Time Across Two Clauses

An affirmative dependent clause with its own subject normally uses full subjunctive forms for present or future reference. The relevant forms of yahay and leeyahay match ordinary present forms. A relative whose head supplies its subject uses reduced forms.

After a past report, in ay Sahra macallimad tahay can describe Sahra as a teacher at the reporting time. With ahayd, an earlier-status reading is available. Neither construction establishes her occupation now. Dependent past often indicates precedence, rather than invariably doing so.

In Waxaan arkay wiil jiifa ‘I saw a boy who was lying down’, reduced present jiifa describes the boy at the past moment of seeing.

Temporal clauses have a further contrast: progressive marka aan cuntada karinayo presents overlapping cooking; simple marka aan cuntada kariyo can present completed cooking before another action begins. Specific past temporal clauses also use ordinary past forms. Negative dependent forms leave present-versus-past interpretation to context.