Conlangs of a Remembrancer

Shshi Grammar

This page will be supplemented as needed.

INDIRECT OBJECTS
There is no dative case.  Prepositional phrases are always employed for these constructions.

Examples
The Worker brought him the rock [The Worker it brought the rock to him]:  om’zei|⇆ fa’faot|↻ ka’zi| ya| ma’a| ||
Ask him if he knows her [Ask to him ask if he knows her]:  !two|¡ ya| ma’a| two| ↻ jei| ma’preivo| ↻ ta’a| ||
OR another permissible word order:  Ask if he knows her to him:  !two|¡ ↻ jei| ma’preivo| ↻ ta’a| ya| ma’a| ||

SUBORDINATE CONJUNCTIONS, RELATIVE PRONOUNS

  In English the word“that” can be a subordinate conjunction or a relative pronoun that lacks case forms.  “Which” is a relative pronoun that also has no case forms, but it can be used in the possessive sense by saying “of which.”  “Who” is a relative pronoun that has cases: nominative (“who”), objective (“whom”), and possessive(“whose”).

That (subordinate conjunction):  tu|
Never omitted as is done often in English.  The subordinate clause is handled as a direct object in these examples.

Examples
I will tell them that he died [To them I will tell that he died]:  ya| shfa’a| sho’u’galto| ↻ tu| ma’weiot| ||  [This also presents another example of the indirect object.]
I predict that they will return soon: sho’a’nei’galto|↻ tu| shfa’u’timo| gli’il| ||

Other subordinate conjunctions (although [a’weit|], because [i’fi|], until [sa|], while [zos’a|], etc.) are handled exactly like tu|.

Examples (nominative)
I have the stone that [which] broke:  sho’tai|↻ ka’zi vi| fai’vakot| ||
They do not want to move the stones, which are very large: shfa’laio| wei|⇅veimo| ↻ shka’zi| vi| shshe| ↳da’no’no| ||
It is the one who died:  fash|↻kwi’sho’zei| vi| fa’weiot| ||

Examples (objective)
The rock that I saw was large [That I saw rock was large:]  vi| sho’teiot| ka’zi|⇆ shet|↳ da’no| ||
That Worker is the person whom I know:  ku’o| om’zei| ⇆ fash|↻ kwi’sho’zei| vi| sho’preivo| ||

[In the case of “to be,” vi| is considered a specified subject and the verb’s pronominal prefix may be omitted, as in the example above: “which are very large” (vi| shshe| [not shfa’she] ↳ da’no’no|)]

Whom (variant objective case): vik|
Used for objects of prepositions and for forming possessives.  Interrogative use of “whom” will be treat elsewhere.

Object of preposition
Examples
That Worker is the person with whom I came:  ku’o| om’zei| ⇆ fash|↻ kwi’sho’zei| o| vik| sho’krovot| ||
The Alate to whom I gave the fungus is that one there [To whom I gave the fungus Alate [he] is that one there]: ya| vik| sho’vaiot|↻ wi| yo’a’zei| ⇆ ma’she| ↻ ku’o’zei| i’tha| ||

Possessive use (whose, of whom, of which): ki’vik|
Examples
The Alate whose wings are dull cannot serve the Mother [Of whom wings are dull alate cannot serve Mother]:   ki’vik| shtuk’zei| ⇆ shshe| ↳ wei’mor|  yo’a’zei| ⇆ fa’paho| wei|⇅ reigo| ↻ ma’na’ta| ||
We cast out those whose work is done badly:  shsho’gar’shaio|↻  shku’o’zei| ki’vik| om’zi| ⇆ she|↳ da’shu| a’thel’il| ||