Temporal clauses in English are subordinate clauses introduced by the conjunction when:
When I was fifteen, my family moved to Brno.
In these blog post, we will explore three ways to form temporal clauses in Iridian.
The conjunction še
The conjunction še, ‘with’ (in this case meaning whenever) may be used to form temporal clauses with the subjunctive.
Pozbíšílá še parasolka tahatnit.
Whenever it rains, I bring my umbrella.
Perfective converb
The perfective converb may also be used in temporal clauses. This usage, however, implies a greater causal relationship between the subordinate clause and the main clause.
Blasa zahranu, mert na podveka vdenik.
When I entered the room, I saw the corpse lying on the floor.
The imperfective may also be used (often with the conjunction sim in formal and literary registers).
Otviec (sim) na Varšave možlašaní.
When I was young, we used to live in Warsaw.
With niec, dnou and huzbá
This third way of forming temporal clauses is specially useful when using the temporal clause not as an introduction to the main clause but as a modifier to an element in the sentence.
Niec, dnou and huzbá are all nouns, and therefore the subordinate clause is first nominalised (if possible) and declined in the genitive, or otherwise connected to niec, dnou or huzbá with the linking particle ko. Niec ‘time’ is generally the neutral choice. Dnou ‘front, before’ is used when the situation/action being described is in the past and is most likely not true anymore while huzbá ‘back, after’ is used when the situation is not true yet or the action is yet to happen.
Za Léon Werthí me bylu dnou tóma hledébit.
I dedicate this book to Léon Werth, when he was still a young boy.
(from The Little Prince)