Chapter 17 Coordination and contrast
Addition: we
The three conjunctions join elements inside one expression. The Slot 2 particle we makes a different kind of addition: it places the following constituent alongside an alternative already established in speech or context. English often renders it as "also" or "too."
melu shua. we thiku miona shua. — A friend comes. A small person comes too.
lo lopia mua thepalu wile. we lohau wile. — The children play in the garden. The dog plays too.
ne sulae shua. ne siora we shua. — sulae comes. siora comes too.
Where it stands
we stands at the outer edge of the constituent it adds. When the added participant is the news, it comes before the subject: we lohau wile. When the added action is the point, it comes before the verb: ne siora we shua. Its position tells the listener what is being placed alongside the earlier alternative.
we versus nela
nela stands between grammatical equals: shiro nela peloru, trees and flowers. we reaches back to an understood alternative and marks the new participant or action. English "X and Y" usually calls for nela; "Y too" usually calls for we. The position is different because the relation is different.