Description:

The modifier ras pertains to opinion, and is used to call out a statement as coming from or being the opinion of some entity. It comes form Old Common, as it is an irregular word, having the modifier form ras, and the term form ran. The modifier form is considered to be the base form. Both irregular forms can take regular derivations with different shades of meaning.

Modifier:

As a modifier, 'ras' as a modifier of opinion and is usedto specify the source of a statement. It is typicaly adverbial. It can be parsed as a modifier on a specific verb, or over a larger utternace more generally. It's object is the entity considered to the the souce of he statement. It doesn't necessarily indicate any uncertainty in the statement, in fact, its function can be to back up a statement by citing an authority. It is similar to 'according to' in English of 'selon' in French.

'Ras' is used in a lot of expressions that would be framed as 'think' or 'believe' in English. E.g.:

Ras wen, jez ti riske slek.
advice 1.SG.NOM, 1.PL.ERG hit(NP.IM.IR) must eat.
I think we should eat.

The irregular derived form 'ranys', on the other hand, typically doesn't take an object and is more likely to be used on a noun. It has the sense of 'opinionated', or 'reputed'.

The intensified modifier form erás means 'persuasive'.

Noun:

As a noun, 'ran' means a piece of advice, opinion or counsel. The derived form 'rasyn' is sometimes used to refer to advice or opinion in the abstract, and can also mean authority in the sense of intellectual authority. The intensified form 'erán' means 'persuasion'.

Verb:

As a verb, 'ran' is a ditransitive happat verb that works like 'zisse' meaning 'to opine' or 'advise'. The ergative subject is giving the advice, the absolutive object is the advice, frequently a dependent clause, and the dative indirect object is the recipient of the advice. The intensified form 'erán' works similarly and means 'persuade'.