6. Verbal inflection

There is a range of TAM suffixes, as well as one third person prefix.

6.1 The third person prefix ta-

The only inflectional morphology is a third person prefix ta-. It only occurs on transitive verbs, and seems to be restricted to 3>3 scenarios, i.e. when a third person referent is acting on another third person referent . However, it is not obligatory . Also, it can cooccur with free noun phrases referencing either the A or the P . The conditioning factors for its (non-)occurrence in 3>3 scenarios are unknown. Note that the free pronouns wïrë, mërë and ejnë (4.2) can occur in the same location as ta-, but also on intransitive verbs (see 13). ❔

1. 1. tainiri

      tainiri ta- ini -ri 3p-see-ipfv

      ‘He saw it.’ ()
   2. inijpë tawara, inijpë

      inijpë ini -jpë see-pst

      tawara tawara too

      inijpë ini -jpë see-pst

      ‘They saw it too, they saw it.’ ()
   3. asanë tanëmëse mërë nono mokontomo warotatojpe

      asanë a- sanë -∅ 2-mother-pert

      tanëmëse ta- nëmë -se 3p-leave-pst

      mërë mërë 2pro

      nono nono -∅ earth-pert

      mokontomo mokontomo 2pl.pro

      warotatojpe warota -tojpe work-purp

      ‘Your mother left your land for you to work on.’ ()

6.2 Main clause tense‑aspect‑mood‑polarity suffixes

Verbs in main clauses are inflected for TAMP with a set of suffixes, shown in Table 6.1. They are discussed in 6.2.1; for a detailed overview of past markers see Cáceres & Gildea (2022) ❕.

❕

6.2.1 The imperfective -ri

• allomorphy:
  • most conservative form: -rï
  • /ï/ > /i/ (2.1.2): -ri
  • phonetic loss: -∅ (2.2.1)
    • inconsistent zero before jra, see 9
    • consistent zero before kontomo
  • assimilation: -ru (2.2.2)
• diachrony: from -ri (4.5.1)
• plural: kontomo
• negation: jra , but potentially two distinct etymologies ❔
• semantics:
  • not specified for tense, only imperfective aspect:
    • past
    • future
    • gnomic/present?

1. irëjpë tëwï waijtatomo nwajtëri

   irëjpë irëjpë then

   tëwï tëwï 3pro

   waijtatomo waijta -tomo mouse-pl

   nwajtëri nwajtë -ri dance-ipfv

   ‘Then the mice were dancing.’ (Cuento de las ratas por AnFo : 16)

1. ¿kwase ejnë yaruwari?

   kwase kwase how

   ejnë ejnë 1+2pro

   yaruwari yaruwa -ri laugh-ipfv

   ‘How will we laugh?’ (Conversación sobre la risa entre GrMe y ElPe : 6)

1. 1. wïrë yaruwarijra

      wïrë wïrë 1pro

      yaruwari =jra yaruwa -ri =jra laugh-ipfv=neg

      ‘I don’t laugh.’ (Conversación sobre la risa entre GrMe y ElPe : 4)
   2. uyïwïj yawë usenejkari sukuri jwama

      u =yïwïj u =y- ïwïj -∅ 1=lk-house-pert

      yawë yawë loc

      u =senejkari u =-ri 1=stay-ipfv

      sukuri sukuri silently

      jwama   ***

      ‘I silently stay in my house.’ (Conversación sobre la risa entre GrMe y ElPe : 28)

6.2.2 -jpë

• allomorphy: none?
• semantics: unclear ❕
• diachrony: from -jpë (4.5.2)
• negated with jra
• plural: kontomo

1. tëwïsantomo wïrë wejyatë këyetajpëjra

   tëwïsantomo tëwï -santomo 3pro-pl

   wïrë wïrë 1pro

   wejyatë wejyatë in_house_of

   këyetajpë =jra -jpë =jra grow-pst=neg

   ‘They did not grow up with me.’ ()

1. ¿kwase ne wepïjpëkonton ti? ta

   kwase =ne kwase =ne how=ints

   wepïjpë =konton wepï -jpë =konton come-pst=pl

   ti ti hsy

   ta ta -∅ say-ipfv

   ‘"How did they come?", s/he says.’ ()

6.2.3 -se

• allomorphy: -se/-che (2.2.3)
• diachrony: from -se ❔
• negation: replaced with -ja (see also 9.1.1)
• plural: kontomo and jne
• semantics: unclear ❔

1. wëjkaja, ana tëse neke ne

   wëjkaja wëjka -ja fall-neg

   ana ana 1+3pro

   tëse të -se go-pst

   neke =ne neke =ne cntr=ints

   ‘We didn't fall, we went away.’ ()

1. tipapëjsejne waijtajne

   tipapëjse =jne tipa -pëj -se =jne go_in_group-plur-pst=pl

   waijta =jne waijta =jne mouse=pl

   ‘The mice went away.’ (Cuento de las ratas por AnFo : 40)

