Page:Hand-book of Volapük (Sprauge, 1888).djvu/70

 The following, then, is an outline of the usual course to be followed in translating a sentence :

1. What is the VERB, or predicate ? It is recognised by its having a person-ending, which will be one of the syllables ob, ol, om, of, os, on. If there be more than one verb found disregard all subordinate clauses, connected by conjunctions, and seek the principal verb.

2. What is the tense ? What is the person, the number, the gender ? These are determined by the syllables at the beginning and end, and from them may be formed a skeleton or framework, which is completed by finding and inserting the meaning of the radical.

3. What is the SUBJECT ? Perhaps it is implied in the person-ending and not otherwise expressed. If it be expressed it must be in the kimfal. Then read these two words together as the foundation of the sentence : subject, verb,

4. Is there an OBJECT ? If so it must be in the kimifal; and you now have : kimfal, verb, kimifal.

5. Is there a more remote or INDIRECT OBJECT ? If so it is in the kimefal, and completes the four principal parts :

"Kimfal......VERB......kimifal......kimefal......"

Each of these four principal words may be followed by determinants, words of phrases limiting or modifying its meaning, and these are last taken up and translated.