2. Complex Sentences
2.1 Word Order
Until now, we always used the word order:
subject – verb – object
But this is not required.
Examples:
| Kokanu sentence | Meaning |
|---|---|
| mi le amo in pawo | I love dogs |
| mi in pawo le amo | I love dogs |
However, if we continue to not mark the subject, when the subject is not first, ambiguity arises:
- le amo in pawo mi
- in pawo mi le amo
- (Are you saying "my dog is loved" or "i love dogs"?)
To avoid this, the subject must be marked with men when it is not in the first position:
- in pawo le amo men mi
- le amo men mi in pawo
- (I love dogs)
It is also allowed at the start:
- men mi le amo in pawo
All of these have the same literal meaning. Word order in Kokanu is a rhetorical choice and can be used to stress certain parts of the sentence.
New Words
- men = subject marker (particle)
2.2 Prepositions
Every Kokanu sentence needs a main verb (usually the le-clause).
Other parts are optional:
- mi le amo → I love
- le teka in insu → someone sees a building / the building is seen
Both men and in are prepositions.
A preposition treats the word after it like a noun and relates it to the main verb. This also applies to pronouns; therefore, all pronouns we used as a subject or object before in fact acted just as nouns.
Kokanu has 11 prepositions:
| Preposition | Meaning |
|---|---|
| men | subject marker |
| in | direct object marker |
| pi | at / during (time or place) |
| kan | alongside / with |
| sun | from |
| po | for |
| he | vocative marker |
| nenka | because |
| hon | context (surroundings or conditionals) |
| wija | via / through / using |
| ki | towards |
Warning
Some English verbs have two objects (direct + indirect).
In Kokanu, ki often marks the recipient (the indirect object).
Example:
| Kokanu sentence | English meaning |
|---|---|
| ja le tene in mani ki nin | they give money to the person / they give the person money |
New Words
- ki = towards (preposition)
- insu = building
- mani = money
- tene = to give (a gift)
- nin = person
2.3 Imperatives and Suggestions
To form an imperative:
- Drop the subject
- Replace le with o
Examples:
- tu le kota ki mi → you talk to me
- o kota ki mi → talk to me!
- tu le tene in na ki mi → you give that to me
- o tene in na ki mi → give that to me!
To specify who is addressed, use he:
| Kokanu sentence | English meaning |
|---|---|
| he neje o kota ki mi | horse, talk to me! |
Another use of o is to say how things oughta be. In other words, o can be used to make suggestions.
| Kokanu sentence | English meaning |
|---|---|
| mi o makan in ne | I should eat this |
| ja o tene in neje ja ki mi | they should give me their horse |
| nin o se pi insu tu | people should exist at your building |
In these cases, o translates roughly to English "should".
New Words
- o = imperative/suggestion marker (particle)
- he = vocative marker (preposition)
- neje = horse
- ne = this
- na = that
- pi = at/on/in (locative preposition)
- se = existant
2.4 Conjunctions
Kokanu has four conjunctions:
| Conjunction | Meaning |
|---|---|
| un | and |
| ili | or |
| tan | then |
| lekin | but |
They can connect words, phrases, or sentences.
In English, in order to list multiple subjects, verbs, objects, etc. the word "and" must be used. In Kokanu, something similar is often done.
| Kokanu sentence | English meaning |
|---|---|
| mi un tu le kela | me and you play |
| neje le wisan un suki in kuwosi | horses know and like fruit |
| mi le teka in insu un nin | i see a building and a person |
However, this is not the only way to chain multiple noun phrases. There are three total methods:
| Kokanu sentence | English meaning |
|---|---|
| mi le makan in kuwosi in ukama | I eat fruits and plants (no use of un) |
| mi le makan in kuwosi un in ukama | I eat fruits and plants |
| mi le makan in kuwosi un ukama | I eat fruits and plants |
There is no difference in meaning between any of these constructions. They are just different ways of saying the same thing.
Additionally, un can be used to chain multiple sentences together.
| Kokanu sentence | English meaning |
|---|---|
| mi le makan in kuwosi, un ja le wisan in ne | I eat fruit, and they know this |
| ukiki le teka in mi, un mi le teka in ja | A monkey sees me, and I see it |
ili, meaning "or", can be used in all the same ways that un can be. It just means "or" instead of "and".
| Kokanu sentence | English meaning |
|---|---|
| le ju men mi in micin ili kuwosi | I want fish or fruit |
| in na o kela men mi ili men tu | me or you should play that |
The other two conjunctions are tan and lekin, meaning "then" and "but" respectively. They both act similarily, and can only connect full phrases.
Examples:
| Kokanu sentence | English meaning |
|---|---|
| le kota men mi men tu kan usen, lekin le no wisan men mi in tu | we talked with each other, but I don't know you |
| tu le pata, tan tu le lika | you read, then you write |
| ja in meja le suki, tan ja in pawo le suki | they liked cats, then they liked dogs |
New Words
- un = and
- ili = or
- kuwosi = fruit
- ukama = plant
- kela = to play (a game)
- wisan = to know (information)
- suki = to like (a preferred thing)
- ju = to want (a desired thing)
- lekin = but
- tan = then
- kan = with (preposition)
- pata = to read (a document)
- lika = to write (text)
- meja = cat
- pawo = dog