Basic Grammar Principles of SinPlatt

Pronunciation:
Like German and Dutch, voiced stop and fricative consonants de-voice when their inflection
puts them at the end of a word:
Voiced Consonant De-voiced Consonant English
perden Z!oDqc?m\ perd ZoDqs\ horse
bergen Z!aDqF?m\ berg ZaDqw\ mountain
dese Z!cd9y?\ des ZcDr\ this/these
wegen Z!Od9F?m\ weg Z!ODw\ way
ribben Z!qHa?m\ ribb ZqHo\ rib
ferderven Ze?q!cDqu?m\ ferderf Ze?q!cDqe\ to destroy

Stretching Vowels:
In the stressed syllable of word stems, SinPlatt has 3 kinds of vowels:

1. Vowels that are always long. These are generally doubled when they are followed by
more than one consonant (eg geest, fleesch) or when the the syllable is at the end of the word
(eg boom, kääs, düür). If not followed by a consonant cluster, when followed by a suffix, they
are written singular (eg bomen, käsig, dürer). Note this class includes dipthongs, and "ie" and
"å" . Dipthongs don't change spelling or pronunciation when a suffix is added. Neither does
"ie" Zh9\. Å/å ZN9\ is always spelled singular and doesn't change pronunciation (eg mån, månen)
These vowels normally represent evolution from Proto-Germanic long vowels and dipthongs.

2. Vowels that are always short. These are followed by a cluster of 2 or more consonants (eg
fisch, hard) and don't change length. These include vowels which were followed by
geminated consonants in Proto-Germanic and Old Saxon (eg seggen, brügg.)

3. Stretching Vowels. This is a very common class! These are followed by a single consonant
(eg dag, pad, nemen). When their syllable is at the end of word, they are short (eg nem, bef) .
When a suffix is added, for example a plural suffix or a verb conjugation or adjective
comparative/superlative, they vowel stretches and becomes long – sometimes changing in
quality as well as length. (eg salen, konspirären, paden)

Always Long Vowels

Without Suffix With Suffix English
afscheed Z`e!Rd9s\ afscheden `e!Rd9c?m\ farewell
blood Zakn9s\ bloden Z!akn9c?m\ blood
huus Zgt9r\ husen Z!gt9y?m\ house
geest Zfd9rs\ geesten Z!fd9rs?m\ spirit
fleesch Zekd9R\ fleeschen Z!ekd9R?m] meat
kööp Zj19o\ köpen Z!j19o?m\ to buy
drief Zcqh9e\ drieven Z!cqh9u?m\ to drive
dråd ZcqN9s\ dråden Z!cqN9c?m\ thread

Always Short Vowels

werp ZODqo\ werpen Z!ODqo?m] to throw
wind ZOHms\ winden Z!OHmc?m\ wind
trepp ZsqDo\ treppen Z!sqDo?m\ stair
stokk ZrsNj\ stokken Z!rsNj?m\ stick
dünn ZcXm\ dünne Z!cXm?\ thin
bükk ZaXj\ bükken Z!aXj?m\ to bend
ding ZcHM\ dingen Z!cHM?m\ thing
segg ZyDw\ seggen Z!yDF?m\ to say
sonn ZyNm\ sonnen Z!yNm?m\ sun

Stretching Vowels
aktuäl Z`jsT!Dk\ aktuäle Z`jsT!D9k?\ current, present
bar Za`q\ bare Z!a@9q?\ bare
bef ZaDe\ beven Z!ad9u?m\ to shake
blad Zak`s\ bladen Z!ak@9c?m\ leaf
eksplosion ZDjrokNy!iNm\ eksplosionen ZDjrokNy!in9m?m\ explosion
gel ZfDk\ gele Z!fd9k?\ yellow
kom ZjNl\ komen Z!jn9l?m\ to come
nat Zm`s\ nate Z!m@9s?\ wet
weg ZODw\ wegen Z!Od9F?m\ way
son ZyNm\ sonen Z!yn9m?m\ son
nacional Zm`sriN!m`k\ nacionale Zm`sriN!m@9k?\ national
lat Zk`s\ late Z!k@9s?\ late
porträt ZoNq!sqDs\ porträten ZoNq!sqD9s?m\ portrait

Articles:
Type Neuter Common Plural
definite dat word de mann de fogels
indefinite een huus ene fisch some bomen

SinPlatt has a gender system very similar to Dutch. Nouns are divided into two classes of
grammatical gender – neuter and common. Common is a merger of masculine and feminine.
Generally if a word’s cognates are neuter in both Dutch and German, then the word is neuter.
Otherwise is common gender.
If they disagree, follow the following table:
Cognate in English Cognate In Dutch Cognate in German Simplatt Gender
the de der/die de
the het das dat
the de das de
the het der/die de
-- het das dat
-- de der/die de
-- het der/die de
-- de das dat
the -- der/die de
the -- das de
the de -- de
the het -- de
Simplatt Personal Pronouns
Possessive
Objective (Genitive) --
Subject (Accusative, predicative &
Person (Nominative) Dative) attributive forms Reflexive
1st Sing ik mi mien / miene mi
1st Plural wi uns unser / unsere uns
2nd Sing du di dien / diene di
2nd Plural ji jü jüür / jüre jü
3rd Sing Masc hi him sien / siene sich
3rd Sing Fem si hir hir / hire sich
3rd Sing Neuter et et sien / siene sich
3rd Plural si hin hir / hire sich

Demonstrative Interrogative
Pronouns neuter common plural Pronouns
that / those dat jeen jene what wat
this / these des dese dese which welk
there dår who wee
here hier where wår
then dann when wann
now nu why wårum
how hoo

