Comments
We can turn adjectives/genitives into comments with the suffix -ei: X-ei means 'it is X that'. Comments are placed in front of the sentence to add further information, usually the speaker's opinion, regarding the stated situation.
| kalo | → | kalei |
| good | it's good that ... (fortunately ...) |
Examples:
| Me'ai 1SG-∈ |
dipsos'. thirsty. |
Kalei good-∋ |
hidr'ai water-∈ |
ontos'. exist. |
| 'I was thirsty. Fortunately there was some water' | ||||
This mechanism is often used to make time-related adverbs.
| matina | → | matino | → | matinei |
| morning | of the morning | it is related to the morning that ... (in the morning ...) |
| Matinei morning-∋ |
meal'ai 1PL-∈ |
fagose eat-CONS |
arta. bread. |
| 'We ate some bread in the morning' | |||
Voice-Neutral Verbs
Comments can also be used as voice-neutral verbs. The word directly after the comment can play the role of the agent or patient depending on the context.
| Fagei eat-∋ |
mea 1SG |
kata upon |
arta. bread. |
| 'I was eating some bread' | |||
(it was an eating activity related to me upon some bread)
| Fagei eat-∋ |
arta bread |
von by |
mea. 1SG. |
| 'Some bread was eaten by me' | |||
(it was an eating activity related to bread done by me)
This form is especially useful for modal verbs which involves a desire or an obligation upon oneself.
| Telei want-∋ |
mea 1SG |
nautatosa vehicle-INS |
pros to |
he Barata India |
| 'I want to travel to India' | ||||
(there is a desire related to me who uses a vehicle towards India)