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grammar_mood
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Mood and Modality
Modality express speaker/writer's attitude to the sentence they describe. Special grammatical forms for modalities are called mood. While there are few special grammatical forms, many other modalities are distinguished by syntax and lexicon (using different modal verbs and certain expressions). Despite some modalities are usually combined with only one specific tense, they should be distinguished from tense and aspect, as they do not carry such information per se.
Grammatical Moods
There are four special grammatical forms in Nûrlâm four various moods: Declarative (also Indicative, or Realis, abbreviated REAL), Jussive (JUS) or Imperative (IMP), Subjunctive (SJV), Interrogative (INT). In modern linguistics future tenses are counted as various moods (dynamic, eventive, predictive and some others), not as proper tenses, so this may be added too. However in this wiki traditional classification is used because future marker -ub goes in the same slot as past tense suffix, while moods are expressed by syntax or prefixes.
Realis mood
Indicative mood is used in majority of sentences. Articles about verb's grammar usually touch only this mood.
Imperative and Jussive moods
Imperative mood is the dictionary form of verbs. Thus just verb's root. Sometimes it may be called “bare infinitive”, but this term differs from English in usage. Imperative may take object pronoun ending but not subject pronoun prefix.
Subjunctive
Subjunctive mood (abbreviated as SJV) is used to express various epistemic and desiderative moods. It is formed by adding suffix -ulg in place of suffixes of tense. Third person suffixes (â/û) are not used with Subjunctive. In analytic form of colloquial speech auxiliary verb kulg placed before main verb in Past tense or other modal verb in past tense together with kulg and main verb in infinitive. In analogy with English and because of similarity of adjacent consonants, “I would…” = “I'd …” in colloquial analytical Nûrlâm is often shortened to “Izg'ulg …” instead of “Izg kulg…”.
Interrogative mood
Interrogative mood is used to make questions. In Nûrlâm it has special prefix mar-. May be used as standalone word in certain situations. Abbreviated as INT.
Types of Modality
The are two sets of modality: Realis and Irrealis.
- Realis
- Indicative (declarative) mood
- Mirative mood (action is absolutely real, but speaker is surprised; may express irony): “Wow, he can fight!”, “Wow, it speaks!”
- Irrealis
- Deontic (what should be)
- Comissive (promises, threats)
- Directive (commands, requests)
- Volitive (wish, desire)
- Necessitative mood (must, should, have to)
- Epistemic (what may be)
- Inferential/Oblique mood (real but not confirmed)
- Potential mood (highly probable)
- Presumptive mood (make assumption/presumption that event is real)
- Assumptive/Deductive/Dubitative mood (must be, various degree of probability)
- Speculative mood (assumption without any logic)
- Hypothetical mood (already could/should (not) done)
- Interrogative mood (questions)
- Subjunctive/Conjunctive
- Dynamic (ability under internal circumstances, can/will)
- Dependent circumstances
- Conditional mood
- Eventive mood
Some moods can be applied together to one verb, specially interrogative with other irrealis, or eventive mood being a combination of conditional and potential. Many modalities overlap with each other or smoothly transit from one into another.
