Sangi/Derivation

verbs, nouns and adjectives have derivations in Sangi.

Verbs
Verbs have the largest ability to create new words by means of suffixes and mutations. Verbs can create abstract, inanimate, human and occupational nouns as well as adjectives with both active and passive meanings and can also take suffixes which will turn the verbal system into a relative clause.

-an – When this suffix is added to the verbal complex, it forms the gerund, which is equivalent to the -ing forms of verbs in English, expressing something along the lines of “the act of ...-ing”, e.g. tál (to die) > tájan (dying).

-[a]n-inf.-a – This complex suffix creates the second infinitive, which is the infinitive used after another verb as in English “I tried to run” where “to run” would take the form of the second infinitive. This form is rare as many of the verbs that precede an infinitive in English are built into the verbal complex.

-in – When attached to the weak II stem of the verbal complex it creates an abstract noun in the active voice, e.g. lawil (to love) > lahín (love – noun).

-eil – When this suffixes is added to the weak II stem of the verbal complex it creates an abstract noun in the passive voice.

-ave – When attached to the weak stem it creates an inanimate noun with active meaning, e.g. úlsen (to hold) > últsave (from últ-ave – the a causes a-affection).

-or – When attached to the weak stem it creates inanimate nouns with passive meanings, e.g. risen (to read) > ritor (book) and ziwen (to give) > zihor (gift).

-am and -si – These suffixes create human nouns with active and passive meanings respectively, e.g. spijen (to speak) > spijam (speaker) and il (to hear) > isi (one who is heard/listened to).

-ibi and -di – These suffixes create occupational nouns with active and passive meanings respectively, e.g. sarwen (to carve) > sarjibi (carver) and orǵen (to order) > orǵibi (one who is ordered, slave).

-[a]lta and -[a]csa – These suffixes create adjectives with active and passive meanings, e.g. gammen (to jump) > gammwalta (jumping) and picsen (to cause to be, to create) > picsacsa (created). The final a is lost when vocalic suffixes are attached to it.

-ir – This created a relative clause beginning in English with the demonstrative pronoun that, e.g. númę t'itęmir – I know that you can hear me.

-ja/ia- – This creates a relative clause that would begin in English with an interrogative pronoun. The suffixes that would be attached to the suffix to complete it are -w (how), -p (who, what) -a (why), -n (when), -j (where), -t (which (one)). For example, îmę rândujá – I heard why you ran.

-iw[a] - This form creates a noun which means "...who/that Verb". To complete the meaning, a pronoun must be added to the suffix, e.g. mejiwa-sa - You who/that create. If the verb takes a noun object, this is declined as normal for the construct.

It should be noted that no distinction is made between active and stative meanings in verbal derivation.

Nouns and Adjectives
Nouns and adjectives can changed word class without need for suffixes or stem change. When an adverb is created from either a noun or an adjective the suffixes -[i]l is added at the end of the complex. An adjective following a verbal adjective must become adverbs.