Re: Conjunctions

En réponse à Matthew Kehrt <matrix14@...>:

>
> That's it so far.  How do these compare to yours?  Similar at all?
> -M
>
My languages are usually very boring as for conjunctions. But there is
exception though: Itakian. Its clitics are quite special and unlike everything
I know. Moreover, their conjunctive use is only part of their use (they can
better be defined as evidentials that can take a conjunctive meaning). Finally,
clitics are restricted to nouns or verbs.

The list of clitics I know is the following:
- 'u: and/or. Indicates that at least one element of the list is present, but
also that the list may not be complete. It can also mean "etc...". Used with a
single word, it means "and others" and is a way to mark plural (by marking a
group through its most prominent member - a little like Japanese -tachi -). It
can also mean "maybe" (showing doubt about the presence of the element marked).
Finally, it's optionally used with the negative preposition teu|xe| to give it
the meaning "without".
- 'or: indicates a complete and certain conjunction (a strong "and... and...",
or Japanese to - while 'u is more like Japanese ya -). It indicates that a list
is complete and no element is ever missing. It has also an opposite sense
form "etc...", so it can be translated as "that's all" at the end of a list.
With only one term, it insists on its unicity ("alone"), or the certainty of
its presence (surely).
- 'an: exclusive or. Indicates that only one of the elements of the list is
available. Can be used at the end of the list to remind that only one element
is available (a nice tool for mothers who want to remind their child that it
can take only one candy among the ones proposed :)) ). Used with a single term,
it indicates that the choice between one of the elements represented by the
noun is not important, and thus can be translated as "any".
- sna: though often used as a conjunction, its main meaning is "maybe".
- hi and cer: they indicate certainty about the existence of a term. The
difference between them is the source of this confidence: first hand for cer
(through the senses of the person), second hand for hi (through a testimony, a
reading, etc...). Still, though they are mainly evidentials, they are often
used conjunctively.
- 'r and paa. If sna is at the middle of a segment and hi and cer at one
end, 'r and paa are at the other end. They indicate distrust, and thus the
improbability of the existence of a term. 'r indicates that the speaker has no
trust in the source that talked about the existence of the term, while paa
means that though the speaker has had first hand experience of the existence of
this term (seen it, smelled it, or whatever), he can't believe it and doesn't
trust his own senses about that. They are also used conjunctively.

Those clitics are used with nouns (and except for 'u with adjectives). The
following ones are used only with verbs:
- 'io: a little like 'u, indicates the simulaneity of two or more actions, but
not that they are the only ones happening that are important for the story. It
can be used only if all the verbs have exactly the same trigger (with the same
function) and the same complements. If that's not the case, the verbs must be
separated in different clauses. Used with a single verb, it shows that the
action is not the only one happening ("among others").
- fre: while 'io insists on the simultaneity of actions, fre insists on the
contrary on the successivity of actions ("then"), but like 'io, all verbs must
share the same complements and trigger. Used with a single verb, it indicates
that the action is one of a long list, but also that nothing important happens
at the same time.
- sur, 'en, hau, hu and 'ai: they correspond for verbs to sna, hi, cer, 'r and
paa for nouns. Like the other clitics used with verbs, when used conjunctively
the verbs must share exactly the same trigger and complements.

That's all the clitics I know for now. There may be more. Just an additional
note: 'u can be used in speech to fill the space, when you're looking for your
words (so a little like "well", "like", etc...), while sur is often used in the
same kind of case, but with the meaning "maybe".

Christophe.

http://rainbow.conlang.free.fr

Take your life as a movie: do not let anybody else play the leading role.