Chart of irrealis verb forms
| Modality | Description | Verb forms | Examples | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Modal | Main | in dependent/ conditional clause |
|||
| Deontic (what should be ) | |||||
| Comissive | promises and vows | - | FUT | - | I shall help you = Dabhokub fizûr |
| any + INF | - | I have sworn to find the ring = Dagazduz gimbut nazgum | |||
| PRES | FUT | I will find the ring, I promise you = Dagimbub nazgum dafad fizûr | |||
| threats | FUT | - | I will kill you! = Dadogubam | ||
| You will eat your own guts! = Fithrokhub hosh îmob | |||||
| Directive (commands, requests) | |||||
| Imperative | order, command, prohibition to 2nd person | - | IMP | - | Come! = Skât! |
| Do not touch it! = Nargrauran | |||||
| Hortative | encouragement or invitation to 2nd person (adhortative / dehortative) | gâkh.IMP / ilf.IMP (may) | INF | any | You might go with us, it will be fun! = Gâkh fizûr ukhut daksha, kub glaz!1) |
| Demanding, tenacious request (exhortative / inhortative)2). | maug.IMP (must, ought to, have to, shall, should) | INF | any | You should really go to that place! = Maug ukhut fizûr zîginu | |
| plea of absolute urgency (suprahortative / infrahortative)3) | IMP | any | Please help us! We are dying! = Bhok dakûr dahas! Dakmatrad! 4) | ||
| encourage or discourage targeted person(s) to do something together with the speaker (cohortative, propositive), usually starts with gâkh (“let's”, “let us”): | |||||
| encouragement for regular action | gâkh.IMP | INF | Let's go! = Gâkh ukhut! | ||
| for future one-time action | GERV | Let's go! = Gâkh dakukhat! | |||
| 3PL=FUT | Let's go! = Gâkh dakukhub! | ||||
| Jussive | order to 2nd person to allow, permit or forbid 3rd person to do something | dabh.IMP=3.OBJ (“let”) | INF | - | Let him come in = Dabhan shiskut |
| gâkh.IMP | 3=FUT | = “Gâkh tashiskub” = lit. “Let's he will enter” | |||
| Precative | polite request, similar to Jussive but allowance for 1st person (speaker) instead of 3rd person | dabh.IMP=1.OBJ (let) | INF | - | Let us come in (please) = Dabhak shiskut (dahas) |
| Let me interrupt you = Dabhiz rishotutam | |||||
| - | 1SG=has.PRES (plead, beg) | IMP=1.OBJ | Please give me the sword = Dahas thrâkiz lagum | ||
| Necessitative | Similar to Hortative modalities but applies to 1st/3rd person. Translated like simple sentences with verbs “must”, “should”, “have to”, “need” in present or future tense. The same in past tense is Hypothetical modality | maug- (must, ought to, have to, shall, should), bolk- (need) in present or future tense | INF | I must kill him = Damaug dogutan | |
| They will have to go = Takbolkub ukhut | |||||
| I need to eat = Dabolk throkhut | |||||
| The same with Gerundives and impersonal constructions (like “it's necessary”, “it's important” and others) instead of modal verbs, more laconical way | GERV | It's important that orcs capture these hobbits = Hormarz dikat kudugza urukirzi5) | |||
| Order or command was not directly from speaker but through some mediate person. Speaker did not issued the command, but only repeat order of 3rd person. Main sentence explains who gave the order using such verbs as “command”, “order”, “demand”, “insist”, “request”, “recommend”, “propose”, “suggest”, “expect”. Similar to Desiderative, but with sense of obligation like Imperative, and explicit using of objective “you” (af, am) | any | GERV | Morgoth demands that you were there by next morning = Morgoth thukhûlâtaf kulat zîgin ik ânshabirzi6) | ||
| Volitive (desire, wishes and hope) | |||||
| Optative / Benedictive | wish somebody something | gâkh.IMP | IMP | May the force be with you! = Gâkh balum kul fisha | |
| blessings | Be lucky! = Gâkh dûrf 7) | ||||
| Long live the king! = Gâkh arn kîb rodharz8) | |||||
| curses | Mordor be your grave! = Gâkh Uzgbûrz kul matronk fib | ||||
