Editing Kot Wawa (section)

== Rule #18 – pi ==

(V|N) pi (VP|NP)

You can use a whole phrase instead of a single word with the structure word “pi”.


{| class="wikitable"
|-
| | dòm.
| | “it’s a building.”, “it’s a house.”, “it’s the home of it.”
|| < tok ''tomo'', ult. < PIE *''dṓm ''“house”, “home”
|-
|  | tóm
|  | “building”, “house”, “home of it”
|  | 
|-
|  | mí li dòk lòn-tóm.
|  | “I talk in the house.”
|  | 
|-
|  | mí li dòk lon tóm nì.
|  | “If I talk, it’s in this house.”
|  | 
|-
|  | mí li dòk lòn-pi tóm nì.
|  | “I talk in this house.”
|  | 
|-
|  | zìk.
|  | “It’s a circle.”, “It goes around it.”, “It’s round.”
|  | 
|-
|  | kíl zìk.
|  | “A round fruit.”
|  | 
|-
|  | mí li mòk e kíl zìk zùl.
|  | “I’m eating a big round fruit.”
|  | 
|-
|  | mí li mòk e kíl pi zìk zùl.
|  | “I’m eating a very round fruit.”
|  | 
|}


In writing compound words, “pi” is joined to the word before it when the word after it is a noun, but written separately when the word after it is a verb. “pi” is never joined to the next word after it, since what follows is not an object chain but rather a full phrase.

“pi” phrases can also be nested.


{| class="wikitable"
|-
| | mí li dòk lòn-pi tóm pi zìk zùl.
| | “I talk in a very round building.”
|| 
|}


By default, they all run to the end of the phrase they are in.

“pi” can be very useful when using prepositions.


{| class="wikitable"
|-
| | dèm.
| | “It’s a time.”, “It’s the time when it happens.”, “It’s the time for it.”
|| < tok ''tenpo'', cf. fr ''temps'', en ''tempo''
|-
|  | tém zùn.
|  | “A shining time.”, “A day.”
|  | 
|-
|  | tém zùn nì.
|  | “Today.”
|  | 
|-
|  | mí li dàu lòn-pi tém zùn nì.
|  | “I’m going today.”
|  | 
|}