Ebubo - Nowicki
Ebubo - Nowicki
I have invented an artificial language called Ebubo. It is easy to learn because it is based on common stereotypes of modern human
cultures. This HTML file is only 30 pages long and yet it contains a complete description of the language. Regardless of your mother
tongue it will take you about a month to learn Ebubo. (It takes a year to learn Esperanto if you are not fluent in any European language.)
All words begin and end with a vowel. Numbers, colors, prepositions, pronouns, common adjectives, and common verbs are 3 letters
long. Their meaning is fixed and listed in the following tables.
5-letter words and 7-letter words are coined by combining a vowel prefix with two or three syllables. For example, combining prefix u
with syllable su (net) and syllable bi (animal) means "net animal" = spider.
7-letter words beginning with vowel-wu (XwuXXXX) are adjectives. 7-letter words beginning with vowel-wy (XwyXXXX) are verbs.
Example: izewi = hope, iwuzewi = hopeful, iwyzewi = to hope.
All 5-letter words are nouns. 7-letter words which do not begin with vowel-wu or vowel-wy are also nouns. There is no official
dictionary of the 5-letter words and the 7-letter words, so their meaning may be ambiguous. Ebubo is fun to play with. You can either
pick up an English word and try to figure out its Ebubo equivalent, or you can coin a new Ebubo word and try to guess its
meaning. The Ebubo language is NOT protected by copyright laws, so you are free to modify this web page and post it on your own
web site.
Ebubo has a few flaws: there are few prepositions, the prefix table is complex, and the 7-letter adjectives and verbs have only two
meaningful syllables. A new language called Ygyde has none of these flaws.
Ebubo's alphabet consists of 6 vowels: a e i o u y and 10 consonants: b p d g j l m s z w. Capital letters and adverbs do not exist. Word
eba means end of sentence. Double eba means end of paragraph or thought. Written text looks better when ordinary full stops are used
instead of eba.
ALPHABET TABLE
English Ebubo pronun- English Ebubo pronun- English Ebubo pronun-
letter letter ciation letter letter ciation digit digit ciation
a banana e bed 0 apa
i sleepy o all, saw 1 ape
u rule y milk 2 api
b baby p lip 3 apo
d elder g go 4 apu
j job l pool 5 apy
m mother s soon 6 ada
z zone w vivid 7 ade
eba abawy
. .
(full stop) (octal point)
All words are divided into classes determined by vowel prefix and length of the word:
PREFIX TABLE
length
vowel
of class
prefix
word
a 3 Numerals, time periods, colors, and common materials are listed in the decimal, octal, time, and color tables.
a 5 Nouns are coined from syllables listed in the adjective table and the cause column of the noun table.
Names of objects and species, e.g., Milky Way Galaxy, Nile River, Minneapolis, Snow Goose. There are two exceptions:
a 7 syllable wu means ordinary adjective and syllable wy means ordinary verb. wu (or wy) is always the first syllable and the
rest is treated as ordinary 5-letter word.
e 3 Prepositions and pronouns are listed in the preposition and pronoun table.
e 5 Nouns are coined from syllables listed in the adjective table and the result column of the noun table.
Names of people and pets, e.g., Andrew Nowicki. One word means first name. Two words mean first and last name.
e 7 There are two exceptions: syllable wu means ordinary adjective and syllable wy means ordinary verb. wu (or wy) is
always the first syllable and the rest is treated as ordinary 5-letter word.
i 3 Adjectives are listed in the adjective table.
i 5 Nouns are coined from syllables listed in the cause and result columns of the noun table.
Nouns are coined from syllables listed in the adjective table and the cause and result columns of the noun table. There
i 7 are two exceptions: syllable wu means adjective and syllable wy means verb. wu (or wy) is always the first syllable and
the rest is treated as a 5-letter word.
o 3 Adjectives are listed in the adjective table.
o 5 Nouns are coined from syllables listed in the result and cause columns of the noun table.
Nouns are coined from two syllables isted in the adjective table and one syllable listed either in the cause or result
o 7 column of the noun table. There are two exceptions: syllable wu means adjective and syllable wy means verb. wu (or wy)
is always the first syllable and the rest is treated as a 5-letter word.
u 3 Verbs are listed in the adjective table.
u 5 Nouns are coined from two syllables listed in the cause column of the noun table.
