Gerunds in Silindion

Gerunds

In Silindion, there are six different gerunds, which are mostly used to indicate the relation of one action to the action of the main verb. The action may be either be coinciding with the main verb or anterior to it. The action may be why the main verb is done, that is, a purpose clause. These are the sorts of relations that the gerund can express in Silindion. There types of gerunds are the following, nominal, anterior, abessive, anterior, conjunctive, necessitive, adjectival.

Nominal Gerund

The nominal gerund is formed by adding the ending <-na> to the stem of the verb. For vowel stems this is not a major obstactle, as the following examples show:

• <mi-> "to fall" -> <mina> "falling"
• <yalma-> "to harp" -> <yalmana> "harping"
• <lissu-> "to live" -> <lissuna> "living"

• The nominal gerund is a d_stem in vowel verbs like this.

For consonant verbs, there are some consonant assimilations that take place when the gerund ending is added.

Stem Type	Assimilation	Example
T-STEMS	-t+na -> -nta	<pet-> "to eat" -> <penta> "eating"
D-STEMS	-d+na -> -nda	<sid-> "to sit" -> <sinda> "sitting"
N-STEMS	-n+na -> -nna	<lin-> "to play" -> <linna> "playing"
P-STEMS	-p+na -> -mpa	<nep-> "to sing" -> <nempa> "singing"
B-STEMS	-b+na -> -mba	<reB-> "to row" -> <remba> "rowing"

The nominal gerund is normally used as a noun, and may take case endings, which are either d-stem endings or a-stem endings. An example of its usage is:

ahwateisi	liu	pentan
aug.-DO-past-1st.sing.	perfect particle	eat-gerund-accusative

"I have just finished eating"

Another usage of the nominal gerund is as a substitute to full complement clauses, which are usually formed with the conjunction <ta> and the indicative or subjunctive. Examples of this usage are the following:

avavissi	i	lio	ninmanye
aug.-RUMOR-past.3rd.sing.	the	woman	MARRY-gerund-topical-3rd.sing.possessive

"The woman rumored that she would get married"

sunu	sinti	tandan	i	nistari
WANT-impersonal.passive	ME-dative	RULE-gerund-accusative	the	KING-genitive

"I want the king to rule"

Conjunctive Gerund

This gerund is used to express events that occur simultaneously with the main verb, that is, it can translate clauses beginning with "while". It can also have the circumstantial connotations, likes "since" or "because". It is formed by adding the prefix <i-> to the nominal gerund stem. With verbs beginning in a vowel, the prefix becomes the on-glide <y->.

• <til-> "to see" -> <issilda> "while seeing"
• <empi-> "to chant" -> <yempina> "while chanting".

In its simultaneous function, it is often accompanied by the conjunction <ve> "as".

Examples:

<isompa, en filiello iss>  "because he's sleeping, he can't come here" (circumstantial)
<ve yempina, rophone i niman> "as he was singing, he was watching the crowd" (simultaneous)

As the examples show, it is essentially timeless, and can show simultaneous or circumstantial action in the present, past or future.

Abessive Genitive

This genitive is used to express events that have not occured. It is used as the negative of both the anterior gerund and the conjunctive genitive. It is usually translated by "without". It is formed by adding the prefix <en-> to the nominal gerund stem. This prefix assimilates to verbs beginning in l, s, p, f, v, m, and r, other wise it stays the same as the underlying form.

• <lissu-> "to live" -> <ellissuna> "without living"
• <sat-> "to raise up" -> <essanta> "without raising up"
• <pay-> "to be vigilant" -> <empaina> "without being vigilant"
• <fat-> "to do" -> <efanta> "without doing"
• <vuk-> "to weave" -> <evunka> "without weaving"
• <mew->> "to glitter" -> <emmeuna> "without glittering"
• <runi-> "to soar" -> <errunina> "without soaring"
• <til-> "to see" -> <entilda> "without seeing"
• <del-> "to bundle" -> <endelda> "without bundling"
• <yat-> "to happen" -> <enyanta> "without happening"
• <nalpin-> "to play piano" -> <ennalpinna> "without playing piano"