Replies
Reply Words
Arcadia has five primary reply words, each serving a distinct conversational function:
- si → "Yes" (affirmative response to affirmative question).
- esi → "Yes" (affirmative response to negative question).
- ni → "No" (negative response to affirmative question).
- eni → "No" (negative response to negative question).
- ack → Neutral acknowledgment—used to show that the listener is paying attention or understands without confirming or denying the statement.
Generic Reply Words
Similar to English words like "nowhere," "somewhere," "anywhere," and "everywhere," Arcadia has structured generic reply words that align with interrogatives.
Interrogative-Based Reply Forms
Each interrogative combines with prefixes to generate negative, generic, specific, and collective responses:
| Interrogative | Negative | Unknown (generic) | Unknown (specific) | Collective |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ce (who/what) | ane (no one/nothing) | aye (anyone/anything) | eye (someone/something) | are (everyone/everything) |
| cuál (which) | anuál (none) | ayuál (any) | eyuál (some) | aruál (all) |
| cove (where) | anove (nowhere) | ayove (anywhere) | eyove (somewhere) | arove (everywhere) |
| cuando (when) | anuando (never) | ayuando (anytime) | eyuando (sometime) | aruando (always) |
| cuót (how much/how many) | anuót (none) | ayuót (any amount) | eyuót (some amount) | aruót (all) |
| cume (how) | anume (no way) | ayume (any way) | eyume (some way) | arume (every way) |
- Prefix System:
- an- → Negative form (absence or negation).
- ay- → Unknown generic (any).
- ey- → Unknown specific (some).
- ar- → Collective reference (all).