voi
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voi is a prefix for non-veridical relative clause.
- voi = [NOI] non-veridical relative clause introducer
voi serves to introduce a kind of relative clause. Relative clauses introduced by voi are restrictive, like those introduced by poi. However, there is a fundamental difference between poi and voi relative clauses. A poi relative clause is said to be veridical, in the same sense that a description using lo or loi is: it is essential to the interpretation that the bridi actually be true. For example:
le gerku poi blabi cu bajra i le gerku poi blabi cu vreta The dog that is white runs. The dogs that is white is lying. |
Here we have two dogs. In order to refer to the second dog that was described as "lying" we can use voi:
le gerku voi bajra cu sanli The dog that I described as running stands. |
This puts the listener on notice that the dog in question may not actually meet objective standards for running (e.g. it might not be running now): only the context, the dialogue and the discourse the the members of the dialogue create determine exactly what is meant by the term. In this way, voi is like le; the intention of the members of the dialogue determines the meaning.
However,
le gerku poi bajra cu sanli The dog that runs stands. |
implies that the dog runs, or the sentence constitutes a miscommunication and the listener will not understand the situation correctly.