Hrmitt reference grammar

6.1. Greetings

This section explains the standard greetings in Hrmitt. These are the greetings that are understood by all native speakers and used in standard situations. However, one should be aware that there are many other situation-specific greetings. Describing all of them is beyond the scope of this grammar, although we may include some of the more common examples as space permits.

6.1.1. Informal Greetings

A currently-attested informal greeting between native speakers is the phrase:

The phrase is not to be understood literally (“is there trouble to the spaceship?”), but rather should be taken as a generic greeting similar to “how are you?” in English.

In very informal contexts, the phrase may be reduced to simply:

The standard, neutral-toned answer is:

Alternatively, to emphasize that things are not going well, one would answer:

Or, to emphasize that one is particularly elated, or that things are going unusually well, one would say:

The 2nd language learner is cautioned not to use shai pja too frequently, as in some contexts it may come across as petulant or arrogant. Sometimes native speakers use it sarcastically:

6.1.2. Formal Greetings

The formal Hrmitt greeting, usually employed by older or higher-ranking Hrmitt and addressed to younger Hrmitt or subordinates, comes in two forms, depending on whether a single person is being addressed, or a group.

When addressing a single person:

Upon which one would reply:

When formally addressing a group, one would say:

The group would reply, in unison: