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Lesson 31: Manner Case

Vocabulary


	alehale		to “music”; to make music (to sing, to whistle, to play a musical instrument)
	bishib		to be sudden
	hi		demonstrative pronoun (this, that)
	lath		to be celibate by choice
	–nal		Suffix (noun): Manner Case
	rúu		to lie down
	shadon		truth; honor [shad (pure; perfect) + on (head)]
	wéedan		to read
	widaweth		how
	wod		to sit

“Hi” is known grammatically as a “demonstrative pronoun” and means “this” or “that.” As a pronoun, it also has the forms “hizh” and “hin” meaning “these” or “those”—few/several (2 to 5) and many (6 or more), respectively. Whether the item/items to which “hi/hizh/hin” refers is/are nearer (this/these) or farther away (that/those) is subject to interpretation for the purposes of translation into English.

The various forms of “hi” can also be used to specify which item (or items) from a larger array of such items is (are) under discussion—as English “this/that/these/those” are in sentences such as “This book is red,” (Bíi laya áabe hi wa) or “Are these fish beautiful?” (Báa meháya thili hizh?) In both of these sentences, the item(s) being discussed is (are) one (or a few) of the available books (or fish).

“Widaweth” is another of those words for which the English translation seems to pose a question, but that’s not its function. “Widaweth” is a subordinating conjunction meaning “how” as in “Bíi en le widaweth sháad thili wa” (I understand how a fish goes).

Manner Case

[(Aux) Verb (Neg) CP–S CP–Manner]

To mark a Case Phrase as Manner (the way in which something is done), add the ending “–nal.” This ending is much like the English “–ly” as in “patiently” and “thoroughly.”

Examples


	Bíi hal le wa.		I work.
	Báa hal le bebáanal?		How do I work?
	Bíi hal le lóolonal wa.		I work slowly.
	Bíi hal le lan lethonal wa.		I work like (in the manner of) my friend.

	Bíi im ne wilimu wa.		You travel by way of the river.
	Bíi im ne wilimu hinal wa.		You travel thus (in this/that manner) by way of the river.
	Bíi im ne wilimu zhenal wa.		You travel likewise (in similar manner) by way of the river.
	Bíi im ne wilimu beyenal wa.		You travel somehow (in some manner) by way of the river.
	Bíi im ra ne wilimu ranal wa.		In no way do you travel by way of the river.

Exercises

Translate the following into English.


1	Bíi aríli ndi háawith woho Láadan thalenal wa.
2	Báa eril wóoban edin netha ralóolonal?
3	Báa meyod muda edeth bebáanal?
4	Bíi wil áana áwith shonenal wa.
5	Bíi ul om berídan duthahátha Elízhabeth bedi widaweth eril dathim hothul betha wo.
6	Bíi aril nosháad ábedá didenal wáa.

Notice the word “ralóolonal” in #2; in searching for its meaning, it might be useful to search for its “root” word. Of course, this is Manner Case, so we can drop the “–nal” suffix and consider the word “ralóolo.” We could further divest the word of the negative prefix “ra–” (not, non–), leaving us with “lóolo” which we already know to mean “be slow.” So, rebuilding the word to better understand its meaning: “ra–” (non–; not) + “lóolo” (be slow) would give “ralóolo” (be quick; be rapid). Building further: “ralóolo” (be quick; be rapid) + “–nal” (Manner Case) would give “quickly; rapidly.”

In #5, did the word “bedi” confuse you? Though we are discussing teaching, this is not “bedi” (to learn); rather, this is “bedi” [be (3rd person singular) + –di (Goal case suffix)]. The pronoun “be” carries the Goal case ending since we do not apply case endings to proper nouns.

Incorporate the second noun as a Manner; translate into English before and after.


7	Bíi ril methad mehalehale mewobalin wowith wa.	áya
8	Bíi eril sheb edin letha áwithede háawithedi wa.	bishib
9	Báa ma nayahá lometh?	bebáa
10	Bíi eril wod rul núuha udathihée obée wa.	wamehul
11	Bíi mebédi meban len mazheth denádi lenetho wa.	beye
12	Bíi aril eb withid belideth ebaláde wáa.	héeyahel

Note the word “nayahá” in #9. It’s a straightforward formation from “naya” (to care-for) + “–á” (doer) meaning “caregiver.”

Note the word “wamehul” [wam (be still) + –hul (very)] to be incorporated into #10. When applying multiple suffixes to a word, a Case ending takes precedence over a Degree marker, so the Case suffix will be located closer to the “root word.” Therefore, we’d build the word thus: “wam” (be still) + “–nal” (Manner Case) + “–hul” (very): “wamenalehul.” The same prinicple would apply to “héeyahel” in #12.

Translate the following into Láadan.


13	How did the celibate-by-choice healer learn dentistry?
14	My friends are trying to create a family intentionally.
15	The education-specialist reads how students lie down and sleep.
16	The weary teacher works honorably.
17	Does the traveler busily clean her clothing?
18	Everything flowers extremely colorfully in spring.

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Answers


1	Far in the future all children will speak Láadan well.
2	Did your cousin give birth quickly?
3	How (in what manner) did the pigs eat the grain?
4	Would that the baby should sleep peacefully.
5	The healer’s aunt hopes to teach Elizabeth how her grandmother needleworked.
6	The farmer will arrive early.

7	The old women can make music.
	Bíi ril methad mehalehale mewobalin wowith áyanal wa.
	The old women can make music beautifully.
8	My cousin changed from a baby to a child.
	Bíi eril sheb edin letha áwithede háawithedi bishibenal wa.
	My cousin changed suddenly from a baby to a child.
9	Is the caregiver listening to the song?
	Báa ma nayahá lometh bebáanal?
	How (in what manner) is the caregiver listening to the song?
10	The cat sat there during the afternoon.
	Bíi eril wod rul wamenalehul núuha udathihée obée wa.
	The cat sat very still there during the afternoon.
11	We promise to give our assistant a car.
	Bíi mebédi meban len mazheth dená lenethodi beyenal wa.
	We promise to give our assistant a car somehow.
12	The man will buy the house from the baker.
	Bíi aril eb withid belideth ebaláde héeyanalehel wáa.
	The man will buy the house from the baker a trifle fearfully.

13	Báa eril bedi wolath woduthahá edatheth bebáanal?
14	Bíi meduhel lan letho onidath nédeshubenal wáa.
15	Bíi wéedan ehomá widaweth merúu i meháana bedihá wa.
16	Bíi hal wohóoha wohomá shadonenal wáa.
17	Báa dóhéthe imá bud bethoth shóodenal?
18	Bíi mahina abesh lirinalehul wemeneya wa.

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