| Desiderative | wish something to happen | irm (wish) / hiz (want) / darb (expect, wait) / kulg (would like) in PRES or SJV | - | SJV | I wish my sword be here = Da irm lagdab kulg zin |
| = Da irmulg lagdab kulg zin | |||||
| wish that somebody will do something, similar to Jussive but without obligation | GERV | Master wants you to find the ring = Goth hizâtaf gimbat nazgum | |||
| wish action to happen, wish to be able to do an action | INF | - | I want (to go/be) out = Dahiz ukhut lûtor | ||
| He wants |
|||||
| the same as above but without using modal verbs | SJV | - | I would drink! = Dashogulg | ||
| personal preference (English “I would rather”, “I would prefer”) | SJV | - | I would rather go = Da ukhulg hîsar | ||
| (the same with impersonal sentences and gerundive) | GERV | - | For me it's better to go = Bhogar dazûr ukhat | ||
| (the same with infinitive as subject) | - | kul.PRES (be) | - | To go is better for me = Ukhut kulâ bhogar dazûr | |
| advice, action is desirable for speaker or target object (similar to Hortative modality) in current circumstances (English “had better”) | maug.PRES (should) | INF | You had better run away now = Fimaug irzut zil | ||
| (the same with impersonal sentence and gerundive) | - | GERV | - | It's better for you to run away now = Bhogar fizûr irzat zil | |
| (the same with infinitive as subject) | - | kul.PRES (be) | - | To run away now is better for you = Irzut zil kulâ bhogar fizûr | |
| hope, fear, dream of something to happen | - | khard.PRES (hope) | any | I hope you will find the ring = Dakhard figimbub nazgum | |
| furg.PRES (fear) | I fear they will find my ring = Dafurg tak gimbub nazgumdab | ||||
| khard.PRES (hope), taur.PRES (dream) | SJV | Balrog dreams that rain would stop = Balrog taurâ zamal miz puzgulg | |||
| impersonal desire for something to happen or somebody to do an action9) (usually starts with “If only …”) | - | SJV | If only my sword were here! = Ghung tug lagdab kulg zin | ||
| (any) in SJV | INF | If only I could kill the dragon! = Ghung tug dapâshulg dogut lûg | |||
| Epistemic (what may be) | |||||
| Inferential / Oblique10) | Event is almost real but non-confirmative. | FUT | I will defeat the dragon (speaker is sure) = Dafitgub lûgum | ||
| Event is real, but speaker didn't witnessed it personally (e.g. through news or other's speech) | any | PST | I was told, he left the house = Gashnuzâtiz taranguz ozdum | ||
| Potential | Speaker assumes high probability of an action. (Similar to inferential / oblique modality, but with little doubt) | (any).PRES | INF | Probably I can defeat the dragon = Dapâsh faikut lûgum falgarz | |
| FUT | I will probably defeat the dragon = Dafitgub lûgum falgarz | ||||
| PST | He have probably built the house = Tatumbuz ozdum falgarz | ||||
| Presumptive | Speaker presumes the statement is true, similar to Conditional-Predictive, but condition is in some directive modality | ||||
| using expression “be it so” | (any).SJV | INF | kul.IMP (be) | Be it so, he could win = Kulanzash tapâshulg fitgut | |
| SJV | Be it so, he would die = Kulanzash tamatulg | ||||
| Be it so, he would be glad = Kulanzash takulg glaz | |||||
| after verbs like “ton” (suppose), “gâkh tonut” (let's assume) | (any).SJV | INF | ton (suppose) in IMP or gâkh.IMP + ton.INF + dependent clause | Suppose it's true, he could win = Ton za kog, tapâshulg fitgut | |
| SJV | Let's assume it happened, then he would be glad = Gâkh tonut za ghugshuz, zîgil takulg glaz | ||||
| Assumptive / Deductive | statement assumed to be true, because it usually true in these circumstances, but less likely may be not. Starts or ends with “that must/should be” in English, which is parenthesis phrase and not a predicate. May be similar to Deductive modality (see below). | kul (be) in any tense (omitted in PRES) | maug.IMP (must/should) + kul.INF (be) | That must be hobbits, who stole our precious (it's not the first time) = Zîg kulû, maug kulut, kudug zamash orskuzû turkûrz dakob | |
