9.4.3 Moods

Use this section for verbal auxiliaries, affixes, adverbs, and particles that indicate moods.

9.4.3.1 Imperative

Use this section for verbal auxiliaries, affixes, adverbs, and particles that indicate imperatives. The following definitions are taken from Bybee, Joan, Revere Perkins, and William Pagliuca. 1994. The evolution of grammar. Chicago and London: University of Chicago Press. Use this domain for words and affixes that a speaker uses to indicate that he is making a command. English has no command word. Some languages change the form of the verb by adding an affix. Some languages have special verbs that are only or normally used as commands. Those verbs could be classified here.

  • imperative: the verb form used for direct commands in the 2nd person. If there are also 1st and 3rd person forms, the meaning can still be that of imperative, with the 1st and 3rd persons being interpreted as 'Let us, let him...', etc.
  • optative: the proposition represents the speaker's will. Translated into English as 'May you prosper', 'May we all meet again.' with counterfactual: 'If only he had...', etc.
  • hortative: the speaker is encouraging or inciting someone to action.
  • prohibitive: the mood for expressing negative commands. The English is 'Don't'.
  • admonitive: the command constitutes a warning: 'you had better not...'.
  • Meanings co-occurring with imperative:
  • polite: a mild or polite form of command.
  • delayed: the action of the command is to be carried out in the future rather than immediately.
  • immediate: the action of the command is to be carried out immediately.
  • strong: (self-explanatory).
  • What words indicate that the sentence is a command?
    (none in English)
  • What affixes indicate that the sentence is a command?
    (none in English), (in many Bantu languages) -e 'a verbal suffix indicating that the sentence is a command'
  • What words are only used in the imperative?
    whoa (stop)

    • 9.4.3.2 Hortative

    Use this domain for ways of saying that someone should do something. If I say someone should do something, I think it is good that he does it.

    Louw Nida Codes: 
    71D Should, Ought
  • What words indicate that the speaker is encouraging or inciting someone to action.
    urge, request, let, why don't, please
  • What words indicate that something should be done?
    should, ought to, be responsible for, be duty bound,
  • What words indicate that something should not be done?
    should not, ought not to, caution
  • What words refer to something a person should do?
    duty, responsibility, obligation, onus, requirement,
  • What words describe the person who should do something?
    responsible,
  • What words describe someone who does what he should?
    dutiful, responsible

    • 9.4.3.3 Interrogative

    Use this domain for words that a speaker uses to indicate that he is asking a question. English has no question word, but other languages such as Japanese do.

  • What words indicate that the sentence is a question?
    (Japanese) ka? 'a particle coming at the end of a sentence to indicate that it is a question'
  • English has an interjection that is added to a statement that has the effect of questioning something about it.