What is the meaning of りゃ in this phrase?


I came across this phrase while reading an interview.

> そういう時はなんて答え **りゃ** いいんだ。

I think it means "At a time like that, such a reply/response is good."

But I don't understand the usage of りゃ. I couldn't find any reference as a
suffix or conjugation.




It's a contraction of `答えれば`. More generally, `eba` contracts to `ya`:

[code]

     kotaer **eba** → kotaer **ya**　　（答え **れば**　→　答え **りゃ** ）   
         ok **eba** →     ok **ya**　　　（お **けば**　→　　お **きゃ** ）  
          i **eba** →      i **ya**　　　（言 **えば**　→　　　言 **や** ）  
      naker **eba** →  naker **ya**　　（なけ **れば**　→　なけ **りゃ** ）
[/code]

(As you can see, the pattern is easier to see and describe when romanized.)




It's a contraction of `答えれば`. More generally, `eba` contracts to `ya`:

[code]

     kotaer **eba** → kotaer **ya**　　（答え **れば**　→　答え **りゃ** ）   
         ok **eba** →     ok **ya**　　　（お **けば**　→　　お **きゃ** ）  
          i **eba** →      i **ya**　　　（言 **えば**　→　　　言 **や** ）  
      naker **eba** →  naker **ya**　　（なけ **れば**　→　なけ **りゃ** ）
[/code]

(As you can see, the pattern is easier to see and describe when romanized.)

