Seebee
| Seebee Seebee | |
|---|---|
| Pronounced: | [seːˈbeː] |
| Species: | Human |
| Spoken: | Ḍaihodoo |
| Genealogy: | Choogoan
|
| Typology | |
| Morphosyntactic alignment: | Nominative-accusative |
| Basic word order: | SVO |
| Credits | |
| Creator: | Qwynegold |
| Created: | 2008 |
Verbal Morphology
There are 32 verb classes in Seebee. Firstly, the verbs are divided into three different classes, denoted by the Roman numerals I, II and III. Secondly each of these three classes are divided into 9-10 subclasses, denoted B, M, N (only in class I), G, S, Z, L, 0 (zero), 1, 2 and 3. Finally, there is also one class of irregular verbs (abbreviated Irr). So, for example ḥyilu (cut) is in class I-L, haḷa· (work) is in class II-2 and suḷu (do) is in class Irr.
Some characteristics of these classes are that verbs in class I are 1-2 syllables long, verbs in class II are 2 syllables, and verbs in class III are 2-3 syllables. Class I verbs may be stressed on different syllables, and the monosyllabic verbs may be either stressed or stressless. Class II verbs have two different stems, where one stem is used in familiar register and the other is used in polite register. Class II familiar stems may be stressed on different syllables, while conjugations with the polite stem always have final stress. Class III verbs have final stress.
The characteristics of the subclasses are that the ones denoted by a letter have a thematic consonant (as indicated by the letter) that occur in many different suffixes. Subclass 0 has nothing where the thematic consonant would appear. Subclasses 1 and 2 have a thematic consonant that varies according to the conjugation: For class 1 it's · or d and for class 2 it's ·, g or j. Class 3 has the thematic consonant l in some conjugations, while in other conjugations the morphology differs quite a bit from the other subclasses and there is no thematic consonant.
Conjugation
Verbs are typically conjugated to include polarity-tense-register, or register-mood/modality, or just the conjunctive form. There are two polarities: Positive (something does happen) and negative (something does not happen). There are two tenses: Past and present (or non-past to be more precise, because the same tense is used for both present and future events). There are two inflected registers: Familiar and polite. The familiar register is used when speaking with family or close friends, and the polite register is used in most other situations. There is one mood: imperative, and one modality: hortative. The imperative mood is used when issuing commands, but also for making requests. The hortative modality is used for suggestions of the "let's..." type. The conjunctive form is used for linking together two verb phrase, in serial verb constructions, and also for forming deverbal nouns.
Some verbs in class I have stress on any syllable in the stem, and some do not have stress on the stem. This is lexically determined. Those verbs that don't have stress on the stem receive stress on the suffix that is added to the stem. However, most conjugation forms require the stress to be moved to the suffix, and only a few forms allows the stress to remain on the stem. Class II and III verbs all have stressless stems, always putting the stress on the suffix.
Positive Present Conjugation
The table below shows the positive present familiar conjugation. This form is the lemma form of the verb; the form under which words are listed in the lexicon. This form is also used as an infinitive. This conjugation allows stress to be retained on the stem of those class I verbs that have stem stress.
| Form | Stress shifts | Examples | |
|---|---|---|---|
| I-B | stem-bu | Stress location lexically determined | |
| I-M | stem-mu | fu- → fuṃu step(s) on | |
| I-N | stem-nu | shi- → shiṇu die(s) | |
| I-G | stem-gu | ka- → kaġu smell(s) | |
| I-S | stem-s | ke- → ʻkes erase(s) | |
| I-Z | stem-zu | ||
| I-L | stem-lu | f̣u- → f̣ulu rain(s) | |
| I-0 | stem-u | haḷa- → haḷau pay(s) | |
| I-1 | stem-· | ṃa- → ṃa· wait(s) | |
| I-2 | stem-· | ka- → ʻka· chisel(s) | |
| I-3 | stem-lu | ḍe- → ḍelu appear(s) | |
| II | Same rules as for class I, using the familiar stem | aḷa- → aḷau wash(es) | |
| III | Same as class I | Stress moved to final syllable | asa- (III-3) → asaḷu forget(s) |
In class I the above forms are the basis of the positive present polite conjugation. The suffix -zes (with a few variations for different subclasses) is simply added to the familiar conjugation to make it polite. Stress stays on the same syllable as in the familiar version of this conjugation. However, if a polysyllabic verb would become stressless, stress is added to the final syllable. (See the example at I-2 below.) Monosyllabic verbs can stay unstressed. Class II verbs use their polite stem with the addition of a stressed -ẓes. Class III verbs just add a stressed -ẓes to their stem.
