Published using Google Docs
Grammar - Conjunction
Updated automatically every 5 minutes

When linking phrases, Kah makes a distiction between coordinating and subordinating conjunction.

 

Coordinating 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

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

 

Topicalization of complement phrases

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