gismu

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gismu
Basic 5-letter lojban root word
the basic gismu list is available here

Gismu can be thought of as root words. They are always exactly five letters long, taking the form of either CVCCV or CCVCV (C = consonant, V = vowel).

Example 1.1 : gismu forms
word form gloss
bajra CVCCV to run
stuzi CCVCV location

In a Lojban sentence, gismu generally appear as either a selbri (verb relation, can be also translated to English with adjectives), or as a sumti (argument, something like a subject or an object). There is no single part of speech that gismu correspond to in English.

Example 1.2 : parts of speech
word gloss English part of speech
bajra to run transitive verb
stuzi location common noun

Many gismu have one or more three-letter abbreviations called rafsi for forming compound words, lujvo.

Example 1.3 : rafsi
word abbreviation(s)
bajra baj
stuzi stu, tuz
Example 1.4: forming a compound word
running + site = track (for running on)
baj (bajra) + stu (stuzi) = bajystu

lo gismu cu jicmu traji lo lojbo brivla .i ro da poi gismu zo'u da porsi fi 5 lerfu .i ro da poi lujvo zo'u da se zbasu lo rafsi be lo gismu

Definitions elsewhere: