Next: Syntactic Concessive.
Up: Conditional
Previous: Concessive.
If a Í -e word
(WH-interrogative) is followed by a verb in the concessive, we get
clauses which translate in English as `no matter wh-' or `wh-ever' or `any old
wh-':
ÍĪ― ―ÔĒŧÔčĢ ũĻƧ ―ĄīĢ žÔč Ø―į îÜ žÕýá ūŋūÔ ŧÔØÆ
ÉįĄÞÅÔõī eppa paattaalum jannal pakkam naalu peeru kuudi
ninnu mayamaa-taanee irukkraanka. `Whenever you look, a bunch of
people are crowded around the window.'
The phrase ÍĪ― ―ÔĒŧÔčĢ eppa paattaalum has assumed the meaning
of `always' or `every time you look' or `every time you turn around' or simply
`often'.
- ŋÔį ÂĸŧÔčĢ ķĀÕ yaaru vandaalum, sari `Whoever comes, it's okay'
(`It doesn't matter' or `doesn't make any difference who comes', etc.)
- ÍõŨī Ø―ÔÆÔčĢ ĮŨŧ ÂÔõīÁÔĢ enge poonaalum, ade vaankalaam
`Wherever you go, you can buy it.'
- ÍŽÂÄé ØīĨđÔčĢ ĮÂĻ ÞāĪ―ÔĻ evvalavu keettaalum avan kuduppaan `He'll pay whatever (they) ask'
- ÍĒŧŨÆ ŧđŨÂ ŨķÔĻÆÔčĢ ĮÂĻ ØīĄīūÔĨđÔĻ ettane tadave
sonnaalum avan keekkamaattaan `no matter how many times (you) say
(it), he won't get it'
Harold_F.Schiffman