Relative anaphora

Relative anaphora in Medzor are grammatical words which point to another word, phrase or sentence. They are distinguished from deictic pronouns in that the relation is purely grammatical, the referent isn't an object or state in the real world.

The general rules for forming and using relative anaphora is:

• Take the agreement or case suffix of the referent and use it standalone in the new context with suffixes expressing the new role of the referent.

• The referent must have been expressed earlier than the anaphora. (The relative clause must follow the main clause.)

For example:

Chto ewmá almiř eskovaw žeka čerlša put iře badlvo. The man you look for went to the wood which burned down.

There are two relative anaphoras in this sentence: žeka is formed from že + ka, meaning the referent (ewmá) was the subject of the previous clause and is the object of the transitive static dragon-clause. The iře relative anaphora is formed from iř + že, the referent (almiř) was in locative in the main clause and is now a subject (in the dragon gender). Note the anaphora take the same place in the clause as the referent would have (put iře badlvo).

If the referent has the same role in the main and the relative clause, the anaphora is used without suffixes.

Rbe elsi baňlo li áro välkal. The woman who was holding a child ran away.

If the anaphora has is a subject role in the relative clause and had some other role in the main clause, the subject suffixes -že, -li, -la must be used (other than by nouns, where they can be ommitted).

Leska éňša kali röčöšö. I saw a woman who was crying.

Sentence anaphora and relative verbs

For sentence anaphora, the verb agreement suffix is used as a root:

Les örnü örntu sidlelo zô pu li loro näšal. My wife said she believed me.

However, it is also allowed to put the suffix of the anaphora onto the verb directly and drop the anaphora. This is the so-called relative verb construction, which is also used with verbal relation markers, here we generalize it for all possible suffixes. Please note if there are verbal particles, sometimes, a pronominal subject cannot be dropped.

Using anaphora:

Étu icelow zô put owka ážow. I said I believed you.

Using relative verb without verbal particles:

Étu icelowka ážow. I say I believe you.

Using relative verb with verbal particles:

Étu icelowka zô put örn ážow. I said I believed you.

The relative verb construction must be placed before the beginning of the main clause. The reason for this can be seen on our earlier example and its transformation:

Les örnü örntu sidlelo zô pu li loro näšal

Les örnü örntu sidleloro zô pu li näšal.

The loro anaphora moved and merged with the verb of the referenced clause, all remaining members remained in place.

Les örnü örnro lúldö li rotu sidlelo . My wife believed me because she loved me.

Please note the anaphora rotu which refers to the deictic pronoun örnro. Such constructions are possible and often used.

The "target" of the relation of the relative verb is only the next following clause.

Les örnü örnro lúldö li rotu sidleloro zô pu li näšal.

My wife said she believed me because she loved me.

This sentence means that the love is the reason for believing, not for the speaking.

Interrogative anaphora

Interrogative anaphora are usually used to ask for:

• a part of sentence which wasn't understood or which seems unbelievable ("you did what?")

• descriptions (asking for adjectives, but not possessive ones)

• conditions ("under which conditions...")

• reason and purpose ("why...")

• spites ("despite of what...")

They differ from interrogative deictics in that they actually do not ask for an object from the real world.

They are formed by using the co- root together with a suffix (or relative marker). If the co- is used with relative markers, it stands before the subject (which can be dropped if its pronominal and clear).

Zô é coka darmša? You did what?

Egrá covüka? How is the book?

Codö uzrak badvo? Why did the king die? (Reason)

Coma é eskovaw? Why do you come? (What is the purpose of your comming?)

Deictic pronouns vs. relative anaphora

If the theme of a conversation is something from the real world, then both a deictic and an anaphora can be used to refer to it. Deictic is more descriptive and puts the referent into the immediate environment of the interlocutors. Relative anaphora, on the other hand, is purely grammatical and just connects the new information with the older one. Generally, anaphora are preferred whenever possible and useful, but their use in subject and object sentences is restrictive, i.e. the relative clause distinguishes some thing from others of the same type:

Zô černka ibřa kaže edzvika. I used to have a book which was beautiful.

Zô egráka ibřa kaka väraša. I used to have the book you read.

In such cases, if the speaker wants to be not-retristrictive, he uses a deictic pronoun:

Zô černka ibřa ûň edzvika. I used to have a book, it was beautiful.