Nouns are coined from two syllables listed in the cause column of the noun table and one syllable listed either in the
u 7 adjective table or result column of the noun table. There are two exceptions: syllable wu means adjective and syllable
wy means verb. wu (or wy) is always the first syllable and the rest is treated as a 5-letter word.
y 3 Verbs are listed in the adjective table.
y 5 Nouns are coined from two syllables listed in the result column of the noun table.
Nouns are coined from two syllables listed in the result column of the noun table and one syllable listed either in the
y 7 adjective table or cause column of the noun table. There are two exceptions: syllable wu means adjective and syllable wy
means verb. wu (or wy) is always the first syllable and the rest is treated as a 5-letter word.
Examples: ibibe = animal food, obebi = "food animal" = cow, izagypu = "colorful angle light" = dispersion of light.
7-letter long words beginning with letters o, u and y seem ambiguous because they define two different words. This ambiguity is
resolved by order of syllables taken from the same column. Forward syllable order means that the syllables are in alphabetical order,
e.g., bebi. Backward syllable order means that the syllables are in reverse alphabetical order, e.g., bibe.
ORDER TABLE
double double remaining
syllable syllable syllable examples
location order location
cause column of the omowawe = "sexual feminine medical knowledge" =
adjective table forward
noun table female gynecology
result column of the owamowe = "feminine sexual medical substance" =
adjective table backward
noun table contraceptive pill
cause column of the uluwesy = "expert medical knowledge visual" =
forward adjective table
noun table ophthalmologist
cause column of the result column of the uwelusy = "medical knowledge expert conflict" =
backward
noun table noun table disagreement between physicians
result column of the ybubyze = "genetics disease stupid" = genetic mental
forward adjective table
noun table retardation
result column of the backward cause column of the ybybuze = "disease genetics philosophy" = philosophy
noun table noun table based on genetic diseases
If a 7-letter word begins with letter o and has two identical syllables taken from the adjective table, the two syllables have different
meaning and the last syllable is taken either from the cause or result column of the noun table. For example, olulusa can mean either
"old slow computer" or "old slow software." These words should not be used to avoid ambiguity.
Decimal system is best when Ebubo is used for translation. When Ebubo is used as a native language, octal system is better, because it is
compatible with computers and has simpler multiplication table. The octal system does not have digit eight and digit nine. Our Sumerian
units of time and medieval calendar should also be replaced with an octal system.
TIME TABLE
word meaning word meaning
agu did, past tense agy will, future tense
aja time, age, era, period aje never
aji seldom ajo often
aju always ajy eternity
ala early, ago ale late, in the future
ali second (unit of time), now, this second alo minute, now, this minute
alu hour, now, this hour aly time of day
ama date ame 24 hours
ami yesterday amo today
amu tomorrow amy week
asa month ase year
asi aly = "dark time of day" = night aso aly = "light time of day" = day time
idy ama = "cold date" = winter iga ama = "warm date" = summer
ilo ama = "young date" = spring ilu ama = "old date" = fall
idy asa = "cold month" = January ily asa = "asleep month" = February
ise asa = "dirty month" = March awa asa = "green month" = April
imo asa = "sexual month" = May aso asa = "light month" = June
iga asa = "warm month" = July imy asa = "idle month" = August
awi asa = "red month" = September awu asa = "yellow month" = October
igy asa = "sad month" = November asi asa = "dark month" = December
isa ama = "busy date" = Monday ide ama = "front date" = Tuesday
ipo ama = "middle date" = Wednesday idi ama = "back date" = Thursday
ija ama = "happy date" = Friday imi ama = "good date" = Saturday
imy ama = "idle date" = Sunday ale amy = "late week" = weekend
owu ase = "periodic year" = annual
COLOR TABLE
color material
color material
name name
asi dark ebi asi soil
aso light ebi aso crystal, jewel
asu transparent ebi asu glass
asy translucent ebi asy fresh water
aza opaque ebi aza paper
aze matte ebi aze wood
azi lustrous ebi azi metal
azo iridescent ebi azo thin film
azu 0%red, 0%green, 0%blue (black) ebi azu asphalt
azy 0%red, 0%green, 100%blue (blue) ebi azy rubber
awa 0%red, 100%green, 0%blue (green) ebi awa lawn
awe 0%red, 100%green, 100%blue (cyan) ebi awe steel
awi 100%red, 0%green, 0%blue (red) ebi awi brick
awo 100%red, 0%green, 100%blue (magenta) ebi awo plastic
awu 100%red, 100%green, 0%blue (yellow) ebi awu sand
awy 100%red, 100%green, 100%blue (white) ebi awy concrete
Colors shown in the color table can be mixed to produce intermediate colors. For example gray color (azu awy) is produced by mixing
color azu with color awy.
