48.3. ȻE ‘inform new,’ ȻSI¸ ‘inform shared,’ JE ‘apparently,’ ȻEĆÁ ‘consequence,’ OL¸ ‘limit’
Models
| 1) | LÁ¸E ȻE¸ TŦE SĆÁ¸ĆE¸ȽTE. | ‘Our friend is there.’ |
| 2) | LÁ¸E ȻSI¸ TŦE SĆÁ¸ĆE¸ȽTE. | ‘Our friend is there (where we both know).’ |
| 3) | LÁ¸E JE TŦE SĆÁ¸ĆE¸ȽTE. | ‘Apparently, our friend is there.’ |
| 4) | LÁ¸E ȻEĆÁ TŦE SĆÁ¸ĆE¸ȽTE. | ‘So then, our friend is there.’ |
| 5) | LÁ¸E OL¸ TŦE SĆÁ¸ĆE¸ȽTE. | ‘Our friend is just there.’ |
‣ 1 All of the speech act modifiers in this set are common and frequently used by all generations of L1 speakers of SENĆOŦEN.
‣ 2 While all of these are common, the ȻE¸ particle one of the two the most frequently used in conversation. Although it is frequently used, it is the most difficult to give a simple definition and never has a direct English translation.
‣ 3 The ȻE¸ speech act modifier is used when the speaker is giving information to the listener. An important part of its use is that the speaker thinks that the listener does not know the information—it is new information to the listener. Model 1, for example, would be used only if the speaker thinks that the listener does not know where ‘our friend’ is. This model could be translated ‘Here’s some information for you: our friend is there.’
‣ 4 The ȻSI¸ speech act modifier, shown in model 3, is similar in use to the ȻE¸ particle—the speaker is giving information to the listener. The difference is that the context of the information is shared between the speaker and the listener. Model 3, for example, could be used in a conversation where I tell you ‘Our friend is there,’ and you and I both know where he usually hangs out.
‣ 5 The particle JE, the third most common speech act modifier, is used when the speaker wants to let the listener know that the information is second-hand knowledge. It is very commonly used in stories that are history, legends, or tales handed down through the generations—events that the speaker did not witness, but only heard of. This is often not smoothly translatable at all, but can be translated with English ‘apparently,’ ‘evidently,’ or ‘they say.’
‣ 6 Some important uses of the ȻEĆÁ speech act modifier, shown in model 4, have been discussed in sections on questions §16.1, §28.1, and §38. Review those sections now and notice that each of these questions asks for some kind of explanation. This particle was also an important part of the constructions expressing ‘because’ in §39. In those constructions, the sentences are providing an explanation.
‣ 7 The ȻEĆÁ particle is used in many contexts beyond those of explanations. It is often translated ‘so then’ or ‘therefore.’ What all of these uses have in common is that the speaker is letting the listener know that the information is a consequence of some other event.
‣ 8 With the particle OL¸, shown in model 5, we have the SENĆOŦEN speech act modifier that is by far the most frequently used. This one is used when the speaker wants the listener to know that the information is somehow limited. The limitation is typically in contrast to some other possible situation.
‣ 9 Although the OL¸ is usually not translated, it can often be translated as ‘just’ or sometimes ‘only.’ In model 5, ‘just’ is used in the translation that could be expanded as ‘Our friend is just there (as opposed to somewhere else).’
‣ 10 Note that OL¸ can be translated as ‘just,’ but the English word ‘just’ has many meanings. This only covers the ‘limiting’ English ‘just’ that means something like ‘only’ or ‘merely.’ This is never used to mean ‘just now’ or ‘just about’ or other English uses of ‘just.’
| 48.3A. Translate into English. 1. IȽEN ȻE¸ TŦE NE SḴAXE¸. 2. IȽEN JE TŦE EN¸ SḴAXE¸. 3. IȽEN ȻEĆÁ TŦE EN¸ SḴAXE¸. 4. IȽEN OL¸ SEN. |
48.3B. Explain what the speech act modifier adds to the information in each of the sentences in 48.3A. |