Irregular Plurals
Plurals use i-mutation if the plural is formed in this way in 2/3 of the source languages
Singular Plural English
foot föten foot/feet
gans gänsen goose/geese
luus lüsen louse/lice
mann männen man/men
muus müsen mouse/mice
tand tänden tooth/teeth
broder bröders brother/brethren
schåp schäpen sheep/sheep
stad städen city

Weak Verb Conjugations:

Example 3 (Stem
Example 1 (Stem Example 2 (Stems contains stretching
Conjugation ends in cluster) ends in dental stop) vowel)
Infinitive warnen Z!O`qm?m\ baden Z!a@9c?m\ hopen Z!gn9o?m\

Present
1st sing warn [O`qm] bad Za`s\ hop ZgNo\
1st plural warnen Z!O`qm?m\ baden Z!a@9c?m\ hopen Z!gn9o?m\
2nd sing warnst ZO`qmrs\ badst Za`srs\ hopst ZgNors\
2nd plural warnt ZO`qms\ badt Za`s\ hopt ZgNos\
3rd sing warnt ZO`qms\ badt Za`s\ hopt ZgNos\
3rd plural warnen Z!O`qm?m\ baden Z!a@9c?m\ hopen Z!gn9o?m\

Past
1st sing warnd ZO`qms\ baded Z!a@9c?s\ hopd ZgNos\
1st plural warnden Z!O`qmc?m\ badeden Z!a@9c?c?m\ hopden Z!gNos?m\
2nd sing warndest Z!O`qmc?rs\ badedest Z!a@9c?c?rs\ hopdest Z!gNos?rs\
2nd plural warndet Z!O`qmc?s\ badedet Z!a@9c?c?s\ hopdet Z!gNos?s\
3rd sing warnde Z!O`qmc?\ badedet Z!a@9c?c?\ hopdet Z!gNos?
3rd plural warnden Z!O`qmc?m\ badeden Z!a@9c?c?m\ hopden Z!gNos?m\

Past Participle gewarnd Zf?!O`qms\ gebaded Zf?!a@9c?s\ gehopd Zf?!gNos\

Present Participle warnend [!O`qm?ms\ badend Z!a@9c?ms\ hopend Z!gn9o?ms\
Action warning [!O`qmHM\ bading Z!a@9cHM\ hoping Z!gn9oHM\
Agent warner [!O`qm?q\ bader Z!a@9c?q\ hoper Z!gn9o?q\

Strong Verb Paradigms

SinPlatt verb will be strong if there are strong cognates in 2 or more out of 3 of English,
Dutch and German.
Class Inf Past Past Part Example1 Past Past Part Example2 Past Past Part
I ie ei e/i drieven dreif, gedreven rieden reid, geridden
dreiven pp vowel reiden pp. vowel
before before
liquid or stop > i
fricative ZH\-
> e Zd9\
II ie oo o fliegen floog, geflogen biede bood, geboden
flogen boden
IIIa i a u singen sang, gesungen binden band, gebunden
sangen banden
IIIb e a o swellen swall, geswollen sterven starf, gestorven
swallen starven
IV e a sing / å e geven gaf, gegeven eten at, åten ge-eten
plural gåven
V e or a sing / å o spreken sprak, gesproken stekken stakk / gestokken
i plural språken ståkken
VI a oo a dragen droog, gedragen slagen sloog, geslagen
drogen slogen
VII a ie a fallen fiel, gefallen halden hield, gehalden
fielen hielden
Class VII follows pattern of variety of vowels for infinitive. Pt vowel is ie Zh9\, pp vowel = infinitive vowel

Adjectives
Predicative is the stem. Attributive Neuter is same as predicative. Attributive Common and
Plural take a -e ending.
Certain adjectives are irregular in inflection, eg good/better/best or hooch/hojer/hoochst or
ald/älder/äldst
Attributive Attributive Attributive
Stem Predicative Neuter Common Plural
dikk dikk dikk dikke dikke
good good good gode gode
ald ald ald alde alde
hooch hooch hooch hoje hoje
nåj nåj nåj nåje nåje

Comparatives take a -er ending to stem. In attributive position, they also take a -e
ending if common or plural
Attributive Attributive Attributive
Comparative predicative Neuter Common Plural
dikker dikker dikker dikkere dikkere
beter beter beter betere betere
älder älder älder äldere äldere
hojer hojer hojer hojere hojere
når når når nåre nåre

Superlatives take a -st ending to stem. In attributive position, they also take a -e ending if
common or plural
Attributive Attributive Attributive
Superlative Predicative Neuter Common Plural
dikkst dikkst dikkst dikkste dikkste
best best best beste beste
äldst äldst äldst äldste äldste
hoochst hoochst hoochst hoochste hoochste
nåchst nåchst nåchst nåchste nåchste

Word Order:
Generally similar to German and Dutch.
Verb Second rule applies to finite verbs:
Si studiärde in ene gode universität = She studied at a good university.
Aktuäl studiär ik in de unversität = Currently, I’m studying at the university.

Verb Infinitives and Past participles go to the end of the clause or sentence.
Wi hebben de stad spödig antkomen = We have quickly escaped the town.
Ji künt nejt for miene schöne dochter prunken. = You must not show off in front of my
beautiful daughter.

Finite Verbs go to the end of subordinate clauses:

Weetst du dat, diene küüsche dochters werklik dernen sien? = Are you aware that your pure
daughters are actually sluts?

The prefix of the finite forms of separable verbs go to the end of subordinate clauses:
Si beldt een fals porträt fan küüsche suverheed af. = She portrays a false image of chastity
and purity.