| Form | Stress shifts | Examples | |
|---|---|---|---|
| I-B | stem-buzes | Stress location lexically determined | |
| I-M | stem-muzes | fu- → fuṃuzes step(s) on | |
| I-N | stem-nuzes | shi- → shiṇuzes die(s) | |
| I-G | stem-guzes | ka- → kaġuzes smell(s) | |
| I-S | stem-sdes | ke- → kesḍes erase(s) | |
| I-Z | stem-zuzes | ||
| I-L | stem-luzes | f̣u- → f̣uluzes rain(s) | |
| I-0 | stem-uzes | haḷa- → haḷauzes pay(s) | |
| I-1 | stem-ddes | ṃa- → ṃaddes wait(s) | |
| I-2 | ka- → kadḍes chisel(s) | ||
| I-3 | stem-luzes | ḍe- → ḍeluzes appear(s) | |
| II | pol.stem-ẓes | Stress moved to the final syllable | ala- (II-L, polite) → alaẓes walk(s) |
| III | stem-ẓes | asa- (III-3) → asaẓes forget(s) |
Positive Past Familiar Conjugation
In this conjugation the stress is moved to the suffix, regardless of verb class. In class II, if the verb begins with a single vowel, that vowel is removed. For example aḷau becomes latṭa. This deletion does not affect diphthongs.
| Form | Stress shifts | Examples | |
|---|---|---|---|
| I-B | stem-ḍa | Stress moved to the final syllable | |
| I-M | fu- → fuḍa stepped on | ||
| I-N | shi- → shiḍa died | ||
| I-G | stem-iḍa | ka- → kaiḍa smelled | |
| I-S | stem-shṭa | ke- → keshṭa erased | |
| I-Z | |||
| I-L | stem-tṭa | f̣u- → futṭa rained | |
| I-0 | haḷa- → halatṭa paid | ||
| I-1 | ṃa- → matṭa waited | ||
| I-2 | stem-iḍa | ka- → kaiḍa chiseled | |
| I-3 | stem-ḍa | ḍe- → deḍa appeared | |
| II-B | fam.stem-ḍa (initial monophthong removed) |
ḷa- → laḍa chose | |
| II-M | |||
| II-N | |||
| II-G | fam.stem-iḍa (initial monophthong removed) |
||
| II-S | fam.stem-shṭa (initial monophthong removed) |
haṇa- → hanashṭa spoke | |
| II-Z | hu- → hushṭa unfastened | ||
| II-L | fam.stem-tṭa (initial monophthong removed) |
||
| II-0 | aḷa- → latṭa washed | ||
| II-1 | |||
| II-2 | fam.stem-iḍa (initial monophthong removed) |
aḷu- → luiḍa walked | |
| II-3 | fam.stem-ḍa (initial monophthong removed) |
ḅoe- → boeḍa remembered | |
| III | Same rules as for class I | asa- (III-3) → asaḍa forgot | |
Positive Past Polite Conjugation
The lemma (positive present familiar conjugation) serve as the basis for class I positive past polite conjugations. If the verb stem has stress, then the lemma is simply followed by the particle deshṭa. If the stem is unstressed, then the lemma is followed by the suffix -zeshṭa (with a few variations depending on subclass). Classes II and III use their (polite) stem followed by the suffix -zeshṭa.
| Form | Stress shifts | Examples | |
|---|---|---|---|
| I-B | stressed stem-bu deshṭa | Stress kept in original location of stem as well as in deshṭa |
|
| unstressed stem-buzeshṭa | Stress moved to final syllable | ||
| I-M | stressed stem-mu deshṭa | Stress kept in original location of stem as well as in deshṭa |
|
| unstressed stem-muzeshṭa | Stress moved to final syllable | fu- → fumuzeshṭa stepped on | |
| I-N | stem-nuzeshṭa | shi- → shinuzeshṭa died | |
| I-G | stressed stem-gu deshṭa | Stress kept in original location of stem as well as in deshṭa |
|
| unstressed stem-guzeshṭa | Stress moved to final syllable | ka- → kaguzeshṭa smelled | |
| I-S | stressed stem-s deshṭa | Stress kept in original location of stem as well as in deshṭa |
|
| unstressed stem-sdeshṭa | Stress moved to final syllable | ke- → kesdeshṭa | |
| I-Z | stressed stem-zu deshṭa | Stress kept in original location of stem as well as in deshṭa |
|
| unstressed stem-zuzeshṭa | Stress moved to final syllable | ||
| I-L | stressed stem-lu deshṭa | Stress kept in original location of stem as well as in deshṭa |
f̣u- → f̣ulu deshṭa rained |
| unstressed stem-luzeshṭa | Stress moved to final syllable | hyi- → hyiluzeshṭa dressed | |
| I-0 | stressed stem-u deshṭa | Stress kept in original location of stem as well as in deshṭa |
haḷa- → haḷau deshṭa paid |
| unstressed stem-uzeshṭa | Stress moved to final syllable | i- → iuzeshṭa said | |
| I-1 | stressed stem-d deshṭa | Stress kept in original location of stem as well as in deshṭa |
ṃa- → ṃad deshṭa waited |
| unstressed stem-ddeshṭa | Stress moved to final syllable | ||
| I-2 | stressed stem-d deshṭa | Stress kept in original location of stem as well as in deshṭa |
ḳa- → ḳad deshṭa wrote |
| unstressed stem-ddeshṭa | Stress moved to final syllable | ka- → kaddeshṭa chiseled | |
| I-3 | stressed stem-lu deshṭa | Stress kept in original location of stem as well as in deshṭa |
ḍe- → ḍelu deshṭa appeared |
| unstressed stem-luzeshṭa | Stress moved to final syllable | ||
| II | pol.stem-zeshṭa | ala- (polite) → alazeshṭa walked | |
| III | stem-zeshṭa | asa- → asazeshṭa forgot |
Negative Present Familiar Conjugation
In this conjugation the stress is moved to the suffix, except for in classes I-3 and II-3 when the verb stem has stress. In those cases the stress is kept in the stem. Class II verbs get an initial monopthong removed, the same as in positive-past-familiar conjugation.
| Form | Stress shifts | Examples | |
|---|---|---|---|
| I-B | stem-ḅax | Stress moved to the final syllable | |
| I-M | stem-ṃax | fu- → fuṃax don't/doesn't step on | |
| I-N | stem-ṇax | shi- → shiṇax don't/doesn't die | |
| I-G | stem-ġax | ka- → kaġax don't/doesn't smell | |
| I-S | stem-ṣax | ke- → keṣax don't/doesn't erase | |
| I-Z | stem-ẓax | ||
| I-L | stem-ḷax | f̣u- → fuḷax doesn't rain | |
| I-0 | stem ending in -a → aạx [aʔɑːˤ] | haḷa- → halaạx don't/doesn't pay | |
| stem ending in -e → | |||
| stem ending in -i → iỵax | i- → iỵax don't/doesn't say | ||
| stem ending in -o → | |||
| stem ending in -u → | |||
| I-1 | stem-ḍax | ṃa- → maḍax don't wait/doesn't wait | |
| I-2 | stem-ġax | ka- → kaġax don't/doesn't chisel | |
| I-3 | stem-nai | Stress kept in original location (or added to the suffix if the verb is stressless) |
ḍe- → ḍenai don't/doesn't appear |
| II-B | fam.stem-ḅax (initial monophthong removed) |
Stress moved to the final syllable | ḷa- → laḅax don't/doesn't choose |
| II-M | fam.stem-ṃax (initial monophthong removed) |
||
| II-G | fam.stem-ġax (initial monophthong removed) |
||
| II-S | fam.stem-ṣax (initial monophthong removed) |
haṇa- → hanaṣax don't/doesn't speak | |
| II-Z | fam.stem-ẓax (initial monophthong removed) |
hu- → huẓax don't/doesn't unfasten | |
| II-L | fam.stem-ḷax (initial monophthong removed) |
a- → ḷax doesn't end | |
| II-0 | fam.stem-ax (initial monophthong removed) |
aḷa- → laạx [laˈʔɑːˤ] don't/doesn't wash | |
| II-1 | fam.stem-ḍax (initial monophthong removed) |
||
| II-2 | fam.stem-ġax (initial monophthong removed) |
aḷu- → luġax don't/doesn't walk | |
| II-3 | fam.stem-nai (initial monophthong removed) |
Stress kept in original location (or added to the suffix if the verb is stressless) |
ḅoe- → ḅoenai don't/doesn't remember |
| III | Same rules as for class I | Stress moved to final syllable (including III-3) |
asa- (III-3) → asaṇai |
To form the negative past familiar conjugation, the particle datṭa is simply added after one of the above verb forms.
