / origin |
go {premise}, result |
Negation
| Form |
Meaning |
no-X |
complement root: noha = cold |
no — {claim} |
explicit denial (fresh): no, that is not the case |
ke, {claim} |
pivot (denial already contextual): but / rather |
Special particles
| Particle |
Function |
he |
vocative: direct address (he natoli!) |
ya |
attention signal: attend to this clause (ya, …) |
ru-fe |
exclusive scope: only / solely (rufe, …) |
tosi |
question marker |
Scope-modifier prefixes (V-prefixes)
| Prefix |
Scope effect |
a- |
abstract / universal |
i- |
precise / particular |
u- |
interior / foundational |
o- |
collective |
e- |
emergent |
Word tiers (shape = tier)
| Shape |
Tier |
Rule |
| CV |
Primitive root |
Closed set of 34 |
| CV-CV+ |
Compound |
Modifier precedes head; right-branching |
| CVC |
Lexical atom |
Digits, colours, SI prefixes, ergonomic shortforms |
| CVCC |
Exceptional anchor |
Constants and units only (π, c, ℏ …) |
| V |
Scope-modifier prefix |
Word-initial only: a e i o u |
Modifier always precedes head. A-B-C = A modifies [B-C] by default.
Use ' to override: A'B-C = [A-B] modifies C as a pre-bound unit.
Notation characters
| Symbol |
Spoken form |
Function |
' |
peld |
Juncture: marks left boundary of a subcompound |
~ |
ven |
Approximation: pre-positional hedge |
() |
vund … vunds |
Evidential frame: reported or inferred |
[] |
zeld … zelds |
Aside / annotation (removal-invariant) |
{} |
suld … sulds |
Structural slot / scope bracket |
"" |
sild … silds |
Quotation / mention |
: |
helm |
Topic frame or functional equivalence |
:: |
helms |
Canonical / definitional identity |
/ |
vel |
Parallel partition: bi-clausal pairing |
; |
teld |
Sequential connector (conjunction without mechanism) |
— |
el |
Prosodic suspension: held open, not closed |
- |
feld |
Morpheme boundary mark (analytic / pedagogical) |
Key extremals (X-no-fe)
no-fe = without limiting boundary. Productive across all property roots.
| Form |
Written |
Meaning |
to-no-fe |
tonofe |
omniscience |
ra-no-fe |
ranofe |
omnipotence |
vo-no-fe |
vonofe |
omnibenevolence |
pa-no-fe |
panofe |
omnipresence |
ti-no-fe |
tinofe |
eternal |
nu-no-fe |
nunofe |
mathematical infinity |
- Written Tonesu: hyphens stripped,
' preserved. tokimu, latoli, pawi'kasu.
- Analytic / parse notation: hyphens shown.
to-ki-mu, la-toli, pa-wi'ka-su.
- In prose: introduce as
toli (to-li) — written form first, parse in parentheses.
- Particles
la- lo- lu- attach without space in written form.