=/ pins a named value (a face) into the subject for the lines below it.

name=value optionally declares the type.

=/(a 3 (add a a)) is 6.

|- makes a trap and runs it at once.

inside, $ restarts it with new values - this is how you loop.

=/(a 3 |-(?:(=(a 0) 7 $(a (dec a))))) is 7.

?: is if-then-else: it picks its first branch when the test is yes, the second when no.

?:((gth 3 5) 10 20) is 20.

.= tests two nouns for equality, giving a loobean.

.=(3 3) is %.y, and .=(3 4) is %.n.

irregular forms:

=(a b) is .=(a b)

%= resolves a wing with some faces changed.

=/(a [x=1 y=2] a(x 9)) is [x=9 y=2].

irregular forms:

a(x 9) is %=(a x 9)

$(a b) restarts a loop with a changed to b

%: calls a gate with several arguments, gathering them into one sample.

%:(add 2 3) is 5.

irregular forms:

(gate a b c) is %:(gate a b c)

add sums two atoms.

(add 2 3) is 5.

dec is decrement: one less than an atom.

(dec 8) is 7.