MIXED COLORS
primary primary mixed
color color color
azu (black) awy (white) azu awy (gray)
awi (red) awu (yellow) awi awu (orange)
awi (red) awy (white) awi awy (pink)
awo (magenta) awy (white) awo awy (violet)
awu (yellow) awy (white) awu awy (khaki)
awi (red) azu awy (gray) asi awi (brown)
Prepositions are used the same way as in the English language except emu (extreme).
Although there is no distinction between singular and plural nouns, the plural nouns follow either a number, or preposition elo, or
preposition elu.
Preposition agu followed by verb indicates past tense. Preposition agy followed by verb indicates future tense. The absence of agu and
agy indicates present tense.
Grammar explained in examples:
esu ulo ija eji esu usy eza eba I am happy when I see you.
ewa uwi ede ebe america eba We live in America. (ebe indicates foreign word)
ebo usy esi awyla eba Clean up this room. (order)
ebu usy esi awyle eba It would be desirable to clean up this room. (suggestion)
eby eza agy usi esi awyle eba Will you clean up this room? (general question)
epa esi awyle eba Tell me about this room. (specific question)
esu agy usi esi awyle eba I will clean up this room.
esu iwy agy usi esi awyle eba It is impossible that I will clean up this room.
esu odo agy usi esi awyle eba It is unlikely that I will clean up this room.
esu odu agy usi esi awyle eba It is likely that I will clean up this room.
esu ogi agy usi esi awyle eba It is certain that I will clean up this room.
esu agu usi esi awyle eba I cleaned up this room.
ebo ele usi esi awyle eba Do not clean up this room. (order)
epa abebe ulo emu ipe eba Which tree is the tallest? (specific question)
api esa abebe ulo emu ipe eba Second tree is the tallest.
epa eguwy abebe ulo ede esi apepo eba How many trees are in this forest? (specific question)
odu age eba Probably one million.
epa uwywy elu abebe ulo ede esi ajube eba Why trees live in this wilderness? (specific question)
eza agu uze esi azewy age ese eba You asked this question million times!
apubi ile esy awowi ule ewyja eligona eba Bird owned by my father has name Eligona.
