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ril
Auxiliary: present
eril
Auxiliary: past
aril
Auxiliary: future
eríli
Auxiliary: far past
aríli
Auxiliary: far future
rilrili
Auxiliary: hypothetical
wil
Auxiliary: optative mood (desire): “would that...,” “let there be...”
mazh
car; automobile
sha
harmony
waá
Evidence Word: believed to be false because the speaker mistrusts the source
“Wil sha”
is the standard greeting in Láadan; it means “Let there be harmony.” In speech and informal writing, a heartfelt wish or, as in this case, a greeting may appear without Type-of-Sentence Word or Evidence Word. This is perfectly acceptable because no one is going to be confused about the meaning.
“Aril”
(later) is the standard Láadan leave-taking.
When you need to indicate time in a sentence, put an auxiliary immediately before the verb. Auxiliaries never change their shape in any way, even if the verb itself is made plural.
Absent any auxiliary, present time is assumed. Subsequent to the occurrence of an auxiliary, in connected sentences, that time is assumed until another auxiliary occurs.
Bíi hal ne wa.
You work (implied present-time).
Bíi ril hal ne wa.
You work now (explicit present-time).
Bíi eril hal ne wa.
You worked.
Bíi aril hal ne wa.
You will work.
Bíi eríli hal ne wa.
Long ago, you worked.
Bíi aríli hal ne wa.
In the far future, you will work.
Some day, you will work.
Bíi rilrili hal ne wa.
Let’s suppose you worked....
Perhaps you work....
You might work....
Bíi wil hal ne wa.
Would that you worked....
If only you would work....
I wish you would work....
Wil hal.
Let there be work.
1
Bíi aríli dathim Elízhabeth wi.
2
Bíi eril thal bal wo.
3
Bíi aril ralóolohul mazh wa.
4
Bíi eríli di withid wáa, “Bíi aril nahu thosh, id yom rawith wa.”
5
Bíi rilrili áana ra Máthu wo.
6
Wil shóod.
In #4, did you note in the final clause of the man’s speech that “…yom rawith…” (no-one is safe) when spoken aloud sounds identical to “…yom ra with…” (a person is not safe)? This kind of ambiguity is common to human languages. Many mechanisms are available to clarify; one of those in Láadan would be to double the negative: “…yom ra rawith….” A single “ra” is all that’s required in Láadan to make a sentence negative, and the “ra–” included in “rawith” suffices; however, it is not a grammatical error in Láadan to include an extra “ra” either for clarity or emphasis.
7
Bíi aril tháa ábed wa.
past
8
Bíi eril dozh zháadin wa.
optative
9
Bíi rilrili shóod ra Hérel wo.
far future
10
Bíi melaya áath wi.
hypothetical
10
Bíi aril melalom thul wáa.
far past
12
Bíi mehóoha omid waá.
future
Notice, in #7 (and in #3 above): the Evidence Word “wa” (according to my own perception) used regarding a future event. In most cases, a human speaker cannot have perceived what will happen in the future; in such a case “wa” would be understood to mean “according to my expectation;” expectation is a perception, albeit an internal one.
13
The mice ate, long ago.
14
The grain will be green.
15
A stone clearly might be beautiful.
16
Suzette was right; the cat was afraid.
17
The beverage might not be hot.
18
Let there be wisdom!
top1
Elizabeth will needlework in the far future, obviously.
2
I suppose the bread was good.
3
The car will be extremely quick.
4
I’m told that long ago a man said, “The sky will begin to open, and then no-one will be safe.”
5
Matthew might not sleep, I suppose.
6
Let there be busy-ness.
7
The farm will thrive.
Bíi eril tháa ábed wa.
The farm thrived.
8
Menopausing was easy, in my experience.
Bíi wil dozh zháadin wa.
Would that menopausing be easy.
9
I suppose Carol may not be busy.
Bíi aríli shóod ra Hérel wo.
I suppose Carol will, long hence, not be busy.
10
Of course the doors are red.
Bíi rilrili melaya áath wi.
Of course the doors may be red.
11
The parents will sing.
Bíi eríli melalom thul wa.
Long ago, the parents sang.
12
I’m in some doubt that the horses are weary.
Bíi aril mehóoha omid waá.
I’m in some doubt that the horses will be weary.
13
Bíi eríli meyod edemid wáa.
14
Bíi aril liyen ede wa.
15
Bíi rilrili áya ud wi.
16
Bíi eril dóon Shuzhéth wa; héeya rul.
17
Bíi rilrili owa ra rana wa.
18
Wil woth!