14.1....USES OF THE SUBJUNCTIVE IN GENERAL: In section 7.1, part f), we saw the two subjunctive forms defined. In Chapter 13, we saw that some subordinators require ai-subjunctive. This chapter has more information about using subjunctives.
14.2....E-SUBJUNCTIVE: E-subjunctive is used for allegations or indirect speech concerning real events. Whole articles can be written in this mood to protect writers from accusations of libel. Always use e-subjunctive in clauses with ?zeeje? that serve as objects of verbs of communication like ?crieben? (write), ?sagen? (say), ?leezen? (read), ?telen? (tell), and ?hoeren? (hear).
| 14.2-1 |
Mencu a person |
cribeus wrote |
zeeje that |
hu he/she |
hail healthy |
sieneuse. was (e-subjunctive). |
| correctly: A person wrote that he/she was healthy. | ||||||
| 14.2-2 |
Ik I |
hoereut heard |
zeeje that |
jeu you |
kruenoose. sang (e-subjunctive). |
| obviously: I heard that you sang. | |||||
| 14.2-3 |
Vier We |
sienud were |
telivez tell (passive infinitive) |
zeeje that |
hue they |
losoome. escaped (e-subjunctive). |
| correctly: We were told that they escaped. | ||||||
14.3....AI-SUBJUNCTIVE: To reiterate, ai-subjunctives are used to convey conditional, hypothetical, or plainly counterfactual ideas.
a) In main clauses, ai-subjunctives are usually conditional.
| 14.3-1 |
Vienue meen My friends |
vendoomai. go-past-ai-subjunctive. |
| correctly: My friends would have gone. | ||
| 14.2-2 |
U Y'all |
skarfoetai eat-ai-subjunctive |
za. that. |
| correctly: Y'all would eat that. | |||
| 14.3-3 |
Op ? |
dues mencue the people |
vendantai? go-ai-subjunctive? |
| correctly: Would the people have gone? | |||
b) Ai-subjunctive is also used in simple metaphors, defined here as uniclausal statements that each equate two dissimilar things to convey comparison between them.
| 14.3-4 |
Dus frauzu The woman |
sienitai is-ai-subjunctive |
onter. a storm. |
| correctly: The woman is a storm. | |||
| 14.3-5 |
Jeu You |
sienistai are-ai-subjunctive |
hund. a dog. |
| correctly: You are a dog. | |||
c) Ai-subjunctives convey counterfactuality most often in subordinator clauses, as in ?zeeje? clauses that serve as the complements of verbs that imply counterfactuality, like ?vuencen? (wish), ?dreemdenken? (imagine), and ?trielen? (doubt).
| 14.3-6 |
Ik I |
vuenco wish |
zeeje that |
jeu you |
hausa a house |
buezen to build |
haboosai had-ai-subjunctive |
| correctly: I wish you had built a house. | |||||||
| 14.3-7 |
Dus meedu The girl |
dreemdenkeus imagines |
zeeje that |
hu she |
godu a god |
sienitai. is-ai-subjunctive. |
| correctly: This girl thinks she's a god. | ||||||
| 14.3-8 |
Hue They |
trieloom doubted |
zeeje that |
bobu Bob |
venden to go |
habeusai. had-ai-subjunctive. |
| correctly: They doubted that Bob had gone. | ||||||
d) However, clauses with ai-subjunctive can be conditional in ?zeeje? clauses that serve as complements for verbs of knowledge like ?viten? (know), ?glooven? (believe), and ?vaxtiegen? (expect).
| 14.3-9 |
Ik I |
viteut knew |
zeeje that |
hue they |
kumantai. come-ai-subjunctive. |
| correctly: I knew that they would come. | |||||
| 14.3-10 |
Ik I |
vaxiego expect |
zeeje that |
de flus the river |
dat ha itself |
heebylai. rise ai-subjunctive. |
| correctly: I expect that the river would rise (in the future). | ||||||
?? This last example, 14.3-10, is about what would happen under future circumstances.