Knašta/Polite Speech

Polite Speech, or Parlenskatsjonsíl [parlɛnskatsjonsil] in Knašta, is a form of speech that makes use of the conditional mood to convey a sense of politeness and respect.

History and Development

Polite Speech is makes use of the conditional mood, which is achieved by adding the prefix síl- [sil] to the front of the verb infinitive. For example:

Sí ní minǰeskakatsí síl-mwértsakatsí.
If I don't eat, I will die.

Polite Speech first started out as the template phrases:

Sí vālencanés, «frazatí vérba osíàrívítjatsjon».
If you wish, verbal phrase in the conditional.

Sí ǰis dos bots por vošní, «frazatí vérba osíàrívítjatsjon».
If it is good for you, verbal phrase in the conditional.

These templates were used to ask favors or permission in formal situations, such as:

Sí vālencanés, síl-minǰeskanés.
If you would like you may start eating.

Sí ǰis dos bots por vošnísin, mos-levakatsa matka.
If you would like we shall leave.

Later, these templates were simplified into today's form:

síl-«frazatí vérba osíàrívítkatsjon».
verb phrase in the conditional

In today's language, the above examples would be:

Síl-minǰeskanés

Síl-til-levakatsa matka.

Usage

Polite speech is used when speaking to persons of authority or of higher social standing than the speaker, however, when it is used, it is used by all speakers involved in the conversation (i.e. a person of authority will use polite speech when talking down to a common person). Polite Speech is also generally used in formal situations in which the speakers has not been or is not very well acquainted to those they are speaking with.

Polite speech isn't just used for giving orders or suggestions, it can also be used to ask questions or make statements.

Kí síl-ǰis sé leďeska Améríka-ins?
If I may ask, who is the president of America?

Síl-lešťa fîmí ojo.
If I may say so, I am hungry.

Polite Speech is not typically used in literature.

There is one that go along with polite speech:

Jůtilsasíl
To use polite speech

Which can be seen in the following examples:

Minǰeskanés.
Síl-jůtilsasílnés silťenska.
Eat!
If you would be so kind as to be more polite.

Síl-gróþkatsa oplaskaminǰeskatsjon drastniqt.
Ní jůtilsasílnés. Okorsa nærsk kanel.
If you would like it, we can go to a restaurant tonight.
Don't be so formal. Of course we can.