Syntax

general rules of phrase construction    emoted speech     modal verbs

negation, imperative and question

Negation

The negation is expressed by particle kw added to the beginning of the verb.

E.g. kw-ho-pwrláiru you don't see me

Imperative phrase

The imperative is built by a particle áre that starts an imperative phrase. It can have several hue meanings. 

• If it is a strict order, the phrase is said in emoted speech. 
• If it is a request, the phrase either doesn't change or uses the habitual aspect of the verb (a very polite request). 
• If it is a wish the phrase is ended with particle dah.

áre uáne-an-naláriru please speak louder

áre uáne-an-naláriruta would you please speak louder

! áre uáne-an-nálarirú ! speak louder!

áre rle uáne-an-nalárisu dah may [your Ancestors] speak louder (common wish)

Question phrase

 The question phrase is built in several ways.

• The first way is to begin and end the phrase with ká and  kà (placed at the beginning of the sentence, it has no phonetic influence, because it refers to the whole sentence)

ká vockónisu bandéma kà does anybody know the way? (do [the Ancestors] know the way?) ['ka fo'konishru ban'dem ka]

• The second way is to place the ká and kà around the word stressed in question phrase. This way of asking is more precise, you underline the theme of the question with the particles. In this case they have a phonetic influence.

ká-vockóniru-kà bandema is it you who knows the way?

ghenaíru ká-nalárickwl-bái-kà rhílu rláicku nalárick Do you think these are the exact words he said?

• The third way, used in poetic and high official style - in written language of course, - is to invert words in a sentence. This is u seful only when the sentence i s rather long. The most common is to invert them competely backwards. However, sometimes the stict mirror order is broken in favor of melodity. 

ckarálhol ghenaíluta kenáppe kenáppw rhícku tesápp-là-ckarálho people think that the Chief if the highest (noblest) of men

ckarálho-tesápp-là rhícku kenáppw kenáppe ghenáiluta ckarálhol do people think that the Chief if the highest (noblest) of men?

If you add ká and kà to such a phrase, it'll sound like the speech of the Southern Americans in the stories by O Henry. 

This is rarely used but quite typical for Nalheárlu.

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