zipcpi: scalar modifiers

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This table describes a plan to have a system of scalar modifiers for selbri and sumtcita, to replace or provide an alternative for common usage of {mutce}, {milxe} etc. tanru.

Experimental cmavo added by me has a single asterisk; experimental cmavo added by others has a double asterisk.

Note: {va'e} may also be substituted with {va'ei**}; difference is that {PAva'e} acts as a selbri, while {PAva'ei} acts as a tense/sumtcita (tagged sumti, if present, indicates the scale or subjective frame of reference)

Description Gloss NAhE NAI/CAI PAva'e selbri Additional notes
superlative negator "least possible" ? ? rone'e**va'e tolrai (+cumki?)
polar negator "opposite of" to'e ne'e** ni'uva'e tolkai / dukti
denial negator "not" / "other than" na'e nai nova'e? / no'ai*va'e natfe
liminal negator "half-X, half-to'e-X" no'e cu'i nova'e? / no'e'u*va'e norkai / nutli
scalar affirmative "is" / "indeed is" je'a ja'ai su'ova'e / ma'uva'e jetnu
scalar abator "slightly" / "not very" rei'e* ru'e so'uva'e milxe
scalar normative "averagely" noi'e* na'oi** no'ova'e cnano
scalar intensifier "very" sai'e* sai so'iva'e mutce
strong scalar intensifier "extremely" cai'e* cai so'isaiva'e / so'icaiva'e tcetce
scalar superlative "most possible" ? ? rova'e traji (+cumki?)
scalar deficience "not enough" / "too little" ? ? mo'ava'e toldu'e
scalar sufficience "enough" ? ? rauva'e banzuka
scalar excess "too much" ? ? du'eva'e dukse
scalar question "how very?" pai'e*‡ pei'a*† xova'e -
elliptical/uncertain "maybe" cau'o'e** / cau'e*? cau'i* xo'e**va'e - cau'a is in NA; also see ju'ocu'i

‡ Already defined as {je'ai}; but somehow it doesn't seem like a question-word to me.

† Initially suggested by la ctefa'o as an attitudinal intensity question, but not added. May also be used for that purpose.

Note that though attitudinals use NAI/CAI as well, they do not follow this system, but have their own defined scales; in particular, {nai} tends to more often act as a polar negator rather than a denial negator with them.

Problem: Well, the obvious conclusion right now is that subjective {PAva'e} is currently the most semantically flexible scalar modifier system, and I don't feel like filling the ten empty spots on this table right now. Unfortunately, it does not have the grammatical flexibility of CAI (It's hard to attach {PAva'e} to sumtcita, for instance). I propose {xi'e*} (selma'o XI) for this purpose; {broda xi'eso'u} = {so'uva'e broda} = {broda ru'e} = {rei'e broda}, e.g.