Sangi/Verbs

=Verb Structure=

The verb is built around a structure which contains nine “slots”. Into each of these slots can be placed only a certain kind of affix and only a certain number of a type of affix can be used in their given slot.

An overview of the slots would be this:

Auxiliary Verb

Slot 1: Modality

Slot 2: Voice

Slot 3: Stem

Slot 3: Aspect

Slot 5: Voice II

Slot 6: Mood

Slot 7: Conjugation suffix

Slot 8: Object marker

Slot 9: Object II

Each of these slots and there suffixes will be dealt with in detail, slot by slot and examples of verb conjugations will be given at the end to clear things up. Auxiliary verbs are rare, and many speakers are not able to construct this structure because they have never used or heard them. Typically all information is contained within the main verb complex, but when an auxiliary verb is used, the main verb appears in the second infinitive. They are so rare a construction that an example can not be provided here.

Slot 1 – Modality
t[e]’ – This means “can”. Negative – ć[e]’. Conditional meaning – could.

ś[e]’ – This means “shall”. Negative – sc[e]’. Conditional meaning – should.

m[e]’ – This means “must” or “need to”. Negative – n[e]’. Conditional meaning – might, may.

w[e]’ – This means “want to”. Negative – l[e]’. Conditional meaning – would.

c[e]’ – This means “like to”. Negative – þ[e]’. Conditional meaning – would like to.

The infix -a- causes the meaning to become conditional. It causes A-Affection and is then omitted where it does this, otherwise it remains “a”.

If there is no actual modality to the verb, i.e. it is basic, then the negative markers are “i” before consonants and “r” before vowels. These markers are also negative markers in all other word classes. The conditionals are “ja” and “ra”.

When multiple modalities occur because of the use of slot 2 prefixes, then the modality attributed to the causal noun is prefixed to it and the appropriate stative suffix is attached directly to it, for example “sca’samat we’tuaś tan” (you should not have made him want to do that). The first part should never be translated as “you shouldn’t be because of you” if anything it should be translated as “IT shouldn’t be because of you”, making the direct meaning “it shouldn’t be because of you [that] he has wanted to do that”. This form, now essentially a verb, is capable of taking other suffixes which can extend its meaning, but it should not be seen as an auxiliary verb, merely a verbal pronoun and the tense and main aspect is held by the main verb, unless it is specific to the pronoun.

Slot 2 – Voice
The voice markers of this slot relate to the actor of the verb. These are all marked by the structures “X-caus. VERB…” in the active voice and “VERB X-caus….” in the passive. The mark causality, permission, changes of state and “aid”. If no X is used then the meaning is automatically passive with an indefinite cause.

-o – This prefix marks the causative voice. This changes, for example, the sentence “children read books” to “they make children read books” and the sentence “he collects things” to “let’s make him collect things”. It basically comes out as “X makes/causes Y do/be Z” or “Y was made/caused to do/be Z by X”. In the first structure the sentence structure is the same but X is placed at the beginning in the causative case. In the second structure X is placed after the verb in the causative case. Y is accusative in the first and nominative in the second. After the conditional -a- the -o- disappears, but the use of causative pronouns gives note of its presence.

-a – This marks the permissive voice. This shows that the actor was allowed to perform the verb in the sense that it was given permission. The subject of this prefix takes the passive conjugation ending. For example “He let me run” would be “hama aranda” and the “passive version” would be “aranda hama” (I was allowed to run because he let me”.

-ir – This prefix means “to become” and shows that the subject's state of being or characteristics changed. When used in the active structure it means “X made be become …” and “I become … because of X” when used in the passive. For example “iresa” means “I become red” or “I turn red (in the face)”. If “tocoma” (Dog-def-caus) is placed in front of the verb it means “the dog makes be turn red” and “I become red because of the dog”. This particular verb can be used to mean “blush” when used with desirative pronouns, for example “ajuma iresa” means “you make me blush”.

-u – This is the Adjutative voice and indicates that the action was performed with help. In the active it would mean “X helped Y do Z” and “Y was helped to do Z by X” in the passive.

