- The cat is next to the box.
-
An
myau
swan
lenk'al
piuleng.
[ˈan ˈmjæo ˈswɑn lŋ̩.ˈkɜl ˈpɪʉ.lŋ̩]
anprox
myaucat
swa-enbe-prox
lenk=albeside=med
piuleng.box.
"Next to" (or "beside") is just a simple preposition, lenk. The equivalent noun phrase ("the cat next to the box") would just be an myau lenk al piuleng.
- The cat is inside the box.
-
An
myau
swan
pe piuleng.
[ˈan ˈmjæo ˈswɑn pə̆p.ˈpɪʉ.lŋ̩]
anprox
myaucat
swa-enbe-prox
pe=piuleng.at=box.
When used with an object (rather than a location), pe means "in".
-
An
myau
swan
pe chius
piuleng.
[ˈan ˈmjæo ˈswɑn pə̆ʧ.ˈʧɪʉs ˈpɪʉ.lŋ̩]
anprox
myaucat
swa-enbe-prox
pe=chiusat=inside
piuleng.box.
If you want to clarify or focus that the cat is inside the box, and not any other relation to it, you can add the word "tius".
- The cat is close to the left of the box.
-
←
An
myau
swan
lenk sápchem
al
piuleng.
[ˈan ˈmjæo ˈswɑn lŋ̩k.ˈsap.ʧm̩ ˈal ˈpɪʉ.lŋ̩]
anprox
myaucat
swa-enbe-prox
lenk=sápchembeside=left
almed
piuleng.box.
A direction word can come directly after the preposition. With lenk "by", it means that the thing is close to the other thing and on the specified side.
- The cat is close to the left of the box from my perspective (i.e., my left).
-
←
An
myau
swan
lenk sápchem
al
piuleng
hu kú.
[ˈan ˈmjæo ˈswɑn lŋ̩k.ˈsap.ʧm̩ ˈal ˈpɪʉ.lŋ̩ hu.ˈku]
anprox
myaucat
swa-enbe-prox
lenk=sápchembeside=left
almed
piulengbox
hu=kú.exp=I/me.
A prepositional phrase starting with hu can come directly after a phrase talking about a direction (left or right, also up and down when talking about outer space) to indicate whose perspective this is from.
- The cat is directly to the south of the box.
-
←
An
myau
swan
lenk sápchem
al
piuleng
hu hyángu.
[ˈan ˈmjæo ˈswɑn lŋ̩k.ˈsap.ʧm̩ ˈal ˈpɪʉ.lŋ̩ hu.ˈçæ.ŋu]
anprox
myaucat
swa-enbe-prox
lenk=sápchembeside=left
almed
piulengbox
hu=hyángu.exp=map.
Hu hyangu specifies that the perspective being used is that of a map, oriented the way maps are usually oriented in this world (west = up).
- *
←
An
myau
swan
lenk sápchem
al
piuleng
hu'al
hyángu.
[ˈan ˈmjæo ˈswɑn lŋ̩k.ˈsap.ʧm̩ ˈal ˈpɪʉ.lŋ̩ ˈhwɑl ˈçæ.ŋu]
anprox
myaucat
swa-enbe-prox
lenk=sápchembeside=left
almed
piulengbox
hu=alexp=med
hyángu.map.
Hu hyangu is a set phrase, so demonstratives, determiners, and other adjectives are not used with hyangu.
- The cat is far to the left of the box.
-
←
An
myau
swan
pe sápchem
al
piuleng.
[ˈan ˈmjæo ˈswɑn pə̆s.ˈsap.ʧm̩ ˈal ˈpɪʉ.lŋ̩]
anprox
myaucat
swa-enbe-prox
pe=sápchemat=left
almed
piuleng.box.
With the preposition pe "in, at", a direction specifies that the item is in that direction, but not necessarily close by.
-
←
An
myau
swan
sápchem
kel'al
piuleng.
[ˈan ˈmjæo ˈswɑn ˈsap.ʧm̩ kl̩.ˈlal ˈpɪʉ.lŋ̩]
anprox
myaucat
swa-enbe-prox
sápchemleft
kel=alfrom=med
piuleng.box.
This is similar; it uses sapchem as an adjective with its comparative form. Unlike the pe form, this only talks about one axis; that is, for example, the cat may also be far above the box or far in front of it.
-
←
An
myau
swan
pe kal
sápchem
al
piuleng.
[ˈan ˈmjæo ˈswɑn pə̆k.ˈkɜl ˈsap.ʧm̩ ˈal ˈpɪʉ.lŋ̩]
anprox
myaucat
swa-enbe-prox
pe=kalat=away
sápchemleft
almed
piuleng.box.
...this also specifies that it's far away. (TODO is this right?)
- The cat is far away from the box.
-
An
myau
swan
kálkel
hu'al
piuleng.
[ˈan ˈmjæo ˈswɑn ˈkɜl.kl̩ ˈhwɑl ˈpɪʉ.lŋ̩]
anprox
myaucat
swa-enbe-prox
kálkelfar_away
hu=alexp=med
piuleng.box.
This uses the adjective kalkel; using this adjective, the object being compared to is specified using the preposition hu.
- The cat is inside the box, on the left side.
-
←
An
myau
swan
pe chius
sápchem
al
piuleng.
[ˈan ˈmjæo ˈswɑn pə̆ʧ.ˈʧɪʉs ˈsap.ʧm̩ ˈal ˈpɪʉ.lŋ̩]
anprox
myaucat
swa-enbe-prox
pe=chiusat=inside
sápchemleft
almed
piuleng.box.
Multiple direction-type words can be used together.
- The cat is between the dog and the box.
-
An
myau
swan
p'al
húpep
ngim
al
piuleng.
[ˈan ˈmjæo ˈswɑn ˈpal ˈhu.pʊ̜̆p ˈŋim ˈal ˈpɪʉ.lŋ̩]
anprox
myaucat
swa-enbe-prox
pe=alat=med
húpepdog
ngimmiddle
almed
piuleng.box.
The word for "between" acts sort of like a conjunction, going between the two nouns.
- The cat is between the the two boxes.
-
2
An
myau
swan
pe ngim
al
he na
piuleng.
[ˈan ˈmjæo ˈswɑn pŋ̩.ˈŋim ˈal hn̩.ˈna ˈpɪʉ.lŋ̩]
anprox
myaucat
swa-enbe-prox
pe=ngimat=middle
almed
he=nacard=2
piuleng.box.
- The cat is on the other side of the box from me.
-
→
An
myau
swan
p'ípwenk
al
piuleng.
[ˈan ˈmjæo ˈswɑn ˈpi.pwŋ̩k ˈal ˈpɪʉ.lŋ̩]
anprox
myaucat
swa-enbe-prox
pe=ípwenkat=late
almed
piuleng.box.
Ípwenk usually refers to time, but it also has a metaphorical extension into space meaning "beyond"/"past".