Moods and modal constructions

Synthetic moods

High language has four moods:

• Indicative -
  
• Inferential -(a)l dol 'probably see'
  
• Imperative -o doo 'do!'
  
• Optative -iee doiee 'may see'

• Indicative mood is unmarked and means normal situation without additional context. It most often expresses participation in the action or agent talks about what he/she saw.

Med gúngu hooḥ lútsaḥ-ḥa bajá.
[1.PL MASC-become.deep PARTICIPLE snow-LOC-on MASC.PL-go]
[med gúŋu hoːx lút͡sax xa baɟá]
We are going home on deep snow.

Tháme neekhéḥ-ḥa łánatṣ ṇaálaitṣ jaṣ.
[man earth-LOC-on many-ABL year-ABL MASC-go-PRFC]
[tʰáme neːkʰéx xa ɬánat͡ʃ ɲáːla.it͡ʃ ɟaʃ]
Man has been walking on the earth for many years.

Iaís, med ham thámem-ḥa boḥas.
[now 1.PL yonder-ACC man-ACC-on MASC-speak-FUT]
[ja.ís med ham tʰámem xa boxas]
Now we will talk about yonder man.

Ia tháme méral báṣatal io tálteh.
[thi.here man 1.SG-POSS-COM brother-COM MASC-have fight-INF]
[ja tʰáme méral báʃatal jo tálteh]
This man is going to fight against my brother.

Haát médar tam thámem-ḥa tłoómnat.
[father 1.PL-DAT that man-ACC-on MASC-tell-PST-PERF]
[háːt médar tam tʰámem xa t͡ɬóːmnat]
Father told us about that man.

• Inferential mood is marked with suffix -(a)l and means an activity that the speaker did not see with his own eyes.

Médras naánga dẓaáigal tháme.
[1.PL-POSS-GEN king MASC-become.good-PASS-INFER man]
[médras náːŋa d͡ʒáːjgal tʰáme]
Apparently, our king is a good man.

Dóṣe sýleiḥ-so idúl.
[salt mountain-PL-LOC-in FEM-be-INFER]
[dóʃe sɯ́le.ix so idúl]
Apparently the salt is in the mountains.

Maáde týlles puúł idátłhnatal.
[maybe village-GEN whole FEM-burn-PST-PERF-INFER]
[máːde tɯ́lles púːɬ idát͡ɬʰnat]
Perhaps the whole village was burned.

Ia tháme kaátṣtṣu goónaḥ-khaa saládal.
[thi.here man somewhere river-LOC-near MASC-live-INFER]
[ja tʰáme káːt͡ʃt͡ʃu góːnax kʰaː saládal]
Probably this man lives somewhere by the river.

• Imperative mood is marked with suffix -o and expresses a command and order.

Caánam-na jáo!
[house-ACC-on MASC-go-IMPER]
[cáːnam na ɟá.o]
Go home!

Baaghúmam-na lísgio, báṣat!
[town-ACC-to MASC-come.back-IMPER brother]
[baːɰúmam na lísgi.o báʃat]
Come back to town, brother!

Ighásthyo, dẓíhat!
[FEM-become.healthy-IMPER sister]
[iɰástʰɯ.o d͡ʒihat]
Get better sister!

• Optative mood is marked with suffix -iee and expresses a wishes, expectances and hopes.

Medra naánga iam luúngum lúdliee.
[1.PL-POSS king this.here dragon-ACC MASC-die-CAUS-OPT]
[medra náːŋa jam lúːŋum lúd͡ɮjeː]
May our king kill this dragon.

Tu haanam dẓaáiag hee goiee.
[2.SG 3.SG-ACC become.good.-PASS ADV.PARTICIPLE MASC-do-OPT]
[tu haːnam d͡ʒáːjag heː gojeː]
May you do it right.

Modal constructions

• Equivalent of conditional mood is created with modal verb kónah 'to would'.

Me seelóine kón dẓaáigah.
[1.SG soldier MASC-would become.good-INF]
[me seːlójne kón d͡ʒáːjgah]
I would be a good soldier.

Me łatag paálam-ḥa kón jah.
[1.SG MASC-become.other-PASS side-ACC-on MASC-would go-INF]
[me ɬatag páːlam xa kón ɟah]
I would go in a different direction.

• Jussive modal construction is created with modal verb iáchah 'to should' and expresses a moral duty or obligation conditioned by other activities.

Haan medraḥ paálaḥ-ḥa iách tálteh.
[3.SG 1.PL-POSS-LOC side-LOC-on MASC-should fight-INF]
[haːn medrax páːlax xa jácʰ tálteh]
He should fight on our side.

Had thámed týlles dátłhatni baiách salátṣemah.
[yonder-PL man-PL village-GEN burn-PERF-GER MASC.PL-should survive-INF]
[had tʰámed tɯ́lles dát͡ɬʰatni bajácʰ salát͡ʃemah]
Those people should survive the burning of the village.

• Potential modal construction is created with modal verb médzah 'to might' and expresses a possible event or probability.

Luúngu naángar médz lúgadlah.
[dragon king-DAT MASC-might kill-CAUS-INF]
[lúːŋu náːŋar méd͡z lúgad͡ɮah]
The dragon can be killed by the king.

Iadérso, haan médz tłhádah.
[this.here-day-in 3.SG MASC-might fall-INF]
[jadérso haːn méd͡z t͡ɬádah]
Today it can rain.

• Eventive modal construction is created with modal verb tṣáphah 'to could' and it is a combination of potential and conditional moods.

Naángas seélo iam baaghúmam tṣáph iółah.
[king-GEN army this.here-ACC city-ACC MASC-could have-CAUS-INF]
[náːŋas séːlo jam baːɰumam t͡ʃápʰ jóɬah]
The king's army could get this city.

Me caánam-na tṣáph jah.
[1.SG house-ACC-to MASC-could go-INF]
[me cáːnam na t͡ʃápʰ ɟah]
I could go home.

• Telic desiderative (volitional) construction is created with modal verb uaárah 'to want (and action of the desire is/was/will be achieved. It expresses wants and desires. 

Me meras musgaarás ṣagéim uaáran suútshah.
[1.SG 1.SG-POSS-GEN commander-GEN word-PL-ACC MASC-want-PST hear-INF]
[me meras musgaːrás ʃagé.im wáːran súːt͡sʰah]
I listened to the words of my commander.

Med nílso uaáran tálteh.
[1.PL together MASC-want-PST fight-INF]
[med nílso wáːran tálteh]
We wanted to fight together.

• Atelic desiderative (volitional) construction is created with modal verb lásah 'to want (and action of the desire is/was/will be not achieved.

Haan seram báṣatam palém-tah lásan pátah.
[3.SG REFL.PRON-POSS-ACC brother-ACC foot-ACC-after MASC-want-PST catch-INF]
[haːn seram báʃatam palém tah lásan pátah]
He wanted to catch his brother by the foot.

Ia dzála nil hat bychám ilás ioh.
[this.here woman one yet child-ACC FEM-want have-INF]
[ja d͡zála nil hat bɯcʰám ilás joh]
This woman wants to have one more child.

• Hortative modal construction is created with modal verb uaártahah 'to permit, to let' and expresses action exhorted, implored, insisted or encouraged by speaker.

Médar uaártah tálteh!
[1.PL-DAT MASC-let-after fight-INF]
[médar wáːrtah tálteh]
Let us fight!

Mer iuaártah hídeh.
[1.SG-DAT FEM-let-after eat-INF]
[mer iwáːrtah hídeh]
Let me eat, lady!