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Conjunction and Disjunction in TamilConjunctionIn English, conjuction is typically made by using the word 'and' between the nouns conjoined (e.g., 'John and Mary'). However, in Tamil conjunction of nouns is made by adding உம் to each of the constituents being conjoined. For example:
மாம்பழமும் வெங்காயமும் கோழியும் வாங்குங்கள். 'Buy/get mango, onion, and chicken. நானும் நீயும் போகவேண்டும். 'You and I must go.' In addition to nouns/noun phrases, உம் can also be used to conjoin post-positions, adverbs, and infinitive and adverbial participles (see Unit 6). However, the words/phrases conjoined must be of the same part of speech (e.g., can't have a noun and a post-position conjoined with உம், etc.). Post-positions
Adverbs
Infinitive clauses
DisjunctionIn Tamil, disjunction ('or') can be accomplished in a number of ways. Like conjunction the constituents must be of the same type. Also note that disjunction in Tamil is exclusive; i.e., only one of the disjuncts can be true, both cannot (contra disjunction in English).அல்லது Structure: X அல்லது Y
பள்ளிகூடத்துக்கு முன்னாலெ அல்லது பின்னாலெ சின்ன கொளம் இருக்கு. 'In front of or behind the school there is a small pond.'
The form இல்லாவிட்டால் (sp. இல்லாட்டா) (the negative conditional of இரு), 'otherwise', can also be used for disjunction:
You should buy it now. Otherwise it won't be available tomorrow. இப்போ போ. இல்லாட்டா புதன் கிழமை போகமுடியாது.
Disjunction can also be done by affixing either ஆவது or ஓ to each of the constituents. Structure: X-ஆவது/ஓ Y-ஆவது/ஓ.
பள்ளிகூடத்துக்கு முன்னாலேயாவது/ஓ பின்னாலேயாவது/ஓ சின்ன குளம் இருக்கும். 'In front of or behind the school there will be a small pond.' These two kinds of constructions, அல்லது and -ஆவது/-oo, can be used by all of the same constituents except for with adjectives. With adjectives only அல்லது can be used:
Alternative questions can be formed by adding the interrogative suffix -ஆ at the end of a sentence, rather than to the constituent. As with the interrogative suffix in general, it can not be attached to all of the same kinds of constituents (nouns, adverbs, adjectives, verbs, etc.):
சாப்பாடு கொஞ்சம் போடலாமா நிறைய போடலாமா? 'Shall I serve you a little bit or a lot of food? உங்களுக்கு சாப்பாடு! கொஞ்சமா? நெறையவா? 'how much food do you need? little or a lot? (Actually, each of these words constitutes a separate sentence!) Other kinds of coordinationIn addition to conjunction and disjunction there are a number of other words that can be used to coordinate constituents, some of which we have already looked at (e.g., temporal words like அப்புறம், etc.):ஆனால் (sp. ஆனா) 'But'
அவர் பேசுகிறார் ஆனால் எனக்கு ஒன்னும் புரியவில்லை. 'He is talking but I can't understand even one thing.' அதனால் (sp. அதனாலெ)'So, because of that.'
ஏனென்றால் (sp. ஏண்ணா) 'because, for the reasons of'
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