Negative Polite Conjugation
The negative present polite conjugation is formed with the suffix -ṣee, which takes stress. In class I a syllable is added between the stem and the suffix, the form of which depends on the subclass. In class I-3 everything except the verb's initial consonant is deleted before -aṣee is added. In classes II and III the suffix is added directly to the (polite) stem.
| Form | Stress shifts | Examples | |
|---|---|---|---|
| I-B | stem-baṣee | Stress moved to the final syllable | |
| I-M | stem-maṣee | fu- → fumaṣee don't/doesn't step on | |
| I-N | stem-naṣee | shi- → shinaṣee don't/doesn't die | |
| I-G | stem-gaṣee | ka- → kagaṣee don't/doesn't smell | |
| I-S | stem-shaṣee | ke- → keshaṣee don't/doesn't erase | |
| I-Z | |||
| I-L | stem-laṣee | f̣u- → fulaṣee doesn't rain | |
| I-0 | stem-aṣee (the vowel at the end of the stem is deleted) |
||
| I-1 | stem-jaṣee | ṃa- → majaṣee don't/doesn't wait | |
| I-2 | stem-gaṣee | ka- → kagaṣee don't/doesn't chisel | |
| I-3 | initial consonant-aṣee | ḍe- → daṣee don't/doesn't appear | |
| II | pol.stem-ṣee | ala- (polite stem) → alaṣee walk(s) | |
| III | stem-ṣee | asa- → asaṣee forget(s) |
The above forms serve as the basis for the negative past polite form. The particle deshṭa is simply added after a verb in negative present polite form, for example: asaṣee → asaṣee deshṭa forgot.
Familiar Hortative Conjugation
In this conjugation stress is moved to the suffix. Class II verbs get an initial monopthong removed, the same as in positive-past-familiar conjugation.
