Relative clauses
A relative clause is one that describes a noun, for example, ‘the animal that the person ate.’ There are two ways to hang a clause on a noun in Pikotika.
Form one: two sentences
Say the clause as its own sentence, with ker (what, whichever) filling the slot you are relativizing. Then pick it up with tis in the next clause, constructed just like a regular sentence, after a comma.
| Pikotika | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Tu ri tene a kerkosa, pam tonar a tis ver eko. | Whatever you have, send me that. |
| Eko ri retseveni in kerora, pam sista retover tis. | Wait until I get back. (Lit: Whenever I return, wait until then.) |
Form two: rite
Put the clause in front of the noun and attach it with rite.
the animal the person ate
Omo ri komi rite peste.Send me what you have.
Pam tonar a tu ri tene rite kosa ver eko.rite is like te, but for clauses. Both say "the modified noun follows;" the difference is how much they take as the modifier.
| Pikotika | Takes | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Omo ri komi te peste. | only komi | The person is a food-animal. |
| Omo ri komi rite peste. | the whole clause | the animal the person ate |
The rule for choosing: if the modifier contains ri or a, close it with rite. Otherwise use te.
Because word order is rigid, ‘the whole clause’ is never in doubt: scanning back from rite, it takes at most one verb with its objects, ri, and one subject, stopping at the first word that would break that order.
Note that if you leave the subject out and start the relative clause with ri, it still works; the implied subject in this case is noun the clause is modifying. Some examples will help illustrate.
| Pikotika | Literal Meaning |
|---|---|
| Verte arpoaku te komparroko ri vin. | The green tea shop is closed. (No relative clause at all.) |
| Ri kompar a arpoaku rite komparroko ri vin. | The shop that sells tea is closed. (Form 2, implied subject.) |
| Eko ri kompar a arpoaku rite komparroko ri vin. | The shop where I bought tea is closed. (Form 2, explicit subject.) |
| Kerkomparroko ri kompar a arpoaku, tis ri vin. | Whatever shop sells tea, it's closed. (Form 1) |
Try it yourself
- Eko ri sape a tu ri sarve rite vema.
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‘I know the woman you met.’ The basic sentence here is Eko ri sape a vema, but then tu ri sarve modifies vema.
- Tu ri tonar ver eko rite yave ri sur tapur.
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‘The key you gave me is on the table.’
- ‘The food that you made is very good.’ (Food is komi; made is vake.)
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Tu ri vake rite komi ri meka pona.