Re: If...then in Ikanirae Seru

Estel Telcontar wrote:

> 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. [me, ne, ye]
Interesting and quite logical. A little like Kash kendi...kendi...
-- with present tense: = Engl. pres.or past "subjunctive", unknown or
contrary to fact conditions.

kendi yaripa, kendi malimbe payomi
if  it-rains (should rain, were to rain) ...i-(would)wear cape-my

kendi male hat, kendi ta macosa
... i-am you, ... not i-go
If I were you, I wouldn't go.

-- with past tense: = Engl. past perfect, always contr.to fact AFAICT.

kendi yaripasa, kendi minahansa ri onde
... it-rain-past, ...we-eat-past LOC inside
if it had rained, we would have eaten indoors
(one of the few times the past marker -sa is required)

-- with future tense: = conditions that one assumes or expects will be
fulfilled, as in a legal contract or similar quid pro quo arrangement:

kendi ne mihangato, kendi mile yalolando
... him/dat we-pay-fut ... us/dat he-protect-fut.
if we pay him, he will protect us.
(without the future -to, it would express uncertainty)

The two kendi clauses _must_ occur in that order (protasis/apodosis IIRC are
the tech.terms).
Does this make sense to anyone? It's in the Syntax, but I doubt if anyone
has read that far.........:-((

If one isn't concerned about precision, you can use _pun_ if/when, and then
the two clauses can be interchanged--

pun yaripa, malimbe payomi 'if it rains/is raining, I'll wear my cape"
~malimbe payomi pun yaripa
Can't be used for contr-to-fact *pun male hat....*If I were you...

kendi...kendi seems to correspond to your _ne..te_, use of pun... to your
_me..te_.  Nothing equiv. to your _ye..te_-- Kash would use ombi 'because,
since'