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Commands
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Imperative enclictics  ||  Examples

 

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Imperative enclictics  ||  Examples

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Commands are formed with a verb in third person plus an imperative enclitic. Example: Iyaya yo! Go away! (Iyaya = he departs; yo = command, man speaking).

Words without a visible accent are stressed on the second syllable.

Many thanks to Konstantin Hmelnitski for his kind collaboration.

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Imperative enclictics
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Man speaking
Woman speaking
Command, singular
yo, wo
na
Command, plural
po
na
Permission, singular
yo, wo
ye, we
Permission, plural
po
pe
Mild request, singular
ye
ye
Mild request, plural
pi ye
pi ye
Familiar request
yetho
nitho

 

Variants:

  • Yo and ye are used after verbs ending in a, an, e, i, and in, as in ómakiya yo (help me, man speaking).

  • Wo and we are used after o, u, and un, as in le mak'u we (give me this, woman speaking).

 

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Examples

 (man / woman speaking) _____________________________________________________
Chéye shni yo / ye. Don't cry.
Inah^ni yo / ye. Hurry up.
He mak'u wo / we. Give me that.
Le icu wo / we. Take this.
Thima iyaya yo / ye. Go inside (home).
Iyaya yo / ye! Go away!
Thóhinyanki yetho / nitho! Wait a bit, please!
Letan khigla yo / ye. Get away from here.
Léchi u wo / we. Come here!
Yé shni yo / ye. Don't go.
Mní kte (shni) yelo / ksto. I will (not) go.
Nih^wa he? Iyunka yo / ye. Ishtinma yo / ye! Are you sleepy? Go to bed. Sleep!
Kikta yo / ye. Wake up!
Eya yo / ye. Say it.
Hótanka eya yo / ye. Say it louder.
Ake eya yo / ye. Say it again.
Thiyopa (kin) yughan yo / ye. Open the door.
Owanke kahinta yo / ye. Sweep the floor.
Omakiyaka yo / ye. Tell me.
Amayupta yo / ye. Answer me.

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