Instability and Precarious States
Isathes distinguishes non-causative instability states from enacted cessation. Instability constructions describe current conditions of endurance without asserting change, prediction, or causation, and remain compatible with conditional scope.
A. Active Failure (failure pressure present)
Construction
[failure-nominal] kisal
Example
brethsalir kisal
Meaning: Failure exists / is present (failure is underway), without asserting cessation.
B. Structural Fragility (support absent)
Structural fragility is expressed as the absence of stabilizing conditions.
Construction
[stabilizing-nominal] nal kisal
Example
karethir nal kisal
Meaning: Support is absent (endurance may still exist, but is poorly supported).
C. External Threat (objective opposition)
External threat is modeled as objective opposition via Class III.
Verb
dresal(Class III): to oppose / to threaten another (external condition)
Descriptive affected participant (Ve looks left)
X ve Y dresal
Example
[City] ve [enemy] dresal
Meaning: The city is threatened by an enemy (opposition exists).
D. Threatened State (internal vulnerability / perception)
Threatenedness is modeled as an internal state via Class IVa, using the same root.
Verb
dramir(Class IVa): to feel threatened / to be in a threatened state
Examples
[City] dramir
ei dramir
Meaning: Vulnerability is felt/recognized (does not assert objective opposition).
E. Enacted Cessation (contrast)
Cessation is an enacted change and is distinct from all instability expressions.
Example
Bond ve na-vesal
Meaning: The bond has been caused to cease.
F. Key compatibility note
- Instability expressions are descriptive, not enacted.
- They may appear under conditionals (
sare / kel / nae) without violating the “no cessation in hypotheticals” rule