As with all non-conjugational slots, the prefixes of this one can be combined, for example “uirmanim’” meaning “I was helped to become a man” and “mama oiţit’” meaning “I made you become this.” The meaning has the potential to be ambiguous, but context may help to clarify the meaning.

Slot 3 – Stem
The stem has the possibility of undergoing stem gradation and vowel mutation in order to show the different tenses and aspects.

I-mutation - This shows the future tense.

A-mutation – This shows the past tense.

Stem gradation – The weak stem shows that the action is progressive. It is formed by moving the final consonant of the stem one step in the weak direction.

Slot 4 – Apect
There are twenty-nine suffixes which can accommodate this slot but the usual number used in any single verb complex never exceeds around five, although more extreme complexes are used as examples of the flexibility of this slot. These are preceded by “a” when used after a consonant cluster.

-st – This suffix translates roughly as “going to” or “about to”. It shows that the subject intends/intended to perform the action in the immediate future.

-s – This suffix means “begin (to)”.

-t – This means “continue (to)”.

-d – This means “for a while”.

-j – This means “finish” or “stop”

-cc – This also means “finish” but carries the implication of “quit” as it is more long term or even permanent.

-c – This is the third “finish” suffix but carries the implication that you have only stopped for a while and will perform the action again or continue to perform the previous action which is incomplete.

-sc - This suffix translates as "already".

-g – This means “resume” or continue a previously incomplete action.

-r – Translates as “on and on” and shows that the action was continued for a long period of time which may be undetermined.

-rd – Shares a similar meaning with “-r” but translates as “again an again” showing that the action was not continuous but made up of small segments. May appear as -ḑ.

-rs – This translates as “… is tired of ….-ing” or “sick of ….” When used with the intensive suffix. It is usually written as and realised as -ş.

-n – Shows that the performance was intentional.

-m – Shows that the performance was unintentional or accidental.

-ns – Shows that the action was performed only once.

-nt – shows that the action was performed many times.

-ŋŋ – This is used to mean “any more” in the negative and “still” in the positive.

-lt – This means “try to”.

-ia – This means “for a time” and relates to time period longer than that associated with the suffix “-d”.

-i – This translates as “simply”, “just” or “only” and shows that it was the only action performed by the speaker.

-ps – “for the first time”

-ls – “for the last time”

-p - This translates as "sometimes" or "occasionally".

-b - This translates as "often" or "regularly", something habitual but not excessive.

-w, -v - These translate as "a lot" or "more often than not". “-w” is used after consonants, “-v” after vowels.

-h - This translates as "excessively" or "more than is necessary or required" maybe “too much”

-e – This means “again”.

-ln – This means “now” and emphasises that the action is being performed at that specific time.

-ild – This translates as “(and/or/but) … (simultaneous/ at the same time)”. It is used in phrases like “you can eat and walk at the same time” where the “and walk at the same time” would become simply “ośildin”. If the verbs are conjugated identically then the second one appears in the infinitive form as shown above. For the meaning of “but” to be realised, the word “pa” precedes the verb. A preceding “o” or “w” means “or”.

-l - This means "always".

-ll – This means “forever” and shows that the action is continued uninterrupted for unimaginable amounts of time or even indefinitely, e.g. pillár – he will exist forever. It adds more emphasis to the meaning of the “-l” suffix and can actually be used alongside it to add more emphasis, e.g. pilallár - he will always exist, forever.

Three additional suffixes, attached after the others of this slot define the intensity of the action;

-o – This shows that the verb is intensive, performed with force, speed, etc.

-a – This suffix lowers the intensity of an intensive action but it cannot be used with a “moderate” verb. This suffix can only be used with an aspect suffix and is also the default vowel of that suffix.

-e – This suffix marks the lowest of intensities and shows that there was very little force or effort behind the verb. It can also be used to make a difficult action appear to be easy, to down play this difficulty, although this comes off as arrogance when used by the actor of the verb.

If two aspect suffixes are used, the suffixes of intensity can be used to make a finer definition of the intensity of the state or action.

Slot 5 – Voice II
The suffixes of slot 5 show the main, “true” voice of the verb and its mood.