| Form | Stress shifts | Examples | |
|---|---|---|---|
| I-B | stem-ḅue | Stress moved to the final syllable | |
| I-M | stem-ṃue | fu- → fuṃue let's step on smth | |
| I-N | stem-ṇue | shi- → shiṇue let's die | |
| I-G | stem-ġue | ka- → kaġue let's smell | |
| I-S | stem-ṣue | ke- → keṣue let's erase | |
| I-Z | stem-ẓue | ||
| I-L | stem-ḷue | ḥyi- → hyiḷue let's cut | |
| I-0 | stem ending in -a → axụe [ɑːˤʔue] | haḷa- → halaxụe let's pay | |
| stem ending in -e → eeụe | |||
| stem ending in -i → iiỵue | i- → iiỵue let's say | ||
| stem ending in -o → | |||
| stem ending in -u → -uuṿue | |||
| I-1 | stem-ḍue | ṃa- → maḍue let's wait | |
| I-2 | stem-ġue | ka- → kaġue let's chisel | |
| I-3 | stem-ỵue | ḍe- → deỵue let's appear | |
| II-B | fam.stem-ḅue (initial monophthong removed) |
ḷa- → laḅue let's choose | |
| II-M | fam.stem-ṃue (initial monophthong removed) |
||
| II-G | fam.stem-ġue (initial monophthong removed) |
||
| II-S | fam.stem-ṣue (initial monophthong removed) |
haṇa- → hanaṣue let's speak | |
| II-Z | fam.stem-ẓue (initial monophthong removed) |
hu- → huẓue let's fasten | |
| II-L | fam.stem-ḷue (initial monophthong removed) |
a- → ḷue let's end | |
| II-0 | stem ending in -a → axụe [ɑːˤʔue] (initial monophthong removed) |
aḷa- | |
| stem ending in -e → eeụe (initial monophthong removed) |
|||
| stem ending in -i → iiỵue (initial monophthong removed) |
|||
| stem ending in -o → (initial monophthong removed) |
|||
| stem ending in -u → -uuṿue (initial monophthong removed) |
|||
| II-1 | fam.stem-ḍue (initial monophthong removed) |
||
| II-2 | fam.stem-ġue (initial monophthong removed) |
aḷu- → luġue let's walk | |
| II-3 | fam.stem-ỵue (initial monophthong removed) |
ḅoe- → boeỵue let's remember | |
| III | Same rules as for class I | asa- (III-3) → asaỵue let's forget | |
Polite Hortative Conjugation
The polite hortative conjugation is basically the same as the negative present polite conjugation, but with -ṣhue instead of -ṣee. In class I a syllable is added after the verb stem, and after that the suffix -ṣhue, which takes stress, is added. In I-3 everything but the initial consonant is deleted from the verb stem. Classes II and III add the suffix directly to the (polite) stem.
| Form | Stress shifts | Examples | |
|---|---|---|---|
| I-B | stem-baṣhue | Stress moved to the final syllable | |
| I-M | stem-maṣhue | fu- → fumaṣhue let's step on smth | |
| I-N | stem-naṣhue | shi- → shinaṣhue let's die | |
| I-G | stem-gaṣhue | ka- → kagaṣhue let's smell | |
| I-S | stem-shaṣhue | ke- → keshaṣhue let's erase | |
| I-Z | |||
| I-L | stem-laṣhue | ḥyi- → hyilaṣhue let's pay | |
| I-0 | stem-aṣhue (the vowel at the end of the stem is deleted) |
||
| I-1 | stem-jaṣhue | ṃa- → majaṣhue let's wait | |
| I-2 | stem-gaṣhue | ka- → kagaṣhue let's chisel | |
| I-3 | initial consonant-aṣhue | ḍe- → daṣhue let's appear | |
| II | pol.stem-ṣhue | ala- (polite stem) → alaṣhue let's walk | |
| III | stem-ṣhue | asa- → asaṣhue let's forget |
Imperative Conjugation
The imperative conjugation is expressed with a suffix consisting of the thematic consonant followed by -e (though in subclass 3 the suffix -ḷo is used). Stress is moved to the final syllable.
| Form | Stress shifts | Examples | |
|---|---|---|---|
| I-B | stem-ḅe | Stress moved to the final syllable | |
| I-M | stem-ṃe | fu- → fuṃe step on smth! | |
| I-N | stem-ṇe | shi- → shiṇe die! | |
| I-G | stem-ġe | ka- → kaġe smell!" | |
| I-S | stem-ṣe | ke- → keṣe erase! | |
| I-Z | stem-ẓe | ||
| I-L | stem-ḷe | ḥyi- → hyiḷe cut! | |
| I-0 | stem-e | haḷa- → haḷae pay! | |
| I-1 | stem-ḍe | ṃa- → maḍe wait! | |
| I-2 | stem-ġe | ka- → kaġe chisel! | |
| I-3 | stem-ḷo | ḍe- → deḷo appear! | |
| II | Same rules as for class I, using the familiar stem | aḷu- (II-2) → aluġe walk! | |
| III | Same rules as for class I | asa- (III-3) → asaḷo forget! | |
The above is the basis for the polite imperative form. The particle kaṣai is simply added after the familiar imperative to make it polite. However, in class II the polite stem needs to be used instead of the familiar stem.