ADJECTIVE TABLE
syllable adjective meaning verb meaning noun meaning
abawy = "literal meaning of small" = point
uba = to sit
iba = small ebawy = "abstract meaning of small" = resolution
ba yba = to reduce, to
oba = not tolerant, reducing obawy = "literal meaning of not tolerant" = bigot
discriminate
owyba = "abstract meaning of not tolerant" = not waterproof
abewy = "literal meaning of big" = universe, nature
ibe = big ube = to stand ebewy = "abstract meaning of big" = size
be
obe = tolerant, magnifying ybe = to enlarge, to tolerate obewy = "literal meaning of tolerant" = tolerant person
owybe = "abstract meaning of tolerant" = waterproof
abiwy = "literal meaning of sharp" = needle
ibi = sharp, spicy
ubi = to lead, to manage ebiwy = "abstract meaning of sharp" = edge, border
bi obi = narrow, peppery, having
ybi = to sharpen obiwy = "literal meaning of narrow" = slot, crevice
electric charge
owybi = "abstract meaning of narrow" = viscosity
abowy = "literal meaning of wide" = width
ibo = wide, blunt
ubo = to follow, to vote ebowy = "abstract meaning of wide" = follower
bo obo = flat, devoid of electric
ybo = to widen obowy = "literal meaning of flat" = flat land, plain
charge
owybo = "abstract meaning of flat" = area
abuwy = "literal meaning of simple" = simplicity
ibu = simple, easy ubu = to simplify ebuwy = "abstract meaning of simple" = structure
bu
obu = homogeneous ybu = to standardize obuwy = "literal meaning of homogeneous" = standard
owybu = "abstract meaning of homogeneous" = paint
abywy = "literal meaning of long" = length
iby = long, difficult uby = to join ebywy = "abstract meaning of long" = distance
by
oby = complex yby = to extend in space obywy = "literal meaning of complex" = complexity
owyby = "abstract meaning of complex" = diversity
apawy = "literal meaning of short" = slice
upa = to cut, to break, to
ipa = short epawy = "abstract meaning of short" = stature, social class
pa subtract
opa = horizontal opawy = "literal meaning of horizontal" = horizon
ypa = to level
owypa = "abstract meaning of horizontal" = direction
apewy = "literal meaning of tall" = height
ipe = tall, high upe = to grow, to add epewy = "abstract meaning of tall" = elevation
pe
ope = hilly ype = to fill opewy = "literal meaning of hilly" = hilly land
owype = "abstract meaning of hilly" = snow
apiwy = "literal meaning of low" = bottom, ground
ipi = low, deep, under surface upi = to move underground or
epiwy = "abstract meaning of low" = depth
pi opi = local, standard, under water
opiwy = "literal meaning of local" = county
compatible, parochial ypi = to hide
owypi = "abstract meaning of local" = parochialism
upo = to move on ground apowy = "literal meaning of middle" = center
ipo = middle, central, axial surface epowy = "abstract meaning of middle" = privacy
po
opo = national ypo = to float, to move on opowy = "literal meaning of national" = country
water surface owypo = "abstract meaning of national" = citizen
apuwy = "literal meaning of top" = peak, summit
ipu = top upu = to fly, to sublime epuwy = "abstract meaning of top" = altitude
pu
opu = global ypu = to give, to put opuwy = "literal meaning of global" = shantytown
owypu = "abstract meaning of global" = anarchy
apywy = "literal meaning of inner" = interior
upy = to defend, to police, to epywy = "abstract meaning of inner" = proximity,
ipy = inner, private
py protect neighborhood
opy = secret, number - odd
ypy = to cover opywy = "literal meaning of secret" = spy
owypy = "abstract meaning of secret" = police
adawy = "literal meaning of outer" = exterior
uda = to attack, to accuse, to
ida = outer, public edawy = "abstract meaning of outer" = appearance
da charge
oda = distant, number - even odawy = "literal meaning of distant" = outer space, sky
yda = to expose
owyda = "abstract meaning of distant" = discovery, invention
adewy = "literal meaning of front" = face
ide = front ude = to start, to open edewy = "abstract meaning of front" = beginning
de
ode = first yde = to search odewy = "literal meaning of first" = leader
owyde = "abstract meaning of first" = inspiration
adiwy = "literal meaning of back" = background
idi = back, rear udi = to end, to close ediwy = "abstract meaning of back" = end
di
odi = last ydi = to find odiwy = "literal meaning of last" = archaism
owydi = "abstract meaning of last" = reaction
adowy = "literal meaning of rare" = scarcity
ido = rare, valuable, interesting, edowy = "abstract meaning of rare" = creativity, originality
alone udo = to invent, to discover odowy = "literal meaning of incompatible" = alien
do
odo = incompatible, number - ydo = to design owydo = "abstract meaning of incompatible" = villain, felon,
negative, probability - unlikely opponent, enemy
Syllables wu and wy are always first when they are part of a 7-letter word. wu always means that the word is an adjective and wy always
means that the word is a verb. The vowel prefix and the remaining two syllables are treated as a 5-letter word.