-Ø – The lack of a suffix in this slot shows that it is in the indicative voice. This shows that the verb was performed by a subject who, although not necessarily, performed the action on or to some other object or thing.

-V – This suffix represents the reflexive voice. This means that the actor performed the verb on itself. The V means that the previous short vowel was lengthened or that the short version of the previous long vowel occurs. It also represents the last vowel in a diphthong. If the previous vowel was long and not followed by a consonant then an epenthetic consonant is inserted.

-i – This suffix represents the reciprocal voice. This suffix means that the two actors of the verb performed it on each other. This means that it cannot be used with singular conjugation suffixes.

-na, -o - This suffix represents the passive voice. This suffix takes the stative endings, unless the first voice takes the dynamic endings. -na after vowels, -o after consonants.

Slot 6 – Mood
The slot 6 suffixes show that the verb has not been performed by the time of speech but that it may be afterwards or what would happen if it was to be performed.

-s – This suffix is translated as “if” and is the first part of “if-then” statements.

-n – This suffix is translated as “then” and is the second part of “if-then” statements.

-m – This suffix marks hypothetical situations.

-t – This is the imperative suffix. It shows that the speaker is ordering the actor to perform the action. Unlike in English, the imperative can be directed at all persons.

-z – This is the optative suffix and it indicates hope that the action will take place on the part of the speaker. It is, though, usually found in interrogative sentences and is translates as “might ...?” or “please...”.

Slot 7 – Conjugation
This slot contains the largest number of available suffixes but, unlike previous slots, only one suffix can occupy this space. The suffixes of this slot are used to separate stative and dynamic verbs as well as perfect and imperfect aspects. The verb conjugates for three persons; 1st, 2nd, 3rd. The 3rd person also represents an unspecified subject, meaning something along the lines of “something” and is also used in constructs which in English would translate as “it is raining” where “it” is actually a dummy pronoun. These suffixes can be divided into four groups; dynamic imperfect, dynamic perfect, stative imperfect and stative perfect.

NOTES:

The “-[i]-” occurs between final consonants and the suffix but cannot cause I-affection or I-mutation. The “ę” after the suffixes is used if the next sound does not begin with a vowel and cannot be combined with the consonant. If the suffix is followed by an object suffix, an epenthetic vowel is inserted instead of the “ę”. Although the infinitive suffixes are of slot 7, they must always come at the end of the verb complex, e.g. “spijon – to speak to someone”, where the “-o” suffix makes the root verb transitive and the “-n” suffix is at the end.

Slot 8 – Object Suffixes
The object suffixes represent the objects of a verb in the accusative case.

-[e]m – 1st person

-[e]s – 2nd person

-[e]c – 3rd person/indefinite

The objects of stative verbs are in the dative case and take a different set of suffixes which can also be used in the secondary object slot for the indirect objects of dynamic verbs.

-[t]a - 1st person

-[t]o - 2nd person

-[t]e - 3rd person

The “t” is epenthetic and appears after a vowel. In the spoken language, the epenthetic consonant is subject to the environment. The “t” doesn’t, however, occur after the “ę” of the stative conjugations. When this happens an apostrophe is placed between the consonant and the vowel

Slot 9 – Secondary Objects
Slot 9 must be followed by the dynamic conjugation suffixes to make full sense. They differ from those of slot 8 in that they represent cases that are not the accusative.

-cs – The causal case.

-j – The Vocative case. This is actually the accusative case of highly respected things.

-l – the instrumental case.

-v – The comitative case.

-ct – The sociative case.

-d – The anti-instrumental case.

-s – The anti-comitative case.

-lc – The anti-sociative case.

-g – The search terminative case.

-w – The benefactive case.

NOTE: Object and object II suffixes are never used in the verbal complex unless the verb is undergoing derivation. In this case, the appropriate suffixes are attached and the derivation begins.

Examples

An extended form of the example given in the auxiliary verb section would be "you shouldn't have continued to make him not want to give the bone to the dog". This would translate as the following... “sca’samat la’źîlar púnon tocon.”