Conjunctive Conjugation
This form is basically the same as the positive present familiar conjugation, but with -i as the final vowel instead of -u. The suffix for some subclasses lacks a vowel though, and these forms are identical to the positive present familiar conjugation. The conjunctive conjugation is not divided into familiar and polite forms.
| Form | Stress shifts | Examples | |
|---|---|---|---|
| I-B | stem-bi | Stress moved to the final syllable, but verbs without stem stress that end up being monosyllables remain unstressed |
|
| I-M | stem-mi | fu- → fuṃi stepping on | |
| I-N | stem-ni | ||
| I-G | stem-ji | ka- → kaȷ̈i smelling | |
| I-S | stem-sh | ke- → ʻkesh erasing | |
| I-Z | |||
| I-L | stem-li | f̣u- → fuḷi raining | |
| I-0 | stem-i | haḷa- → haḷai paying | |
| I-1 | stem-· | ṃa- → ṃa· waiting | |
| I-2 | ka- → ʻka· chiseling | ||
| I-3 | stem-∅ | ḍe- → ḍe appearing | |
| II | Same rules as for class I, using the familiar stem | Stress moved to final syllable | aḷa- → aḷai washing |
| III | Same as class I | asa- (III-3) → aṣa forgetting |
Familiar Conjugation
This conjugation form is used for the familiar-negative and familiar-hortative. A word in this form must take a suffix (either -ax/-nai for familiar-negative or -ue for familiar-hortative) to be grammatical. One could say that in this conjugation, the familiar politeness level is expressed in the stem change itself.
| I-B, I-G, I-L, I-M, I-N | I-S | I-Z | I-1 | I-2 | I-3 | I-a-4 | I-b-4 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rule | u → Ø | s → ṣ | · → ġ | · → ḍ | u → Ø[1] (NEG), Vu → Vː[1] (HORT) | lu → Ø | |||||
| Lemma | yoḅu | sas | ʻi· | u· | ʻkau | neḷu | ṃilu | ||||
| FAM | yoḅ- | saṣ- | iġ- | uḍ- | ka- (NEG), kax- (HORT) | ne- | ṃi- (NEG), mi- (HORT) | ||||
| Class | II-B, II-G, II-L, II-M | II-S | II-Z | II-1 | II-2 | II-3 | II-a-4 | II-b-4 | |||
| Rule | u → Ø[2] | s → ṣ[2] | z → ẓ | · → ġ[2] | · → ḍ[2] | u → Ø[1][2] (NEG), Vu → Vː[1][2] (HORT) | lu → Ø[2] | ||||
| Lemma | ỵogu | haṇas | huẓu | aḷu· | aḷau | kuḷu | ḥyilu | ||||
| FAM | yoġ- | hanaṣ- | huẓ- | luġ- | la- (NEG), lax- (HORT) | ku- | ḥyi- (NEG), hyi- (HORT) | ||||
| III-B | III-G | III-L | III-M | III-S | III-Z | III-1 | III-2 | III-3 | III-4 | ||
| Rule | stem 2 + ḅ | stem 2 + ġ | stem 2 + ḷ | stem 2 + ṃ | stem 2 + ṣ | stem 2 + ġ | stem 2 + ḍ | stem 2[1] (NEG), stem 2 + ː[1] (HORT) | lu → Ø (NEG), lu → ỵ (HORT) | ||
| Lemma | kadaḷu | goạs | haḷa· | koṇau | shaḅelu | ||||||
| POL | kadaḷ- | go·aṣ- | halaġ- | | kona- (NEG), konax- (HORT) | shaḅe- (NEG), shabe- (HORT) | |||||
- ↑1.0, 1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 1.4, 1.5An epenthetic consonant is often required between the stem and the suffix. What the consonant is depends on the last vowel of stem as follows:
- i, ii → [j], written <y>
- u, uu → [v], written <v>
- a, ax, e → [ʔ], unwritten or written <·> depending on the word
- In some cases <·> is used for marking hiatus
- ↑2.0, 2.1, 2.3, 2.4, 2.5, 2.6, 2.7If the word begins with a lone vowel, i.e. the first syllable consists of only a monophthong, then this monophthong is deleted.
