Klallam Grammar

3.1. Commands: ∅ or ____ či or ____ kʷi

hiyáʔ.‘Go.’
hiyáʔ hay.‘Go (all of you).’
ƛ̓kʷə́t.‘Take him/her/it/them.’
ƛ̓kʷə́t hay.‘Take him/her/it/them (all of you).’
 
hiyáʔ či.‘Go!’
hiyáʔ či hay.‘Go (all of you)!’
ƛ̓kʷə́t či.‘Take him/her/it/them!’
ƛ̓kʷə́t či hay.‘Take him/her/it/them (all of you)!’
 
hiyáʔ kʷi.‘You should go.’
hiyáʔ kʷi hay.‘You should go (all of you).’
ƛ̓kʷə́t kʷi.‘You should take him/her/it/them.’
ƛ̓kʷə́t kʷi hay.‘You should take him/her/it/them (all of you).

1  Sentences giving commands are also called imperative sentences. In English commands there is an understood subject, as in ‘Take it.’  The same is true for Klallam:  just use the verb without a subject.
2  For a strong, demanding command, add či. This form is considered almost rude by some elders.
3  For a more polite command, add kʷi. This makes it more like a suggestion than a command. It can be translated various ways in English. The models use ‘should,’ but you could also use ‘ought to’ or ‘why don’t you.’
4  Note that when you are talking to more than one person, you use hay, and the či or kʷi comes before it.
5  Note that the speech act particles are never stressed.
ʔəsx̣ʷaʔníŋ cxʷ.‘How are you?’
ʔuʔə́y̓ cn.‘I’m fine.’
ʔaʔstúʔŋət caʔ cxʷ ʔuč.‘What will you do?’
kʷánəŋət caʔn.‘I’ll run.’
ʔaʔstúʔŋət kʷaʔčaʔ.‘Why?’
ƛ̓kʷə́t yaʔ cn.‘I took it.’
kʷánəŋət či.‘Run!’

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