Chapter 18 Discourse flow
Addition and example
sheno adds another point to the same line of thought. phisu gives a concrete case of a general statement. They may occupy the same position, but they ask the next sentence to do different work.
Addition: sheno
sheno signals a further point: "furthermore" or "in addition."
shelira mioru nai. sheno luphore maeli nai.
forest beautiful be. ADD river quiet be.
mia shea phaelo. sheno mia lothea phaelo.
1SG peace feel. ADD 1SG love feel.
Unlike nela, sheno does not join two grammatical elements. It begins a new sentence and places that sentence in the same developing account. The addition may support an argument, expand a description, or simply add another relevant fact.
Example: phisu
phisu introduces a concrete example of what has just been said.
lo shiro lima nai. phisu ha shiro thuroa.
PL tree alive be. EXMP PROX tree grow.
mia lo shiro lothea. phisu mia ha whalo shiro lothea.
1SG PL tree love. EXMP 1SG PROX large tree love.
shia welao thumela. phisu shia lo lopia sheluo.
3SG good teach. EXMP 3SG PL child listen.
An example gives the listener something specific to inspect. It can show how the general claim works or expose where it fails. phisu marks it as an example, not as proof.
The difference between sheno and phisu
After shia welao thumela, the same following clause changes its discourse role according to the marker:
| Phi | English | Relation |
|---|---|---|
sheno shia lo lopia sheluo. | Furthermore, they listen to the children. | another relevant observation |
phisu shia lo lopia sheluo. | For example, they listen to the children. | a proposed instance of teaching well |
The facts in the second sentence have not changed. sheno widens the account; phisu asks the listener to test the general claim against one case.