1. The formation of adverbs refering to past or present days (as well as past or present years) is quite regular in Tanii:
| -lo | -yo | -ro | -lyin | -nyan | |
| a- | alo day | ayo night | aro morning | alyin evening | anyan year |
| si(i) | si(i)lo today | si(i)yo tonight | si(i)ro this morning | si(i)lyin this evening | si(i)nyan this year |
| bii | biilyo yesterday | biiyo yesterday night/ last night | biiro yesterday morning/ last morning | biilyin yesterday evening/ last evening | biinyan last year |
| ko | kolo day before yesterday | koyo day before yesterday night | koro day before yesterday morning | kolyin day before yesterday evening | konyan 2 years ago |
The only exception is biilyo (yesterday).
Note: In day-to-day conversation, kolo (day before yesterday) can have a broader sense and convey the meaning of "a few days back".
Note: In day-to-day conversation, kolo (day before yesterday) can have a broader sense and convey the meaning of "a few days back".
Ngo Mumbai ho kolo aku.
I arrived in Mumbai a couple of days back.
Another synonym is lonyi-lohin (literally '2-3 days') :
Lonyi-lohin kapyopa, ngo nii mi kapato.
I saw you some days back
Similarly, siinyan-siilo (literally 'this year-today') can be translated as "nowadays".
biinyan means "last year" and konyan "the year before last year" or "two years ago". Taken together, the two words biinyan-konyan convey the meaning of "in past years".
I arrived in Mumbai a couple of days back.
Another synonym is lonyi-lohin (literally '2-3 days') :
Lonyi-lohin kapyopa, ngo nii mi kapato.
I saw you some days back
Similarly, siinyan-siilo (literally 'this year-today') can be translated as "nowadays".
biinyan means "last year" and konyan "the year before last year" or "two years ago". Taken together, the two words biinyan-konyan convey the meaning of "in past years".
2. For refering to coming days, the formation of compound words is different : here the root -da is used with various prefixes :
| D+1 | D+2 | D+3 | D+4 |
| arda | rida | riiboda | riikhiida/riipoda |
| tomorrow | day after tomorrow | three days hence | four days hence |
Further specification (morning, evening, night) is made by adding corresponding words (aro, alyin, ayo). There are 2 exceptions : konda (tomorrow morning) and ri aro (day after tomorrow morning).
| morning | evening | night | |
| D+1 | konda tomorrow morning | arda alyin tomorrow evening | arda ayo tomorrow night |
| D+2 | ri aro day after tomorrow morning | rida alyin day after tomorrow evening | rida ayo day after tomorrow night |
| D+3 | riiboda aro 3 days hence morning | riiboda alyin 3 days hence evening | riiboda ayo 3 days hence night |
Note: arida and arda-rida (literally" tomorrow-day after tomorrow") are used for counting an unspecified number of days. Both can be translated either as "in coming days" or as " in future".
Arda-rida ngo Korea inchi
I will (surely) go to Korea in future.
I will (surely) go to Korea in future.
The formation of adverbs refering to coming years is based on the same general principle (various prefixes + da), but is not regular. For coming months there are no specific words but cricumlocutions : alyinii piilo => literally 'coming month', alyinii piilo barnye nii (lit. 'the second of coming months'), alyinii piilo barhin nii (lit. 'the third of coming months'), etc.
| DAY | MONTH | YEAR | |
| +1 | konda tomorrow | alyinii piilo next month | diirada next year |
| +2 | rida day after tomorrow | alyinii piilo barnye nii two months hence | lonyada two years hence |
| +3 | riiboda | alyinii piilo barhin nii three months hence | loyida (lohida ?) three years hence |
Note 1 :
Lonyada could derive from : lo + nye (2) + da.
Loyida might be 'lohida' and thus derive from : lo + hin (3) + da (in Tanii the final n of 'hin' usually drops before l).
Note 2:
The same way arda-rida (literally "tomorrow-day after tomorrow") means "in coming days" or "in future", diira-lonyan (literally "next year-year after next year) can be translated as "in coming years" or " in future". Similarly loyida or lohida (3 years hence) can convey the general meaning of "in coming years".
Lonyada could derive from : lo + nye (2) + da.
Loyida might be 'lohida' and thus derive from : lo + hin (3) + da (in Tanii the final n of 'hin' usually drops before l).
Note 2:
The same way arda-rida (literally "tomorrow-day after tomorrow") means "in coming days" or "in future", diira-lonyan (literally "next year-year after next year) can be translated as "in coming years" or " in future". Similarly loyida or lohida (3 years hence) can convey the general meaning of "in coming years".
PB
adverbs of time