| He should be a good warrior (e.g. people of his tribe considered to be that) = Ta, maug kulut, maubhog = He is a good warrior, must be = Takul ash maubhog, maug kulut | |||||
| I must be blind (because I can't see the things that make true happiness) = Da, maug kulut, bûrk = I am blind, must me = Dakul bûrk, maug kulut | |||||
| They must be in Gondor by now = Tak, maug kulut, Gunduzgor ik zil = Must be, they are in Gondor by now = Maug kulut, tak kul Gunduzgor ik zil | |||||
| The statement was deduced on other information. (Deductive modality). The sentence itself does not differ from assumptive, but some explanation should be present in previous or next one. | I don't see my precious. He must have stolen it! (He is the only person been here before it disappeared) = It must be stolen by him = Danarhon turkûrz dab. Maug kulut, orskulgan | ||||
| Dubitative | statement is uncertain or doubtful, but assumed to be true more likely (similar to assumptive and deductive modalities, but uses verb “may”) | any | ilf.IMP (may), maug.IMP (must) + kul.INF (be) | Maybe he is ill = Ilf kulut, ta(kul) gômûrz = He might be ill = Ta, ilf kulut, gômûrz | |
| May be he was an elf (we see only a skeleton) = Ilf kulut, takuz golug | |||||
| Speaker is unsure or do not care who or how did the action. Used with dubitative indefinite pronouns. | kul.PRES (be) | SJV | Whoever did this is fool = Maikon krampulg za kul pahum | ||
| ilf.IMP (may) / maug.IMP (must) | kul.INF (be) | SJV | Whoever did this must be fool = Maikon krampulg za maug kulut pahum | ||
| Hypothetical | Action already could/should (not) be done. Similar to Conditional-Counterfactual (see below) but condition itself is not presented inside same compound sentence | pâsh (can) / ilf (may) / kul (be) in SJV | INF | You could kill me! = Fipâshulg dogutiz | |
| SJV | I would have alerted you (if haven't already missed an opportunity) = Darazgulgam | ||||
| Speculative | In contrast to Assumptive modality, speaker has no evidence or prerequisites for his statement. Similar to Hypothetical and Conditional-Counterfactual. | pâsh (can) / ilf (may) / kul (be) in SJV | INF | The hobbits could stole it! = Kudug pâshulg orskutan | |
| Subjunctive | In simple clauses without modal verbs. Similar to hypothetical and conditional-counterfactual. Similar to expression “(one) want (do something)” but indicates that something prevents / prevented the wish from happening (see Desiderative modalities). | (any) | SJV | I would drink = Dashogulg | |
| In dependent clauses in combination with other modalities (e.g. presumptive), usually after conjunctions “so that”, “in order that” or just “that”. Also in conditional sentences (see Conditional modality) | I suppose that orcs won = Daton zamash uruk faikulg | ||||
| In comparisons (as if, like) | You speak so as if I did something wrong = Figashn zash ghung dakrampulg ashmûd firk | ||||
| Dragon looked at hobbit like he were going to eat him = Lûg honuzâ kudugu oth tapantulg thrakutan | |||||
| After numerous impersonal constructions “it's (im)possible”, “it's likely”, “it's unbelievable”, “it's natural”, “it's strange” (and many others) and conjunction “that”. This case is usually replaced with Gerundives. May overlap with necessitative, eventive and counterfactual and modalities | (any) | SJV | It's necessary that you be at the gates of Gondor tomorrow at dusk = Bolkarz zamash fikulg hûmob ik Gunduzgob shi muth ârshab11) | ||
| gerundive | It's necessary that you be at the gates of Gondor tomorrow at dusk = Bolkarz fizûr kulat hûmob ik Gunduzgob shi muth ârshab12) | ||||
| Interrogative | General questions | INT + (any) | Did you kill him? = Fimardoguzan? | ||
| Did orcs killed the dragon? = Uruk mardoguzû lûgum? | |||||
| Special questions (together with interrogative pro-forms) | INT + (any) | Where is he going? = Tamarukh min? | |||
| Who did this? = Mai markrampuz za? | |||||
