Spoonfed Lesson 11: A Feast Before the Road

nalinta means “fruit” or “berry.” The feast table is covered with fresh fruit from the local orchards. With the -o ending, nalinto = to bear fruit, to ripen. With the -i ending, nalinti = fruity, ripe.

tinkupa means “salt” or “mineral.” You help season the dishes by adding salt. With the -o ending, tinkupo = to salt, to season. With the -i ending, tinkupi = salty, saline.

malunsa means “oil” or “lubricant.” The host adds cooking oil to the dishes. With the -o ending, malunso = to oil, to lubricate. With the -i ending, malunsi = oily, greasy. Now you can form malunsa-tesima = petrol (oil-fire).

nitenka means “grain” or “cereal.” You sample a grain dish from the feast. With the -o ending, nitenko = to harvest, to mill. With the -i ending, nitenki = grainy, starchy. Grain unlocks many food compounds: nitenka-lesona = rice (grain-water), nitenka-sipema = bread (grain-hot), nitenka-ninla = corn (grain-yellow).

lamenti means “sweet,” “sugary,” or “pleasant.” You bite into the fruit – it is perfectly sweet. With the -a ending, lamenta = sweetness, pleasantness. With the -o ending, lamento = to sweeten, to charm. Now you can form somuka-lamenta = soda (drink-sweet).

siponki means “sour,” “tart,” or “acidic.” One of the dishes has a tangy flavor. With the -a ending, siponka = sourness, acidity. With the -o ending, siponko = to sour, to ferment. Now you can form lesona-siponka = vinegar (water-sour).

tekiso means “to cut” or “to slice.” You help prepare the fruit by slicing it for the table. With the -a ending, tekisa = a cut, an incision. With the -i ending, tekisi = cutting, sharp, severed. Physical cutting only – math division uses tonilo (to divide/partition).

pikuno means “to hold” or “to grasp.” The host holds the sliced fruit to offer it to you. With the -a ending, pikuna = a grip, a grasp. With the -i ending, pikuni = gripping, clinging.

nupomo means “to sit” or “to be seated.” You take your place beside a friend. With the -a ending, nupoma = a seat, a sitting position. With the -i ending, nupomi = seated, sitting.

komu means “all” – a quantifier placed before a noun, like mapu (many) and konanu (plural). Everyone at the feast is happy. The noun form koma (totality) appears in the superlative pattern: adjective + sonpu koma = compared to all = “-est.” Example: nalinta no lamenti sonpu koma = the fruit is the sweetest of all.

kopunsi means “dirty” or “filthy” – the opposite of liseti (clean). After cutting fruit and handling oil, your hands are dirty. With the -a ending, kopunsa = dirt, filth. With the -o ending, kopunso = to dirty, to soil.

mosanku means “too much” – a degree modifier (like santu “very” and lumu “slightly”) placed before a verb. You accidentally oversalt the dish! With the -a ending, mosanka = excess, surplus. With the -i ending, mosanki = excessive.

kinensu means “few” or “little” – a quantifier placed before a noun. There is not enough oil in the dish. With the -a ending, kinensa = lack, deficiency. With the -o ending, kinenso = to lack.

tinsena means “seed,” “unit,” or “kernel.” You notice tiny seeds inside the fruit as you slice it. With the -o ending, tinseno = to seed, to measure. With the -i ending, tinseni = granular, unit-based.

pukonla means “table,” “platform,” or “shelf.” Everyone gathers at the great feast table. With the -o ending, pukonlo = to support, to elevate. Now you can form: pukonla-nupoma = chair (table-sit), pukonla-munosa = bed (table-sleep), pukonla-supela = desk (table-work).

tukensu is a preposition meaning “on (the surface of).” It comes from the stem tukens (SURFACE/EDGE). Compare with pontu (at/in – general location) and kunsu (inside – enclosed space): pontu is general location, kunsu is enclosed interior, tukensu is surface contact. With the -a ending, tukensa = surface, edge, boundary. Now you can form tukensa-mopusa = skin (surface-body).

pumonsi means “heavy” or “weighty” – the opposite of lintami (lightweight, Lesson 10). The bread fresh from the fire is hearty and heavy. With the -a ending, pumonsa = weight, heaviness. With the -o ending, pumonso = to weigh down, to burden. Now you can form tinsena-pumonsa = gram (seed/unit-heavy).