3.5 Clausal Words

A clausal word occurs at the beginning of a clause which is used as the subject or object of a larger clause or sentence. There are two types of clausal words: elementary and compound.

3.5.1 Elementary Clausal Words

There are two elementary clausal words in Ayola, namely, the truth-affirming clausal word ke and the non-committal clausal word kuye.

Truth-Affirming Clausal Word

The truth-affirming clausal word ke (that) indicates that the speaker is affirming the truth of the subordinate clause.

Ke dya komprenits la satso surprizits myo.

That she understood the sentence surprised me.

Dya no sabits ke dya komprenits la satso.

He didn’t know that she understood the sentence.

Ey vu sabats ke dya komprenits la satso?

Do you know that she understood the sentence?

Note that in all three of these cases the truth of the sentence dya komprenits la satso occurring within the ke-clause is affirmed, independently of whether the main clause is affirmative, negative, or interrogative.

Non-Committal Clausal Word

The non-committal clausal word kuye indicates that the speaker is not committing himself/herself to the truth of the subordinate clause.

Kuye dya venits estats importenta.	Whether (or not) she came is important.
Myo kwayrits kuye dya venits.	I asked whether (or not) she came.
Dya no dicits kuye dya fondits la libro.	She didn’t say whether (or not) she liked the book.
Ye vu kwayrits kuye dya venits?	Did you ask whether (or not) she came?
Ye vu decidintats kuye vu ganuts alu Europa?	Have you decided whether (or not) you will go to Europe?

Note that in all of the above sentences the truth or falsity of the subordinate clause beginning with kuye is not affirmed, independently of whether the main clause is affirmative, negative, or interrogative.

3.5.2 Compound Clausal Words

The compound clausal words include pronouns, adjectives, and adverbs. They are formed by prefixing the interrogative elementary words with ki- and dropping the h. They begin a clause which may stand alone or function as the subject or object of a verb. If the clause functions as a subject it must be followed by a comma before the rest of the sentence.

Table 3.5-1 Compound Clausal Words

Clausal Pronouns

The clausal pronouns kiwo and kiyo act as the subject of a clause which may stand alone, e.g. as a title, or be embedded in a larger sentence as subject or object. They occur only in the singular form. Note the distinction between the clausal and interrogative pronouns below.

Kiwo Myo Farits Anu Tisa Somero	What I Did This Summer
Hwo myo farits anu tisa somero?	What did I do this summer?

The following two sentences illustrate the embedding of the clause in a larger sentence, first as subject and then as object.

Kiwo myo farits anu tisa somero, surprizits dya.	What I did this summer surprised him.
Vu sabats kiwo myo farits anu tisa somero.	You know what I did this summer.

Here are more examples:

Kiyo skratats finte, skratats pluste bone. Who laughs last, laughs best.

Myo no sabats kiyo skratats finte. I don’t know who laughs last.

Ye vu sabats kiyo skratats finte? Do you know who laughs last?

Kiwo and kiyo are also used in embedded clauses expressing choice questions.

Ye vu sabats kiwo dya vwelats Do you know whether she wants coffee or

kyu kafo caw teho? tea?

(Do you know which she wants of the choice of coffee or tea?)

Ye dya decidits kiwo dya vwelats Did she decide whether she wants to study

farare kyu studare caw dansare? or to dance?

(Did she decide which she wants to do of the choice of to study or to dance?)

Note that the simplest English translation involves the use of the word ‘whether’ but this is not translated with kuye in Ayola.

Clausal Adjectives

The clausal adjectives modify a noun acting as the subject of a clause which may stand alone, e.g. as a title, or be embedded in a larger sentence as a subject or object. Note the distinction between the clausal and interrogative adjectives below:

Kiwa Libroy Vu Lergits	Which Books You Read
Hwa libroy vu lergits?	Which books did you read?
Kiya Somero Vu Paswits	What Kind of Summer You Spent
Hya somero vu paswits?	What kind of summer did you spend?

The following two sentences illustrate the embedding of the clause in a larger sentence, first as subject and then as object.

Kiya somero vu paswits, surprizits dya.	What kind of summer you spent surprised him.
Myo sabats kiya somero vu paswits.	I know what kind of summer you spent.

Here are more examples:

Myo decidits kiwa paisoy myo vizituts. I decided which countries I will visit.

Ye vu sabats kiya animalo tato estats? Do you know what kind of animal

that is?

Clausal Adverbs

The clausal adverbs modify a verb in a clause. The clause may stand alone, e.g. as a title, or be embedded in a larger sentence as a subject or object.

Note the distinction between the clausal and interrogative adverbs below:

Kiworfe Moy Bezonats Bona Prezidento	Why We Need a Good President
Hworfe moy bezonats bona prezidento?	Why do we need a good president?
Kiworde Le Supernovo Eksplodats	How a Supernova Explodes
Hworde le supernova eksplodats?	How does a supernova explode?

In English, for pronouns, adjectives and adverbs, the distinction between the clause and the interrogative sentence is indicated by the inverted word order (‘I did’ vs. ‘did I do’; ‘you read’ vs. ‘did you read’; ‘you spent’ vs. ‘did you spend’; ‘we need’ vs. ‘do we need’; ‘a supernova explodes’ vs. ‘does a supernova explode’). Ayola never uses this type of inversion. Instead, the prefix ki- alerts the listener or reader that what follows is a clause and not a question.

