CYPRIOT GRAMMAR

Τότες έν είσ’εν τελεοράσεις τζ’αι τελέφωνα.
At that time there were no televisions or telephones.
Επήα που λαλείς τότες εις την Σκάλαν.
I went at that time to Larnaca.
37.12B Που τότες = Since then
Since τότες is only used with Past Tenses and never with Present or Future Tenses in the form above with time phrases it means ‘since’ or
‘since then’
Που τότες που τον επεστεκκιαεν εν εξανάρτεν
Since he shot him he never came back again.
Που τότες γυμνάζεται τρεις βολές την εφτομάν.
Since then he works out three times a week.
Που τότες αρέσκουν ντου τέθκια έργα.
Since then he likes this kind of movies.
37.13 Αμμά = But/however
The conjuctions ‘αμμά’ means ‘but’.
Αμμά εν εκυάρισκεν να θκιεβάσει.
But/however he didn’t have the will/he wasn’t in the mood for studying.
Εμαΐρεψα αμμά εν ναιν καλόγευστον.
I cooked but/however it is not that tasteful.
Εφώναξα του αμμά εν αγροίτζ’ηεν.
I called him but/however he did not hear me.
37.14 Άν/Εάν = If Tζ’αι άν/τζ’άν = Even if
These conjuctions we have covered before in the chapters concerning the Subjunctive and have thus given numerous examples.
37.15Α Εξού τζ’αι/Γιαυτόν = because of this, therefore, thus, so
These conjuctions are very straightforward. There is slight difference between them. ‘Εξού τζ’αι’ is mostly found in formal registers while
‘γιαυτόν’ is a bit more casual.
Αρέσκου μου τα αππίθκια γιαυτόν/εξού τζ’αι τρώω τα κάθαν ημέραν.
I like pears therefore/thus/for this reason etc. I eat them every day.
Έππεεν τζ’αι έσπαεν το πόιν του γιαυτόν τζ’αι έν εις το νοσοκομείον.
He fell down and broke his leg that’s why/as a result, for this reason etc. he is in the hospital.
Έσ’εις ότι θέλει γιαυτόν πέ μου ίνταμπου θέλεις.
There’s everything you could ever want so tell me what you want.
37.15Β Για τούτον τον λόγον = As a result, for this reason, that’s why
This is again a very straightforward conjuction which has a similar meaning as the ones above but it a bit more emphatic on the following
sentence being a reason.
Αρέσκου μου τα αππίθκια για τούτον τον λόγον τζ’αι τρώω τα κάθαν ημέραν.
I like pears for this reason I eat them every day.
Έππεεν τζ’αι έσπαεν το πόιν του για τούτον τον λόγον έν εις το νοσοκομείον.
He fell down and broke his leg that’s why/as a result/for this reason he is in the hospital.
37.16 Εις την περίπτωσην που/Έτσι τζ’αι/Άμπα τζ’αι’ = In (the) case that
‘Εις την περίπτωσην που’ is a bit formal and neutral in its meaning but ‘έτσι τζ’αι’ and ‘άμπα τζ’αι’ have a slight connotation of something
bad or annoying will happen. Note that this conjuction takes the SUBJUNCTIVE. Compare:
Εις την περίπτωσην που το δόμαν χαλάσει εννα πρέπει να το σάσομεν.
In case that the roof breaks down we must repair it.
Έτσι τζ’αι χαλάσει το δόμαν εννά πάω να έβρω τους χτιστάες τζ’αι εννα τους πώ να μου δώκουν πίσω τα ριάλγια μου.
In case that the roof breaks down I will track down the builders and I will demand my money back.
‘Άμπα τζ’αι’ is always used within sentences. Otherwise it is a negation for the imperative.
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