1. tipasekontomo warë irëjpë pïrarë

   tipase =kontomo tipa -se =kontomo go_in_group-pst=pl

   wa =rë wa =rë thus=emp

   irëjpë irëjpë then

   pïrarë pïrarë neg.exist

   ‘They left and were gone.’ (Cuento de las ratas por AnFo : 30)

6.2.4 -sapë

• diachrony: from -sapë (4.5.3)
• allomorphy: -sapë and -saj (2.2.1)
• negation: with -ja on lexical verb
• plural: kontomo

❔

1. irë wejtane mujyampe patakaja wejsapë

   irë irë 3ana.inan

   wejtane wej -tane cop-cncs

   mujyam =pe mujyam =pe pregnancy=ess

   patakaja -ja take_out-neg

   wejsapë wej -sapë cop-pst

   ‘Despite this, she did not get pregnant.’ ()

1. apatakaja pïnïka wejsapë

   apatakaja -ja come_out-neg

   pïnïka pïnïka prob

   wejsapë wej -sapë cop-pst

   ‘Maybe she did not come out (pregnant).’ ()

1. tayakïjtëja pïnika wejsapë

   tayakïjtëja ta- yakïjtë -ja 3p-sleep_with-neg

   pïnika pïnika prob

   wejsapë wej -sapë cop-pst

   ‘Maybe he didn't sleep with her.’ ()

1. ¿ësëpëkë ka wejsapëkontomo?

   ësëpëkë ësë- pëkë detrz-about

   ka ka q

   wejsapë =kontomo wej -sapë =kontomo cop-pst=pl

   ‘Were they always argumenting?’ ()

6.2.5 -sarë

• once a converb, now 'imminent future'
• allomorphy: -charë (2.2.3)
• negation: ?
• semantics: ?
• plural: ?

1. irëjpë ta ti ta konopo wejsarë konopo wejsarë

   irëjpë irëjpë then

   ta ta -∅ say-ipfv

   ti ti hsy

   ta ta like

   konopo konopo rain

   wejsarë wej -sarë come-imn

   konopo konopo rain

   wejsarë wej -sarë come-imn

   ‘Then they said: “it’s raining, it’s raining”.’ (Cuento de las ratas por AnFo : 25)

1. ejnë waimu wintikasarë ta rë

   ejnë ejnë 1+2pro

   waimu waimu -∅ language-pert

   wintikasarë wintika -sarë disappear-imn

   ta ta like

   rë rë emp

   ‘Our language is disappearing.’ ()

6.3 Subordinate Clause markers

❕

• Nominalizations
  • -ri
  • -jpë
  • -topo
• Adverbial Clauses (S/A)
  • -se
  • -tane
  • -sarë
  • ‑yapo ‘neg.purp’
  • others?
• Nominalization + postposition (S/P)
  • -∅yawë
  • -∅ pe ‘when’
  • -sajyawë
  • -tojpe
  • (‑jpë)=tërë ‘after’
  • on auxiliary: -ri + po 'ctrf'
• not attested:
  • se 'des'
  • -ajtawï 'if when'

6.4 Number

The main number marking strategy for verbs uses the particle kontomo, which usually encliticizes to the verb. It occurs with all major TAM suffixes .

1. 1. yajtëpe neke n ti warotakontomo wejsapë

      yajtëpe yajtëpe before

      neke =n neke =n cntr=ints

      ti ti hsy

      warota =kontomo warota -∅ =kontomo work-ipfv=pl

      wejsapë wej -sapë cop-pst

      ‘At the beginning they worked.’ ()
   2. ¿irëjpë, wepïjpëkontomo?

      irëjpë irëjpë then

      wepïjpë =kontomo wepï -jpë =kontomo come-pst=pl

      ‘Then they came?’ ()
   3. ¿epesekontomo?

      epese =kontomo epe -se =kontomo escape-pst=pl

      ‘Did they escape?’ ()
   4. irë wa chipëkë tapojtëja wejsapë, irë wa chipëkë tajne wëpëjse tëwï, sukase wïnïjsajkonton yawë

      irë irë 3ana.inan

      wa wa thus

      chipëkë chipëkë because

      tapojtëja ta- pojtë -ja 3p-want-neg

      wejsapë wej -sapë cop-pst

      irë irë 3ana.inan

      wa wa thus

      chipëkë chipëkë because

      ta =jne ta =jne 3pro=pl

      wëpëjse wë -pëj -se kill-plur-pst

      tëwï tëwï 3pro

      sukase sukase all

      wïnïjsaj =konton wïnïj -saj =konton sleep-pfv=pl

      yawë yawë loc

      ‘That's why I didn't want it, that's why they killed them all when they were asleep.’ ()

• verbal plural patterns:
  • -ri=kontomo
  • -sapë=kontomo
  • -saj-se=jne
  • -se=jne=kontomo
  • -të-kë for the imperative
  • what about -i ‘juss’?

6.5 Copula / Auxiliary

• there is (synchronically suppletive) stem allomorphy: chi and wej

TBD:

1. add a paradigm of the copula
2. find potential particles developed from inflected forms: man, wai, manai, etc
3. are there irregular past/perfect participles? nahkë, etc?
4. ejnë may come from an inflected form of the copula