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| == Content words ==
| | A short primer for Kala grammar. The full grammar can be found here: |
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| == Function words == | | = Word order = |
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| Function words serve only grammatical functions. They have no meaning by themselves. Function words have to be used together with Content Words to form a meaningful sentence or phrase. Function words are a much smaller category in number but more frequently used. '''Kala''' function words are divided into a few subcategories; particles, conjunctions, and interjections.
| | <small>SUBJECT - OBJECT - VERB</small> |
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| === Particles ===
| | * <b>naka ke mita itsa</b> |
| | : <small>woman O dog love</small> |
| | : <i>The woman loves the dog.</i> |
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| ==== ke ====
| | Kala lacks morphological adjectives and instead uses attributive verbs. |
| : The direct object particle. It can often be omitted, especially in simple phrases, when the object is understood.
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| * '''na mita anya''' | | * <b>ke tsaka taha</b> |
| : <small>1sg dog see</small> | | : <small>O house be.big</small> |
| : ''I see the dog.'' | | : <i>The big house / The house is big</i> |
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| * '''na tahe yempa ke mita anyaye'''
| | Adverbs tend to precede the verb phrase they modify. |
| : <small>1sg be.under table O dog see-PST</small>
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| : ''I saw the dog under the table.''
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| === Conjunctions ===
| | * <b>tsumun nam yokone</b> |
| | : <small>cautious-ADV 1pl swim-SUG</small> |
| | : <i>We should swim cautiously.</i> |
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| There are three coordinating conjunctions in Kala and three correlative conjunctions:
| | Kala lacks morphological prepositions and instead uses locational and relational verbs. |
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| ==== coordinating ====
| | * <b>mita ke yempa tahe</b> |
| * '''ma''' - and; also | | : <small>dog O table be.under</small> |
| :: '''mita ina ma moku'''
| | : <i>The dog is under the table.</i> |
| :: <small>dog eat and sleep</small>
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| :: ''The dog eats and sleeps.'' | |
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| * '''ua''' - or
| | == Nouns == |
| :: '''mita ina ua moku'''
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| :: <small>dog eat or sleep</small>
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| :: ''The dog eats or sleeps.''
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| * '''ehe''' ('''me''') - but; yet
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| :: '''mita ina me mokunke'''
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| :: <small>dog eat but sleep-NEG</small>
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| :: ''The dog eats but does not sleep.''
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| ==== correlative ==== | |
| * '''yema''' - both X and Y
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| :: '''mita ina yema empa'''
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| :: <small>dog eat both.X.and.Y run</small>
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| :: ''The dog both eats and runs.''<br>''The dog is eating and running simultaneously.''
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| * '''ue''' - either X or Y
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| :: '''mita ina ue empa'''
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| :: <small>dog eat either.X.or.Y run</small>
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| :: ''The dog is either eating or running.''
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| * '''uenke''' ('''uek''') - neither X nor Y
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| :: '''mita ina uenke empa'''
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| :: <small>dog eat neither.X.nor.Y run</small>
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| :: ''The dog is neither eating nor running.''
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| pi - although; even though; even if
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| ku - and; also; too; as well [CONJ] {clause level]
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| ma / -m / -lo - and; also; too; as well [CONJ]
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| ehe [me] - but; yet; however
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| impo - therefore; as a result; so; consequently; thus
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| ua - or; either
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| ue - either X or Y
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| uenke [uek] - neither X nor Y
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| yatli - if X then Y
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| yema - both X and Y
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| === interjections ===
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| The most common interjections in Kala are as follows;
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| * '''kya''' - imperative particle
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| * '''kyo''' - imperative particle
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| * '''kyo'a''' - imperative particle
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| * '''nka''' - emphatic negative
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| * '''ya''' - vocative particle
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| * '''a''' - affirmative
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| * '''aya''' - expresses strong emotions such as surprise ('ah', 'argh') and pain ('ow')
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