NOUN TABLE
syllable cause result examples
amiba = "good planet" = Earth
ibawi = "planet child" = moon
ba planet geological object eleba = "owned geological object" = real estate
eluba aja = old geological object era" =
Precambrian era
ajube = "wild plant" = weed
abube = "simple plant" = fungus
obugebe = "soft simple plant" = mushroom
adybe = "cold plant" = lichen
ajabe = "dry plant" = cactus
amebe = "toxic plant" = fern
apibe = "low plant" = moss
adube = "common plant" = grass
owebe = "medical substance plant" = herb
amobe = "genital plant" = wildflower, flower
ojobe = "separation plant" = shrub
abebe = "big plant" = tree
obebibe = "big narrow plant" = coniferous tree
obebobe = "big wide plant" = broad-leaved tree
alybe = "asleep plant or packaged plant" = seed
ilubibe = "fat animal food" = animal fat
ilubebe = "fat plant food" = butter
ezube = "slippery food" = oil
egybe = "wet food" = drink
ogygebe = "wet soft food" = soup
ewebe = "mobile food" = fast food
edebe = "first food" = breakfast
epobe = "middle food" = lunch
be plant food
edibe = "last food" = dinner
epube = "top food" = fruit
odupube = "common top food" = grain
opubybe = "top long food" = corn
osepube = "round top food" = apple
ojipube = "sour top food" = orange
ogypube = "wet top food" = grape
egibe = "hard food" = nut
opubibe = "top spicy food" = pepper
odypube = "cold top food" = cucumber
ogepube = "soft top food" = tomato
ojepube = "sweet top food" = peach
ipudube = "top hair food" = soybean
opupabe = "top short food" = peanut
epibe = "low food" = vegetable
opibybe = "low long food" = carrot
opibibe = "low spicy food" = parsley
osepibe = "round low food" = cabbage
ogopibe = "lightweight low food" = cauliflower
opibabe = "low small food" = radish
odupibe = "common low food" = potato
udubibe = "hair animal food" = cheese
edybe = "cold food" = ice cream
alybi = "asleep animal or packaged animal" = egg
ogegybi = "weak wet animal" = jellyfish
egybi = "wet animal" = fish
obigebi = "narrow soft animal" = worm
agebi = "soft animal" = mollusk
agibi = "hard animal" = clam
ogemubi = "soft smart animal" = octopus
ogelobi = "soft fast animal" = squid
alubi = "slow animal" = snail
omewabi = "toxic stationary animal" = coral
ogewabi = "soft stationary animal" = sponge
usubi = "net animal" = spider
adubi = "common animal" = insect
ajebi = "smooth animal" = beetle
azabi = "colorful animal" = butterfly
upubi = "fire animal" = moth
odugabi = "common social animal" = ant
opigabi = "deep social animal" = termite
ogasabi = "social busy animal" = bee
opusebi = "top dirty animal" = fly
opulibi = "top hungry animal" = mosquito
obipubi = "narrow top animal" = wasp
opulobi = "top fast animal" = dragonfly
ogijibi = "hard bumpy animal" = crustacean
bi animal human, person odujibi = "common bumpy animal" = crayfish
ogyjabi = "wet dry animal" = amphibian
ajabi = "dry animal" = reptile
abybi = "long animal" = snake
apybi = "inner animal" = parasite
obypybi = "long inner animal" = tapeworm
abobi = "wide animal" = turtle
obejibi = "big bumpy animal" = crocodile or
alligator
apubi = "top animal" = bird
udubi = "hair animal" = mammal
ogilobi = "strong fast animal" = horse
azibi = "trustworthy animal" = dog
amybi = "idle animal" = cat
esabi = "busy person" = workaholic
ewobi = "opposite person" = gost
owosybi = "opposite visual person" = blind person
owosobi = "opposite loud person" = mute person
owosubi = "opposite musical person" = deaf
person
owomobi = "opposite sexual person" = eunuch
egubi = "unimportant person" = slave
epybi = "private person" = unmarried person
edabi = "public person" = married person
Paternoster in English: Our father which art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, as in heaven, so on
earth.
Paternoster in Ebubo: ewe awewi eso ulo ede emiwy. ebo uje eze ewyja. ebo eze apulo ude. ebo ysa ezu ede emiwy egy epy amiba.