Articles
Kaitè uses no articles.
In situations where an article would be needed in English for emphasis or clarification (ex. 'No, I don't need a doctor, I need the Doctor!'), a similar meaning can be expressed in Kaitè by capitalizing the noun and suffixing it with -kvił (subject case), -kvìv (non-subject case), or -kvì(n) (prepositional case), essentially adding a sense of importance to the word.
In situations where an article would be needed in English for emphasis or clarification (ex. 'No, I don't need a doctor, I need the Doctor!'), a similar meaning can be expressed in Kaitè by capitalizing the noun and suffixing it with -kvił (subject case), -kvìv (non-subject case), or -kvì(n) (prepositional case), essentially adding a sense of importance to the word.
- An individual's primary name can be suffixed with -kvił/-kvìv/-kvìn as a way to show respect, similar to the use of Mr. and Mrs./Miss/Ms. in English.
Compound Nouns
The standard method of constructing compound nouns in Kaitè is to place the adjective(s) in 2nd position and attach (hyphenate) them to the noun. Any affixes are attached to the noun, while få/foifå and jìnn through finn are attached to the end of the compound, thus:
hrèn-lòhinèks = (the) sun ([the] great fire)
hrènah-lòhinèks = suns
hrèn-lòhinèks-ha / hrènn-lòhinèks-foifå = two suns / all (of the) suns
Yustaishu hrènatniłvìn-lòhinèks-sam. = He looked at its three suns.
hrèn-lòhinèks = (the) sun ([the] great fire)
hrènah-lòhinèks = suns
hrèn-lòhinèks-ha / hrènn-lòhinèks-foifå = two suns / all (of the) suns
Yustaishu hrènatniłvìn-lòhinèks-sam. = He looked at its three suns.
Double Negatives
A double negative is not standard but can be used to amplify the negative, similar to adding 'at all' to a negative in English:
Diusha shánn jóli keił. / Jè diusha shánn ólika keił. = There is no-one here.
Jè diusha shánn jóli keił. = There is no-one here at all. (No-one is not existing here.)
Diusha shánn jóli keił. / Jè diusha shánn ólika keił. = There is no-one here.
Jè diusha shánn jóli keił. = There is no-one here at all. (No-one is not existing here.)
Passive Voice
Kaitè has no separate construction for the passive voice. If the subject doing the action is unknown or not specified, one can use the indefinite verb conjugation to express a meaning similar to that expressed by the passive voice in English and other languages. Often this can be interchangeable with the 3rd person neutral conjugation:
Anaishu siłv. = He burned me.
Anait siłv. / Anaił siłv. = I was burned. (One burned me.) / It burned me.
Anaishu siłv. = He burned me.
Anait siłv. / Anaił siłv. = I was burned. (One burned me.) / It burned me.