In this table, classes that funtion similarly have been grouped together. The rule shows what part of the stem's end turn into what. An upper case V stands for any vowel and Ø for nothing. Examples follow with first words in their lemma form and then in the familiar conjugation form. A worded explanation follows:
- In classes B, G, L, M, N the final -u is removed before the suffix is added. Stress is moved to the final syllable (to the suffix). If the verb is of class II, an initial lone vowel is also deleted from the stem.
- In classes S and Z, no change happens at the stem end. But stress is moved to the final syllable (to the suffix). If the verb is of class II, an initial lone vowel is deleted from the stem.
- In class 1, the final -· is replaced by -ġ. Stress is moved to the final syllable (to the suffix). If the verb is of class II, an initial lone vowel is also deleted from the stem.
- In class 2, the final -· is replaced by -ḍ. Stress is moved to the final syllable (to the suffix). If the verb is of class II, an initial lone vowel is also deleted from the stem.
- In class 3, different changes take place depending on whether it is the negative or hortative suffix that is added. The negative suffix -ax simply causes the final -u to be dropped from the stem. The hortative suffix -ue causes the final -u to be dropped and the vowel before that becoming long. (Note that the long form of a is ax.) Both suffixes may require the insertion of an epenthetic consonant between the stem and the suffix, and in both cases stress is moved to the final syllable (to the suffix). If the verb is of class II, an initial lone vowel is also deleted from the stem.
- In classes I-a-4 and II-a-4, the final -lu is deleted. Class 4 verbs take -nai instead of -ax as the negative suffix. Stress is moved to the final syllable (to the suffix). If the verb is of class II-a-4, an initial lone vowel is also deleted from the stem.
- In classes I-b-4 and II-b-4, the final -lu is deleted. Class 4 verbs take -nai instead of -ax as the negative suffix. If the hortative suffix is used, stress is moved to the final syllable (to the suffix). But if the negative suffix is used, stress is kept in its original location. If the verb is of class II-b-4, an initial lone vowel is also deleted from the stem.
- In class III-4, the final -lu is deleted if the negative suffix is used, or replaced by -ỵ if the hortative suffix is used. (In another analysis one could say that the -ỵ is part of the suffix rather than this stem.) Class 4 verbs take -nai instead of -ax as the negative suffix. Stress is moved to the final syllable (to the suffix).
Polite Conjugation
This conjugation pattern is used for the polite-negative and polite-hortative (marked by the suffixes -ṣee and -ṣhue respectively), and cannot be used without a suffix. One could say that the polite politeness level is expressed in the stem change itself. The stress of all verbs is moved to the final syllable (the suffix) in this conjugation form.
| I-B, I-G, I-L, I-M, I-N | I-S | I-Z | I-1 | I-2 | I-3 | I-4 | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rule | u → a | s → sha | · → ga | · → ja | Vu → a | Vlu → a | ||
| Lemma | yoḅu | sas | ʻi· | u· | ʻkau | ṃilu | ||
| POL | yoba- | sasha- | iga- | uja- | ka- | ma- | ||
| II | ||||||||
| Rule | stem 1 → stem 2 | |||||||
| Lemma | ỵogu | |||||||
| POL | oya- | |||||||
| III | ||||||||
| Rule | stem 1 → stem 2 | |||||||
| Lemma | haḷa· | |||||||
| POL | hada- | |||||||
In this table, classes that funtion similarly have been grouped together. The rule shows what part of the stem's end turn into what. An upper case V stands for any vowel. Examples follow with first words in their lemma form and then in the polite conjugation form. A worded explanation follows:
- For verbs in classes I-B, I-G, I-L, I-M and I-N the final -u is replaced by -a before the suffix is added.
- In class I-S the final -s is replaced by -sha.
- In class I-1 the final -· is replaced by -ga.
- In class I-2 the final · is replaced by -ja.
