Black Speech Grammar Guide

This document is intended to be a concise overview of the grammar of LoS Classical Black Speech as understood by Lugrekh from reading the lessons written by Scatha of the Land of Shadows and expanded on by Un4givenOrc of the Black Speech School, and others.

Those lessons contain a number of errors and many contradictions which make learning the language rather difficult. When the examples contradict the written rules, the rules take precedence. Where newer lessons contradict older lessons, the older lessons take precedence. Scatha's written rules take precedence over rules written by others.

In situations where there are no rules in Scatha's lessons, I will be creating my own rules based on what has already been created. I will attempt to stick to a strict word order and will avoid using English grammar as much as possible. This may lead to situations where my grammar does not agree with what others may have done in the past.

While my intent is not to create a new dialect, the rules presented here could be called "The Redhandian Dialect of the Land of Shadows Classical Black Speech".

Syntax

Basic Sentence structure

1. Subject 2. Attribute 3. Predicate 4. Direct object 5. Indirect object 6. Adjunct
Noun Adjective Verb Noun
Pronoun (attached to the verb)		 Noun (+ Prep)
Pronoun (+ Prep)		 Adverb
Noun (+ Prep)

Verbs

Verbs can be followed by a number of suffixes. They are attached in the following order and there is only ever one of each type:

Type 1 - Infinitive

Type 1 turns verbs into other types of words.

-at turns a verb into the infinitive: srinkhsha- understand, srinkhshaat to understand.

-arz turns a verb into an adverb: srinkhshaarz understandably.

-ûrz turns a verb into an adjective: srinkhshaûrz understandable.

Type 2 - Active/Passive

Type 2 turns the verb into the passive voice. gimb- find, olog gimbuzat golug The troll found the elf, olog gimbaguzat golug The elf was found by the troll.

Type 3 - Tense

Type 3 determine the tense. It is selected based on the following chart. hon- look, see, watch, honubizg, I will look, see, watch

Type 4 - Person

Type 4 conjugates the verb based on the subject's person. hon- look, see, watch, honuzutta They watched him

Present Future Past Pres Active Past Passive
I/We/You -0 -ub -uz -ug -uga
He/She/It -at -ubat -uzat -ugat -ugaat
They -ut -ubut -uzut -ugut -ugaut
Type 5 - Object

Type 5 is the pronoun that represents the object. It is selected from the list below. shakol- kick, shakolubtaizg I will kick him.

Personal Pronouns
Subject (first person is a verb suffix, others are stand alone words) Object (verb suffixes)
I -izg Me -izish
We -izgu Us -izishu
You (singular) lat You (singular) -lat
You (plural) latu You (plural) -latu
He/She/It ta Him/It -ta
They ulu Her -to
    Them -ul
Type 6 - Aspect

Type 6 is used to mark if a verb has been partially or totally completed. fargh- jump, farghuzatâzh He jumped a little, farghuzatûk He completed jumping.

Type 7 - First Person Subject

Type 7 is the first person pronoun that represents the subject. These are always attached to the verb. They are chosen from the pronoun table above. Only first person subject pronouns are suffixes, others are stand alone words that go before the verb. fargh- jump, farghuzizg I jumped

Nouns

Nouns can also be followed by a number of suffixes. They are attached in the following order and there is only every one of each, except for type 7, postpositions, of which there can be many.

Type 1 - Noun Forming

Type 1 converts verbs into nouns. fargh- jump, farghal jumper, one who jumps.

Type 2 - Gender modifier

Type 2 converts a noun into a female version of the noun. uruk ork, uruklob/urukniz she-orc.

Type 3 - Short adjective

Type 3 is short adjectives. Longer adjectives should follow the noun. mi cat, mimorraz the strange black cat.

Short Adjectives
all ûk high; tall târ
bad; wrong fik hollow ûnk
beautiful; comfortable; pleasant; nice; fine tor hot muz
better mâz last tîl
big; large dur less yûl
bitter (taste) sâr narrow; tight yat
black mor new fîn
blue ulb new ûn
brave hûr odd; strange; weird raz
brown (skin, hair) gru old kû
cruel bol only; single tug
each ûgh opposite bug
easy; simple; light gat past; previous gûg
eternal ukû proud mîb
famous; celebrated; famed; knewn; well-known sul scary; frightening uf
fast; quick hîs small; little; short gaz
fat; fleshy; porky tû such; so zam
fertile hru sure rûz
flabby tû tough gor
flat gok ugly kûf
full gûk whole fol
gentle mûk wise; sly; smart; cunning; shrewd; astute zûr
great mad yellow mâl
Type 4 - Demonstrative Pronouns

Type 4 means "this/that" -za or "these/those" -zaz

Type 5 - Possessive Pronoun

Type 5 is a Possessive pronoun. nazg ring, nazgulub their ring.

Possessive Suffixes

My/Mine -izub Your (sing) -lab
Ours -izubu Your (plural) -latub
His/its -tab Their -ulub
Her -tob
Type 6 - Specific Prepositions

Type 6 is few specific prepositions. These all seem to also mark if a noun is the indirect object.

Case Prepositions

of -ob to -u
in -ishi by; via; by mean(s) of; by use of; with use of -irzi
Type 7 - Prepositions

Type 7 is any post(pre)position from the list.

Type 8 - Plural

Type 8 is a plural marker. -u is used when a noun ends with a consonant, while -z is used when a noun ends with a vowel.

Noun Plurals

Ends with a Consonant -u Ends with a Vowel -z
Race/People -hai All -ûk

Adjectives

Adjectives can also be followed by a number of suffixes.

Type 1 - Adjective Forming

Type 1 suffix added to a root to turn it into an adjective.

Type 2 - Degree of comparison

WIP

Type 3 - Plural

Type 3 suffix must agree with the plural suffix on the noun that adjective is describing.

Miscellaneous

Indirect Objects: Follow the direct Object and are suffixed with -u

Adverbs: Follow verb