Grammar - Modals
negation, imperative and question general rules of phrase construction emoted speech
modal verbs
General rules of modal verb usage
The concept of modal verbs in Nalheárlu is unlike in most languages. As Nalheárlu doesn't have an infinitive form (the form on -i is a mere grammatical convention), the semantic verbs conjugate along with the modal. Thus, French "je veux aller" (I want to go) will be translated like toépihu númlihu ( I want I go).
Modal verbs of Nalheárlu
The modal verbs themselves are organized in Nalheárlu in a special way. Strictly speaking, there are only three of them, nevertheless, the range of meanings is very wide.
árli to make (do), to let, to permit
tóepi to want, to wish
vockóni to be able to (to know as semantic)
árli and tóepi are irregular, vockóni belongs to II conjugation type.
A regular question appears: and how do you say MUST, SHOULD, MIGHT? Aren't they modal in Nalheárlu?
They are. They damn well are. Think of the IVth person. That's what we need it for. There isn't any I must, I should in this language - and what does one need it for? In fact, what is I must? How do you explain it - "I tell myself that if I don't do it, something bad might happen - but how can it happen all by itself - sure it's Ancestors that's gonna punish me for that - and it's them that make me do it - they want that I do..."
The IV person of árli and tóepi is used as I must and I should - [Ancestors] let/make and [Ancestors] want.
Examples
toépihu nalárihu I want to say ( I want I say)
tóepiklu naláricku they want that he says
árlihu naláriru I let you say
árlicku nalárilhu he makes us say
tóepisu númlihu I should go ([Ancestors] want I go)
xarlísu númlihu I must go ([Ancestors] let I go)