When linking phrases, Kah makes a distiction between coordinating and subordinating conjunction.
Coordinating conjunctors link two complete independent sentences while expressing the relationship to one another. The entire list of coordinating conjunctors in Kah reads:
ai - and
esto - but, however, and not
eom - or
echu - so, therefore
Examples of the use of coordinating conjunctors are:
Wa kiza ai yu zon
I eat and he sleep
I ate and he slept
Wa kiza esto yu zon
I eat but he sleep
I ate but he slept
Keju kiza eom zon?
Want eat or sleep?
Do you want to eat or sleep?
Kike echu kiza
be hungry so eat
I was hungry so I ate
Subordinating conjunctors introduce a complement phrase in which the verb is a conjunctive form. Kah has the following subordinating conjunctors:
en - that, whether
eta - when (temporal)
tabo - while, during, as
tonto - if (conditional)
chumun - because, since
eno - in order that (purpose)
ewe - even when, even if, albeit, still
eye - anyway, although, on the other hand
Examples of the use of subordinating conjunctors are:
Yu ka en semi
he say that be sick
He said he was sick
Bas yonka eta nubo
stop converse when enter
They stopped talking when he entered
Kava yu tabo la kiza
call him while be at eat
I called him while he was eating
Denu pau tonto li papau
go give if you pay
I'll give it if you pay
Yu jam chumun wa haka
he do because i ask
He did it because I asked him
Pau apa eno tengi paza
give money so can buy
Give me money so I can buy it
Ke jam ewe li tusunka
intend do even when you forbid
He would do it even if you told him off
Denu jam eye nong keju
go do although not want
I'll do it although I don't want to
When a subordinate clause is moved to the front of the sentence and therefore topicalized, this topicalization can be made visible by adding the marker lo. This is optional, however. Compare:
b
En semi lo, yu ka that be sick FOC he say He was sick, he said Eta la kiza lo, kava yu when be at eat FOC call him While he was eating, I called him Tonto li papau lo, denu pau if you pay FOC i pay If you pay, I will give it to you Chumun wa haka lo, yu jam Because i ask FOC he do Because I asked him, he did it Eno tengi paza lo, pau apa So can buy FOC, give money In order for me to buy it, give me money. Ewe li tusunka lo, ke jam even when you forbid FOC, he do Even if you told him off, he would do it Eye nong keju lo, denu jam although not want FOC, go do Although I don't want to, I'll do it | Yu ka en semi he say that be sick He said he was sick Kava yu eta la kiza call him while be at eat I called him while he was eating Denu pau tonto li papau go give if you pay I'll give it if you pay Yu jam chumun wa haka he do because i ask He did it because I asked him Pau apa eno tengi paza give money so can buy Give me money so I can buy it
Ke jam ewe li tusunka intend do even when you forbid He would do it even if you told him off Denu jam eye nong keju go do although not want I'll do it although I don't want to |