‘Therefore’ relator ‘If that is the case’ sentence relator

18.12 Sentence relators

In Lhomi discourse there are several syntactic devices that link the current clause to all that has taken place before or to just the previous sentence or clause. As for sentence relators I follow what David Watters writes, “They relate the current notional clause to some adjoining chunk of text which potentially, though not necessarily, consists of more than one clause” 2002:347.

18.12.1 ‘Therefore’ relator

‘Therefore’ relator includes medial verb ‘do;VBZR’ t ɕhi-ni with the non-finite verbal suffix -ni NFNT2. Usually there is also the demonstrative hiko or uko which is the subject of the clause. The following example illustrates this: 18.237 mi- i thoŋ-kin thoŋ-kin kʏnnak ku man-ERG see-NMLZ see-NMLZ theft steal s- ʏ ʏt mit-tshuu-ken bet. who-ERG INCLN NEG-be.able-NMLZ;CONJ AUX hiko t ɕhi-ni kʏnnak mennak-la this do;VBZR-NFNT2 theft darkness-DAT maŋ-aa ku-ken bet. TE63 a.lot-COMP2 steal-NMLZ;CONJ AUX ‘No one steals while men can see it. Therefore thieves always steal in the darkness.’

18.12.2 ‘If that is the case’ sentence relator

‘In that case, if that is the case’ is an adverbial clause with conditional reading. The verb is an equative copula. This relator chains the previous sentence or a larger chunk to what follows. It is used in persuasive or argumentative genre. The next example illustrates this. 18.238 ni satt ɕip di-p-e lempu-la hi-ntuk tɕhi-pa secretary DEF-PL2-ERG reply-DAT this-ADVZR do;VBZR-NMLZ;Q jamp- ʏ dʑaap-ʏ ʈhim-la mip-pa bet sit-tɕuŋ. Kathmandu-GEN king-GEN law-DAT NEG.EXIST-NMLZ;Q AUX say-PST.EXP u-ni ŋ-e hiko hin-na ni jamp-ʏ dʑaap-ʏ that-ABL 1SG-ERG this COP-NFNT1 DM Kathmandu-GEN king-GEN sø-p-e ʈhim joŋma-a-la ta tsi make-NMLZ;Q-GEN law another-COMP2-DAT EMPHP heed mit-tshuu-p-e khan ʈa-la tshan hi-la NEG-be.able-NMLZ;Q-INS what-DAT even.more this-DAT nømpa d ʑap-na ʈhim-ki thok-la ʈhim so-ken bek=ka? addition VBZR-NFNT1 law-GEN on.top-DAT law make-NMLZ;CONJ AUX=Q ŋa ni hi-ntuk tɕhi-pa ɕʏli mit-tɕhit. … TE58 1SG DM this-ADVZR do;VBZR-NMLZ;Q at.all NEG-do;VBZR[NPST] ‘The secretaries said to me, “This sort of thing is not in the government legislation.” After that I said, “If that is the case, then why do you make an additional legal obligation on top of the current government regulations since you are not able to obey even the current laws? As for me, I will not do it….”’ This one is from a village trial and the speaker is arguing that to participate in the village communal rituals is not a government requirement. The judgessecretaries admit that there is no legal obligation to participate and the speaker defendant ties his answer to that saying ‘in that case, if that is the case’. He is addressing the whole village. 18.239 u-ntuk hin-na that-ADVZR COP-NFNT1 raŋ tɕhøttsen khajet khur-la dʑuk. TE18 2SG rel.things plural carry-DAT run[IMP] ‘If that is the case, take all religious things with you and get out’ Or: ‘That being the case…’ The conditional clause, which is underlined, relates to preceding sentences where the great lama refuses the reward the king is offering him for his services. The result is the main clause which is very impolite and stern. Speaker is the offended king.

18.12.3 ‘Nevertheless, however, despite’ relators