Every word in Dupi is built from domains. Words are formed from the least recognizable characteristic to the most recognizable characteristic. These rules determine whether a word is valid.

Modifier + domain

a (max) and o (zero) are domains that modify what follows — always hyphenated, just like any other domain.

• a-lo — a(all) + lo(attraction) = devotion
• ni-fu — ni(opposite) + fu(calm) = angry
• a-mu — a(all) + mu(joy) = elation
• o-ge — o(zero) + ge(sense) = numbness

Compound domains

Two or more domains joined by a hyphen create a compound concept. Each domain applies to the one after it. The last domain is the head (most recognizable characteristic); preceding domains narrow the meaning.

• po-ba — hard + container = house
• so-a-li — big + max liquid = lake
• ji-pi-du — stable + knowledge + communicate = law
• ve-ju-di — movement + curved + thing = bicycle
• a-po-ba — max + hard + container = fortress

Suffixes: vo, jo

vo (do) turns any domain into a verb. Without vo, the word is a state or quality.

• lo-vo — attraction + do = to like / be attracted to
• ve-vo — movement + do = move / go
• du-vo — communicate + do = say / tell
• a-lo-vo — all + attraction + do = to love

jo (question) appended to a domain creates a question word.

• ko jo — life + question = who?
• da jo — distance + question = where?
• ti jo — time + question = when?

Negation: no

no negates what follows. Place it before the word being negated. no is a standalone word — it is not fused or hyphenated.

• ma no ve-vo — I not go
• no a-mu — not happy (different from o-mu = zero joy)
• no a-lo-vo — not love (negating the verb)

Names are local

Names of countries, places, people, and other proper nouns are not translated. The local word or name is used as-is. For example: "London" stays "London", not something like "wupa-go-ba" (big city).

Backus-Naur form of word formation in Dupi

For the more technically minded, here is basic word formation grammar of Dupi:

word = domain | domain-domain | domain-domain-domain