Aelatha/Syntax

Sentence structure
Despite its many cases, Aelatha's word order is most often unchangeable. The meaning of the sentence is often dependent upon the order of the words. Words out of order often change the meaning of the sentence, if not the grammatical correctness.

Modifier order
Nouns taking the semblative case are modifiers. Modifiers are placed before the word they modify unless that word is in one of the possessed cases. In such a case the modifier is placed at the end of the genitive phrase. Genitive nouns receive modifiers at the head, alike other nouns.

Clause order
In Aelatha, an independent clause is defined as the sentence's main clause or as any phrase, incomplete or complete, that contains a tempus. Dependent clauses are clauses that do not have a vocative noun or those that have a vocative noun but are working to further modify the main clause (such as a clause that is functioning to supply the indirect object of the main verb).

Modals are considered dependent clauses in Aelatha. Dependent clauses are placed after the modal, place and time distinctions and before the object subject and verb of the main clause as the independent clause contains the topical time marker, which is preferred in second position, followed by any other independent clauses. The time distinction, coming after the tempus, is treated like a modifier as part of the verbal phrase.

Independent clauses are separated by the placement of a semicolon after them and dependent clauses by the use of a comma. The manner and place distinctions are grouped with the prepositional phrase and the three together form one dependent clause.