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Re: (ir)realism

From:Costentin Cornomorus <elemtilas@...>
Date:Wednesday, December 31, 2003, 22:06
--- Robert Jung <RobertMJung@...> wrote:
> What do 'realis' and 'irrealis' mean (in > linguistics)?
What is real and what is unreal.
> I've noticed people using 'em in > the minimal voice, tense, and mood thread.
Because in many languages, even in English, mood changes in order to reflect the attitude towards the "reality" of the action. The indicative is usual for what is real: it is something that is true. The subjunctive is typically used to describe actions that are not true. When I SING, I am always accompanied by happy birds. [Sing is in the indicative, and means that the situation is true; this is "realis".] If I TRIED to sing, even the crows would fly away. [The past subjunctive, tried, marks this as a thing that doesn't happen - it's "irrealis", an untrue event.] You could also have 'If I SANG...' with the same attitude of irrealis. Padraic. ===== la cieurgeourea provoer mal trasfu ast meiyoer ke 'l andrext ben trasfu. -- Ill Bethisad -- <http://www.geocities.com/elemtilas/ill_bethisad> Come visit The World! -- <http://www.geocities.com/hawessos/> .