Here are more examples:

Myo sabats kiye dya cantits ce kiwe la awdago amits dyaza cantajo.	I know how (in what manner) she sang and how (to what degree) the audience loved her singing.
Dya lernits kiworde studare.	She learned how to study.
Kiworfe dya no trazats kapelo, myo no komprenats.	Why he doesn’t wear a hat, I don’t understand.
Myo no povats kredare kiwe vyela tisa arboro estats!	I can’t believe how old this tree is!
Dya dicits alu myo kiye farare tato.	She told me how to do that.
Moy kalkulits kiwande la eklipsajo natcats.	We calculated when the eclipse begins.
Myo fondats kiwerve dya studits.	I like where she studied.

3.5.3 Phrases Containing Clausal Words and Infinitives

Phrases containing one of the compound clausal words and an infinitive are used in Ayola, as similar constructions are used in the natural languages, to produce a more compact form of expression.

Phrases Containing Clausal Pronouns and an Infinitive

There are two kinds of phrases containing one of the clausal pronouns kiwo or kiyo, and an infinitive:

1. When the phrase begins with a clausal pronoun, the clausal pronoun is the direct object of the infinitive.

2. When the phrase begins with a preposition plus a clausal pronoun, the clausal pronoun is the object of the preposition and the prepositional phrase modifies the infinitive.

Here are some examples of both types:

Myo no sabats kiwo vizitare.	I don’t know what to visit.
Dya decidintats kiyo invitare.	She has decided on the people to invite.
Ye vu sabats alu kiyo rakontare la storio?	Do you know to whom to tell the story?

Such sentences are really compact forms of longer sentences having full clauses with a subject and a form of a helping verb such as povare (to be able), culdare (to be obliged) or devare (to be compelled), before the infinitive or an indicative form of the verb replacing the infinitive.

Myo no sabats kiwo myo culdats vizitare.	I don’t know what I should to visit.
Dya decidintats kiyo dya invituts.	She has decided whom she will invite.
Ye vu sabats alu kiyo myo culdats rakontare la storio?	Do you know to whom I should tell the story?

Phrases Containing a Clausal Adjective and an Infinitive

Phrases may also contain one of the clausal adjectives kiwa or kiya and an infinitive.

Myo no sabats kiwa urboy vizitare.	I don’t know what cities to visit.
Ye dya decidintats kiya robo trazare?	Has she decided on what kind of dress to wear?

Phrases Containing a Clausal Adverb and an Infinitive

Phrases may also contain one of the clausal adverbs and an infinitive.

Ye vu sabats kiworde funconware tisa komputeray programo?	Do you know how to run this computer program?
Moy decidintats kiwerve restare coe no kiwande departare.	We have decided on where to stay but not on when to depart.

In all cases the compact forms allow the speaker to communicate the basic idea without having to state explicitly the particular subject and helping verb or verb tense.

Exercises

Exercise 1

Replace the terms in parentheses with either ke, kuye, or another word.

1. Myo dicits alu dya (that) myo vwelits ganare.

2. Dya no povats dicare (whether) dya vwelats venare.

3. Ye vu sabats (that) myo venkits?

4. Now, myo no sabats (whether) Kara ganuts.

5. La instruktoy instruktits (that) tyo devats lergare tyoza libroy.

6. Montraw alu myo (that) vu kredats myo.

7. Myo estats felitca (that) dwa gefinwintats.

8. Ye vu povats dicare alu myo (whether) la restoranto enats tisa urbo?

Exercise 2

Translate the underlined words.

1. a. Do you see where he went to?

2. a. Tell her whether you plan to visit.

b. Ask whether you should study astronomy or meteorology.

c. Does he know whether it is going to rain or snow tomorrow?

3. a. I told you who stole the money.

b. Who takes over the business is not important to me.

4. a. I like how she sang. (manner)

5. a. Do you know what color she likes best?

6. a. Tell me why you don’t want to come with us.

7. a. I remember when you used to sing.

b. She cried when she sang.

8. a. Which cake would you like to eat?

b. I don’t know which I will eat.

9. a. I can’t decide which kind of vegetable to cook.

b. What kind of chocolate do you eat?

Exercise 3

Choose one of the clausal words for each of sentences such that the sentence makes sense.

1. I don’t know ______ Shakespeare was born.

   1. kuye

   2. ke

   3. kiwerve

2. Did you see _______ drove away in the red car?

   1. ke

   2. kiyo

   3. kiwo

3. I think _______ she doesn’t care much for flowers.

   1. ke

   2. kiwerve

   3. kiya

4. He didn’t ask _________ we leave tomorrow or not.

   1. kiye

   2. ke

   3. kuye

5. _______ read this novel, gets to talk about it.

   1. kiwo

   2. kiwa

   3. kiyo

6. Did they tell you ________ the concert is?

   1. kiwande

   2. kuye

   3. ke

7. His mom taught her ______ to cook lasagna.

   1. kiworde

   2. kiwo

   3. ke

8. My boss demands ________ we work late hours.

   1. kuye

   2. ke

   3. kiya

9. I am not sure ________ they’re moving to Africa or Asia.

   1. alu kiwo

   2. alu kiyo

   3. kuye

10. The president decides ________ events to attend.

    1. kiwa

    2. ke

    3. kiye

Exercise 4

Translate the sentences into Ayola.

1. Can you learn how to cook this cake?

2. You determined where to build your new house.

3. The president will decide when to visit the queen of England.

4. I don’t understand why I should have to go.

5. Did you see from where the man came?

6. The cats know which food they prefer.

7. These dogs can’t find to where the man went.

8. Tell me why I should listen to you.

9. Explaining how to play the piano is easy.

10. York Beach is where my family likes to swim.