Sangi/Verbs

=Verb Structure=

The verb is built around a structure which contains eleven “slots” plus an auxiliary verb built on a similar structure which comes before the main verb complex. 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 4: Conditional suffix for Modality II

slot 5: Aspect

Slot 6: Voice II

Slot 7: Mood

Slot 8: Conjugation suffix

Slot 9: Object marker

Slot 10: 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 Verb
The auxiliary verb holds the information of a "higher agent" of the main verb. For example, in the sentence "you shouldn't have made him not want to give the bone to the dog" "dog" is in the dative case, "bone" is in the accusative and "him," in Sangi, will be in the accusative case in the auxiliary verb sequence. If "him" were to be replaced by a noun, this would always be indefinite. You would also be in the nominative case but if it was replaced by a noun this would take the definite vocative case.

It follows all the rules of a regualar verb but if the auxiliary verb is used, the second verb must be in the 2nd infinitive form

Slot 1 – Modality
t[e]' – This means “can”. Negative - ch[e]'

ś[e]' – This means “shall”. Negative - sc[e]'

m[e]' – This means “must”. Negative - mj[e]'

w[e]' – This means “want to”. Negative - l[e]'

c[e]' – This means “like to”. Negative - th[e]'

Slot 2 – Voice
The voice markers of this slot relate to the actor of the verb. They show that their action was not of their own will or that the subject caused an action to occur. Objects of these prefixes take the dative case.

-o – This suffix marks the causative voice. This shows that the actor caused something or someone to perform the verb. The subject of this prefix takes the dynamic conjugation ending. It is less common that the secondary causative voice. It is translated as something along the lines of "Subject make Object Verb". It is also the from of the causative used with the auxiliary verb.

-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 conjuagtion ending.

-au – This marks the secondary causative voice. It shows that the subject was made to perform the verb or that they were caused to become something. The subject of this prefix takes the passive conjugation. It is translated as "Subject is made to Verb by Causative". The cause of the action takes the accusative case in the object suffix slot and the causal case in the secondary object slot.

-i – This suffix means “become” and shows that the subject's state of being or characteristics changed. It is also the only one of the four suffixes to take the stative conjugation suffixes only. As with the secondary causative voice, the cause of the action takes the accusative case in the object suffix slot and the causal case in the secondary object slot.

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 (formed by one step in the weak direction) shows that the action is progressive.

Slot 4 – Conditional Suffix for Modality II
This is invariable -je and changes the meaning of the slot 4 prefixes in the same way as the -j in the slot 2 prefixes. It can cause I-mutation if followed by and i, a or u.

Slot 5 – Aspect
This slot is the only one which accommodates multiple affixes with each suffix adding further meaning to the verb. There are twenty-two 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.

-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”.

-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.

-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 -ra but translates as “again an again” showing that the action was not continuous but made up of small segments.

-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.

-lt – This means “try to”.

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

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

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

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

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

-h - This translates as "excessively" or "more than is necessary/required".

-e – This means “again”.

-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 -la 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.

-e – This suffix marks the lowest of intensities and shows that there was very little force or effort behind the verb.

Slot 6 – Voice II
The suffixes of slot 6 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.

-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.

-u - This suffix represents the passive voice.

Slot 7 – Mood
The slot 10 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 the 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 8 – Conjugation
This slot contains the largest number of available suffixes but, unlike slot 7, 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 four persons; 1st, 2nd, 3rd and a 4th person known as the indefinite, representing an unspecified subject. 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 o/a/i after the indefinite suffixes represent the gender of the subject -o being male, -a being female and -i being the general gender The ę after the suffixes is used if the next sound does not begin with a vowel. 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 11, they must always come at the end of the verb complex, e.g. spijetaren – to speak to someone, where the -tar suffix means to someone and the -n suffix is at the end.

Slot 9 – 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.

Slot 10 – Secondary Objects
Slot 11 must be followed by the dynamic conjugation suffixes to make full sense. They differ from those of slot 10 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.

Twelve Slots?
The locative and movement suffixes can be suffixed directly onto the stem, this raises the debate of whether this should be considered an extra slot or a subsection of the stem slot. This debate is as yet unresolved but it does not affect any part of this model.

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...

sco'tûjtatuc le'zilanla púnon tocon.