| Alternative questions | INT + (any) | INT + (any) | Did you go to the forest or did you return home? = Fimarukhuz taushi ogh fimarkruskâtuz mokh? | ||
| INT + any tense | Did you go left or right? = Fimarukhuz farkhu ogh forgu? | ||||
| To be or not to be = Markulut ogh narmarkulut? | |||||
| Disjunctive questions | (any) | INT13) | You killed that dragon, didn't you? = Fidoguz zîg lûg, fimardoguz? = Fidoguz zîg lûg, mar? | ||
| Combination with other modalities | INT + (any) | Will you kill the dragon? 14) = Fimardogub lûgum? | |||
| INT + (any) | any15) | Can you kill the dragon? = Fimarpâsh dogut lûgum? | |||
| Dependent circumstances | |||||
| Dynamic16) | (can/will) | pâsh.PRES (can) | INF | I can sing (right now) = Dapâsh lashut | |
| pâsh.PST (could) | INF | I could sing (in the past) = Dapâshuz lashut | |||
| FUT | I will sing = Dalashub | ||||
| Conditional | the complex sentence consists of two parts: condition - starts with words “ghung” (= if) or “amil” (= when); action if condition is true. There are several combinations of probability of condition and action to happen: | ||||
| factual (both condition and action are regular or already happened in the past together) | PRES | PRES | I sing when I drink = Dalash amil dashog | ||
| predictive (similar to potential and comissive modalities) - in sentences about future | FUT | FUT | If he steals our food, we will kill him = Ghung ta orskub throk dakob, dakdoguban | ||
| If I (will) drink I will sing = Ghung dashogub dalashub | |||||
| predictive (when speaker is unsure if condition will happen, but if it does, the action will be almost real) | FUT | SJV | If he should get the money he will buy a horse = Ghung tasnabulg draug, tatûzub lûkh | ||
| suppositional: predictive + hortative / desiderative, e.g. to express hidden offering / hint / cue | FUT | SJV | Should you come, I'll drink with you = Ghung fiskâtulg, dashogub fisha 17) | ||
| eventive (combination of potential, various directive and desiderative modalities). Similar to one just above, but condition is possible (but not happened yet) and action is doubtful | SJV + falgarz (probably) | FUT | I would sing if you will bring the drink = Dalashulg ghung fithrakub akrum | ||
| counterfactual (similar to hypothetical and speculative), both action and condition already didn't happened or not yet happened (but almost impossible). | SJV | SJV | I would sing if I had drunk = Dalashulg ghung dashogulg | ||
| If I had a dragon, I would fight against Balrog = Ghung dabrusulg ash lûg, damaukulg bug Balrog | |||||
| Had I seen a trap, I would had alerted you = Ghung dahonulg ash hnûf, darazgulgam | |||||
| counterfactual, used to translate expressions like “If I were you” (or someone were someone else), object in conditional clause should be in Essive case | If I were goblin, I would run from Balrog = Ghung dakulg ash uruksi, da irzulg Balrogbo | ||||
See also
1)
Please note transformation into impersonal sentence by putting “you” = “fi” into dative case
2)
may cognate with Necessitative modality, see below
3)
may cognate with Imperative, see above
4)
lit. “Help to us, I plead! We are dying now!”
5)
lit. “Importantly these hobbits to be captured by orcs”
6)
Morgoth over-request=2PL.OBJ be.GERV there before morning=next=by
7)
lit. “May (you) have luck!”
8)
lit. “May the king live long!”
9)
may be treated as Conditional/Eventive mood, see below
10)
may be classified as Realis
11)
lit.: Necessary that you would be in front of the gates of Gondor at dusk next day
12)
lit.: Necessary for you to be in front of the gates of Gondor at dusk next day
13)
repeat main verb or use just prefix “mar” standalone
14)
with Inferential/Potential modality
15)
according to other modality
16)
included into deontic group of modalities in some classifications
17)
lit.:If you would come, I'll drink with you
grammar_mood.txt · Last modified: 2024/10/12 19:18 by morgoth
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