INTRODUCTION
Modals. They’re the every Instagram influencer out there. Wait, they’re models. I was actually thinking of the parts or units that can be used to construct a more complex structure. Wait, that’s module. What I really mean is a learning platform or course management system. Wait, that’s Moodle. Let me think again. They are words that tell us how things are achieved. Yes, that’s what a modal is.
So, what are modal postpositions? Modal postpositions are postpositions that deal with information about how an action or things are done. For example, in the following sentence, the word made bold is what a modal postposition is:
She went with the flow.
There are not many modal prepositions, nonetheless we will go over them in detail below.
VOCABULARY
व्रत (vrata) = A pious observance, usually a religious fast
देब्रे (debre) = Left
दाहिने (dāhine) = Right
बाँच्नु (bām̐cnu) = To live
प्रवेश निषेध (praveś niṣedh) = Entry forbidden
कागज (kāgaj) = Paper
बाझ्नु (bājhnu) = To fight
थाल्नु (thālnu) = To start
ANUSĀR
अनुसार (anusār) has the meaning of “according to”. It indicates how actions are achieved through means appropriate to the circumstances. For example:
ऊअनुसार हिजो गाडी आएको थियो (ū-anusār hijo gāḍī āeko thiyo)
= (The) car had come yesterday according to him/her
[he/she (+) anusār-postposition + yesterday + car + had]
समयअनुसार भात खानुपर्छ (samaya-anusār bhāt khānuparcha)
= (We) should eat rice according to (the) time
[time (+) anusār-postposition + rice + verb]
BĀHEK
बाहेक (bāhek) has the meaning of “except” or “besides”. It indicates how actions or entities are excluded from something. For example:
रामबाहेक सबै आए (rām-bāhek sabai āe)
= Everyone came except Ram
[Ram (+) bāhek-postposition + everyone + verb]
व्रतको बेलामा पानीबाहेक केही खानुहुँदैन (vrata-ko belā-mā pānī-bāhek kehī khānuhum̐daina)
= (One) should not consume anything except water at (the) time of fasting
[fasting (+) ko-case marker + time (+) mā-case marker + water (+) bāhek-postposition + anything + verb]
BHANDĀ
भन्दा (bhandā) is a comparative postposition that has the meaning of “than”. It is used to compare two things to see which has the greater or lesser of the said quality. You cannot compare similar things, however, only dissimilar things. For example:
हिजो ४ जनाभन्दा धेरै मान्छे आए (hijo cār janā-bhandā dherai mānche āe)
= More than 4 people came yesterday
[yesterday + 4 + counter (+) bhandā-postposition + more + people + verb]
मेरो देब्रे हात दाहिनेभन्दा ठुलो छ (mero debre hāt dāhine-bhandā ṭhulo cha)
= My left hand is bigger than (my) right (hand)
[my + left + hand + right (+) bhandā-postposition + big + copula]
मलाई बन्दाभन्दा साग मिठो लाग्छ (ma-lāī bandā-bhandā sāg miṭho lāgcha)
= Spinach is tastier than cabbage for me
[I (+) lāī-case marker + cabbage (+) bhandā-postposition + spinach + tasty + verb]
BINĀ
बिना (binā) is a postposition that has the meaning of “without”. It is used to indicate the absence of something. Another way of saying this is बेगर (begar). For example:
म तिमीबिना बाँच्नसक्छु (ma timī-binā bām̐cnasakchu)
= I can live without you
[I + you (+) binā-postposition + verb]
An interesting way बिना (binā) can function is by acting as an adverb. You can replace बिना (binā) with बेगर (begar) in cases it acts as a postposition, but not as an adverb. So, for the above sentence, you can replace बिना (binā), but not in the following one:
बिना कागज प्रवेश निषेध (binā kāgaj praveś niṣedh)
= Without paper entry forbidden
[binā-adverb + entry + forbidden]
You cannot replace बिना (binā) with बेगर (begar) in the above sentence, since it functions as an adverb here. You can however, rearrange it to make it function as a postposition and it will work:
कागज(बिना/बेगर) प्रवेश निषेध (kāgaj(binā/begar) praveś niṣedh)
SAM̐GA
सँग (sam̐ga) is a postposition that has the meaning of “with”. It is used to indicate accompaniment. For example:
केसँग भात खान्छौ ? (ke-sam̐ga bhāt khānchau)
= With what (will you) eat rice?
[what (+) sam̐ga-postposition + + rice + verb]
मेरीसँग जाऊ (merī-sam̐ga jāū)
= Go with Mary
[Mary (+) sam̐ga-postposition + verb]
मेरीसँग कागज छ (merī-sam̐ga kāgaj cha)
= With Mary is (the) paper [Mary has the paper]
[Mary (+) sam̐ga-postposition + paper + copula]
The sentence above is how you normally phrase sentences to show possession.
SITA
सित (sita) is a postposition that has the meaning of “with”. It is used to indicate accompaniment, relations, opposition or possession. In many ways, you can replace सँग (sam̐ga) with सित (sita). For example:
म आज आमासित बजार गएँ (ma āja āmā-sita bajāra gaem̐)
= I went (to the) bazaar with (my) mother
[I + today + mother (+) sita-postposition + bazaar + verb]
Usually, you can substitute सँग (sam̐ga) with सित (sita). For example:
के(सँग/सित) भात खान्छौ ? (ke(-sam̐ga/-sita) bhāt khānchau)
= With what (will you) eat rice?
However, in some cases, the सित (sita) is preferred.
Indicates opposition
When you indicate opposition, it means “in opposition to” or “along with”. For example:
म मेरो साथीसित बाझ्न थालेँ (ma mero sāthī-sita bājhna thālem̐)
= I started to fight with my friend
[I + my + friend (+) sita-postposition + to fight + verb]
मेरीसँग जाऊ (merī-sam̐ga jāū)
= Go with Mary
[Mary (+) sam̐ga-postposition + verb]
SUMMARY
- Modal postpositions are postpositions that deal with information about how an action or things are done.
- अनुसार (anusār) has the meaning of “according to”.
- बाहेक (bāhek) has the meaning of “except” or “besides”.
- भन्दा (bhandā) is a comparative postposition that has the meaning of “than”.
- बिना (binā) is a postposition that has the meaning of “without”.
- सँग (sam̐ga) is a postposition that has the meaning of “with”.
- सित (sita) is a postposition that has the meaning of “with”.
- Usually, one can replace सँग (sam̐ga) with सित (sita).
EXERCISES