If...then in Ikanirae Seru

I've thought of a neat way to handle the "if...then" - type sequences
in Ikanirae Seru.

All such sequences must have words expressing the "if" and "then"
parts.  The equivalent of "then" is always |te|.  The equivalent of
"if" has three equivalents.  I'm going to explain in examples, because
if I try to explain in the abstract, I'll just be confusing.

|me| = "open if"; it is used to leave open whether the if-clause is
true or not.  Thus, the sentence (uttered before one has looked out the
window in the morning) "If it is raining, (then) I will wear my blue
coat" would be:

me roha siri te uti moma somika oee metiya ro uti a
if.open it rain then I will wear blue coat of me STATEMENT

|ne| = "(negatively) closed if"; it is used to deny the possibility
that the if-clause is true.  Thus, after one looks out the window and
finds that it is sunny, one might say "If it were raining, I would wear
my blue coat":

ne roha siri te uti moma somika oee metiya ro uti a
if.closed it rain then I will wear blue coat of me STATEMENT

|ye| = "since (positively closed if)"; it is used to assert that the
if-clause is true.  Thus, after one looks out the window and finds that
it is raining, one might say "Since it is raining, I will wear my blue
coat":

ye roha siri te uti moma somika oee metiya ro uti a
since it rain then I will wear blue coat of me STATEMENT

I hope that made sense.

Estel, always interested in hearing precedents for my ideas, whether in
conlangs or natlangs.

______________________________________________________________________
Post your free ad now! http://personals.yahoo.ca

Reply