Proposed definitions
- .a'i (UI1)
- Attitudinal. Used to express effort / endeavor / exertion / labor / pains / strife / toil. (cf. troci, gunka, slunandu, selprogunka, fu'i nai)
.a'i mi ze'a ba ralte
I'm trying to hold it!
.a'i mi ba gasnu lo nu do cikna binxo
It'll be hard for me to wake you up.
- .a'i cu'i (UI*1)
- Attitudinal. Used to express effortlessness / ease / facility / no special effort (cf. selfrili, fu'i)
.a'i cu'i ti frili
Ah, this is easy.
- .a'i nai (UI*1)
- Attitudinal. Used to express repose / inaction / inactivity / passivity / lackadaisicalness / indolence(cf. toltoi, cando, guksurla)
.a'i nai cikre ta
Nah, why bother fixing it.
- .ai (UI1)
- Attitudinal. Used to express intent / intentionality / purpose / design (cf. zukte, platu)
.ai mi ze'e ba jmive
I intend to live forever.
.ai le mi cukta do sidju gi'e pacnygau
I intend for my book to give you help and hope.
- .ai cu'i (UI*1)
- Attitudinal. Used to express indecision / hesitation / vacillation / wavering.
.ai cu'i mi ti ba te vecnu
I don't know whether I'll purchase these or not.
- .ai nai (UI*1)
- Attitudinal. Used to express non-intent / unintentionality / accidentality / unplannedness. (cf. selsnuti)
.ai nai mi gunka ca le pavdei
I'm not planning to work on Monday.
.ai nai mi jmina lo valsi poi mi finti
I don't mean to add words of my own devising.
.ai nai do pu se xrani
I didn't mean for you to get hurt.
- .au (UI1)
- Attitudinal. Used to express desire / wish / yearning / aspiration. (cf. djica)
.au lo tricu cu krati lo ro se genja gi'e sfasa lo kusru be gy
Would that the trees might speak on behalf of all things that have roots, and punish those that wrong them!
- .au cu'i (UI*1)
- Attitudinal. Used to express indifference / apathy / disinterest. (cf. nordji)
.au cu'i makau jinga
I don't really care who wins.
- .au nai (UI*1)
- Attitudinal. Used to express reluctance / averseness / disinclination. (cf. toldji)
.au nai mi cliva
I'm reluctant to leave.
- .a'o (UI1)
- Attitudinal. Used to express hope / longing. (cf. pacna)
.a'o le nobli cu gidva lo se zukte be mi
Oh, that the Lord would guide my ways.
- .a'o nai (UI*1)
- Attitudinal. Used to express despair / hopelessness / dread / fear that a situation ensues. (cf. tolpacna)
.a'o nai ro da ca se cirko
Everything will be lost now.
- .ei (UI1)
- Attitudinal. Used to express obligation / how things ought to be. (cf. bilga)
.ei mi cliva co'o
Gotta go now, bye!
.ei le jatna cu ckeji
The president ought to be ashamed.
.ei do djuno
You ought to know.
- .ei nai (UI*1)
- Attitudinal. Used to express freedom / lack of obligation / how things need not be. (cf. zifre)
.ei nai do tolnurcni
You don't have to feel threatened.
- .e'a (UI1)
- Attitudinal. Used to permit / allow / grant permission / authorization / consent / license. (cf. curmi)
.e'a do tsebi'o
You may sit down.
- .e'a nai (UI*1)
- Attitudinal. Used to prohibit / forbid / deny permission / authorization / consent / license. (cf. tolcru)
.e'a nai do ti stali
You can't stay here.
- .e'e (UI1)
- Attitudinal. Used to exhort / incite / motivate / encourage / entreat / stimulate / challenge / dare / provoke / invite competition. (cf. talsa)
.e'e ko jarco lo se kakne be do
Show them what you can do! Go for it!
.e'e mi do bajra jivna fe'e co'u le karce
I'll race you to the car!
- .e'e nai (UI*1)
- Attitudinal. Used to discourage / intimidate / demoralize / deprecate / dampen / bridle / avoid / dodge / elude / duck / evade / back off / withdraw. (cf. zunti, dicra)
.e'e nai doi nelis
Whoa, Nelly!
.e'e nai mi bilga lo nu zukte lo drata
Sorry, I have other things to do.
- .e'i (UI1)
- Attitudinal. Used to command / dictate / instruct / order / oblige / constrain / impose an obligation. (cf. minde, ri'urgau)
.e'i ko ta mi dunda
Give that to me!
- .e'i nai (UI*1)
- Attitudinal. Used to discharge / absolve / dismiss / exonerate / liberate / release / unbind / free of an obligation. (cf. zi'ergau)
.e'i nai ko zukte lo se djica be do
Do whatever you please!
- .e'o (UI1)
- Attitudinal. Used to make a request. (cf. cpedu, pe'u)
.e'o do dunda le silna mi
Can you pass me the salt, please?
- .e'o nai (UI*1)
- Attitudinal. Used to grant / cede / proffer / make an offer. (cf. friti)
.e'o nai ko lebna lo titla
Here, have some candy.
- .e'u (UI1)
- Attitudinal. Used to suggest / persuade / advise. (cf. stidi)
.e'u mi'o salci
Let's party!
- .e'u nai (UI*1)
- Attitudinal. Used to dissuade / warn / disadvise. (cf. kajde, o'i)
.e'u nai do kargau le moklu
You better not open your mouth.
- ia (UI1)
- Attitudinal. Used to express belief / conviction / faith / certainty (cf. krici, birti, jinvi)
ia lo cevni cu zasti
Indeed God exists.
- ia cu'i (UI*1)
- Attitudinal. Used to express skepticism / doubt / agnosticism / uncertainty. (cf. senpi)
ia cu'i lo cevni cu zasti
Hmm ... God may or may not exist.
- ia nai (UI*1)
- Attitudinal. Used to express disbelief / incredulity / rejection (cf. tolkri)
ia nai lo cevni cu zasti
I don't believe God exists.
- ie (UI1)
- Attitudinal. Used to express agreement / concordance / accord / concurrence. (cf. tugni)
ie ta melbi
Yes, that's beautiful.
- ie nai (UI*1)
- Attitudinal. Used to express disagreement / dissent / contention / difference / argument. (cf. toltu'i)
ie nai go'i
I disagree with that.
Notes
- The definitions of e'e and e'i are based on a very loose interpretation of some of the keywords, so that they fit the e-series, which in all other cases expresses the speaker's attitude towards the audience's bringing about some situation.
- ai nai changed from rejection / refusal (which is i'a nai) to unintentionality / accidentality / unplannedness.
- e'o nai "make an offer", instead of "negative request"?
- I have no idea what a "negative request" is. I do, however, see how "offer" is a negative of "request". - .aionys.
- e'u cu'i "abandon suggestion"?
- Recent discussions have brought up the question of whether a realis/irrealis dichotomy makes sense at all, or whether all bridi are implicitly semi-realis, with some attitudinals leading to stronger implications one way or the other. Public opinion seems to be in favor of removing the split. If so, the definitions may need to be tweaked to make this more clear. If not, then someone needs to speak up in defense of the split.
Poll
BPFK Poll: Irrealis Attitudinals
BPFK Poll: Irrealis Attitudinals