Quick Mini overview

Mini is a constructed language created by S.C. Gruget. It has 1000 words and a simple but useful grammar. Mini’s sentences are structured in the subject, verb, object manner:

• mi i manja a poma - I eat an apple.

Given that words can function like any other words (that is, a verb also works as noun, for example), Mini uses particles to mark the role of a word in a sentence:

• i: introduces the verb.
• a: introduces direct object and noun complement.
• e: introduces adjective complement.

So:

• mi i manja a manja - I eat food.
• tu e rapi - You are fast.

It uses the letters a, b, d, e, f, g, i, j, k, l, m, n, o, p, r, s, t, u, v. Pronunciation of consonants is the same as in English, vowels sound a bit more like in Spanish. Stress of a word always falls on the second to last syllable.

• “a” as in map.
• “e” as in level.
• “i” as in meet.
• “o” as in more.
• “u” as in balloon.
• “g” as gift.

Tense and verb aspect is unspecified, but if needed it is built in combination with the i particle and another word:

• mi i de manja a oranje - I ate an orange.
• mi i manja a oranje - I eat an orange.
• mi i go manja a oranje - I will eat an orange.
• mi i en manja a oranje - I am eating an orange.
• mi i ave manja a oranje - I have eaten an orange.
• mi i de ave manja a oranje - I had eaten an orange.
• mi i go ave manja a oranje - I will have eaten an orange.
• i manja a oranje! - Eat an orange!
• go-i manja a oranje - To eat an orange.
• mi i da manja a oranje - I would eat an orange.
• mi i pasa manja a oranje - I used to eat oranges.
• mi i debe manja a oranje - I should eat an orange.
• en-i manja a oranje e bon - Eating oranges is good.
• Di oranje e de-i manja de mi - This orange is eaten by me.

For negation precede the word no to that which you need negated:

• mi i de no manja a da oranje - I did not eat that orange.

For an adjective precede a noun with a word. For an adverb follow a verb with o and a word:

• mi i manja o rapi a oranje poma - I eat quickly an orange apple (the apple has the colour orange).

Possessives are just pronouns and subjects used as adjectives:

• tu i manja a mi poma - You eat my apple.

The conjunctions are an, u:

• mi i manja a poma an oranje - I eat an apple and an orange.
• mi i go manja a poma u oranje - I will eat an apple or an orange.

Dependent and subordinating clauses also have their own words to mark their role:

• mi i pensa ke tu i debe manja a poma - I think that you should eat apples.
• mi i manja a poma ka mi i kan - I eat apples because I can.
• mi i manja a poma vile tu i manja a oranje - I eat an apple while you eat oranges.
• Tamen mi i manja poma, mi i no favo a si - Although I eat apples, I don’t like them.

Simple yes or no questions just add a ?:

• tu i manja a oranje? - Do you eat oranges?

Open questions use ke in a variety of ways:

• tu i manja a ke? - What do you eat?
• ke man i manja a oranje - Who eats oranges?
• tu i manja e ke loke? - Where are you eating?
• si i manja en ke tempo? - When is he eating?
• tu i manja e ke rason? - Why do you eat?
• mi i debe manja a ke mui? - How much should I eat?
• si i manja e ke moda? - How does she eat?

Numbers work as adjectives and are composed from left to right:

• nulo - 0.
• uno - 1.
• duo - 2.
• san - 3.
• fo - 4.
• penta - 5.
• sita - 6
• seven - 7.
• ba - 8.
• nin - 9.
• ten - 10.
• ten nin poma - 19 apples.
• sento - 100.
• kilo - 1,000.
• duo-ten-san-ranko - 23rd.

You can create new words by composing them:

• di-dia - today.
• dimenti-neso - forgiveness.
• duo-ranko-go-fini - Second to last.

Notes

• Main Mini language page.
• Mini - English dictionary: buku-name.
• Mini resources.