- In class I-3 the final diphthong is replaced by -a.
- In class I-4 only the initial consonant of the word remains, and to this -a is added.
- In class II and III, the second stem is used and the suffix is simply added without any other modifications.
Past-Conjunctive Conjugation
This conjugation pattern is used for the past and conjunctive forms (marked by the suffixes -a and -e respectively). A stem with this conjugation may not be used without either suffix.
| I-a-B[1] | I-b-B | I-a-G[1] | I-b-G | I-a-L[1] | I-b-L | I-a-M[1] | I-b-M | I-N[1] | I-a-S[1] | I-b-S | I-Z | I-a-1[1] | I-b-1 | I-a-2[1] | I-b-2 | I-a-3[1] | I-b-3 | I-a-4[1] | I-b-4 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rule | ḅu → ḍ | bu → ːd | ġu → iḍ | gu → id | ḷu → tṭ | lu → tt | ṃu → ḍ | mu → ːd | ṇu → ḍ | s → shṭ | s → sht | · → iḍ | · → id | · → tṭ | · → tt | u → tṭ | u → tt | ḷu → ḍ | lu → d | |
| Lemma | yoḅu | kaġu | ṇugu | uḷu | f̣ulu | fuṃu | ỵomu | shiṇu | ʻos | ṣas | ʻka· | ḳa· | ụ· | ʻkau | ḳau | neḷu | ṃilu | |||
| PST/CONJ | yoḍ- | kaiḍ- | ṇuid- | utṭ- | f̣utt- | fuḍ- | ỵood- | shiḍ- | oshṭ- | ṣasht- | kaiḍ- | ḳaid- | ụtt- | katṭ- | ḳatt- | neḍ- | ṃid- | |||
| II-a-B | II-b-B | II-a-G | II-b-G | II-a-L | II-b-L | II-a-M | II-b-M | II-a-S | II-b-S | II-Z | II-a-1 | II-b-1 | II-a-2 | II-b-2 | II-a-3 | II-b-3 | II-a-4 | II-b-4 | ||
| Rule | ḅu → ḍ[2] | bu → ːd[2] | ġu → iḍ[2] | gu → id[2] | ḷu → tṭ[2] | lu → tt[2] | ṃu → ḍ[2] | mu → ːd[2] | s → shṭ[2] | s → sht[2] | ẓu → shṭ[2] | · → iḍ[2] | · → id[2] | · → tṭ[2] | · → tt[2] | u → tṭ[2] | u → tt[2] | ḷu → ḍ[2] | lu → d[2] | |
| Lemma | soḅu | ḷabu | maġu | ỵogu | shkaḷu | ṇolu | shuṃu | ḷamu | haṇas | huẓu | aḷu· | aḷau | oṃue | tiḷu | ḥyilu | |||||
| PST/CONJ | soḍ- | ḷaxd- | maiḍ- | ỵoid- | shkatṭ- | ṇott- | shuḍ- | ḷaxd- | haṇasht- | hushṭ- | ḷuid- | latṭa | ṃott- | tiḍ- | ḥyid- | |||||
| III-a-B | III-b-B | III-a-G | III-b-G | III-a-L | III-b-L | III-a-M | III-b-M | III-a-S | III-b-S | III-Z | III-a-1 | III-b-1 | III-a-2 | III-b-2 | III-a-3 | III-b-3 | III-a-4 | III-b-4 | ||
| Rule | bu → ːd | ġu → iḍ[2] | gu → id[2] | ḷu → tṭ[2] | lu → tt[2] | ṃu → ḍ[2] | mu → ːd[2] | s → shṭ[2] | s → sht[2] | ẓu → shṭ[2] | · → iḍ[2] | · → id[2] | · → tṭ[2] | · → tt[2] | u → tṭ[2] | u → tt[2] | ḷu → ḍ[2] | lu → d[2] | ||
| Lemma | kadaḷu | aseḷu | kaḷelu | |||||||||||||||||
| PST/CONJ | | kadatṭ- | aseḍ- | kaḷed- |
- ↑1.0, 1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 1.4, 1.5, 1.6, 1.8, 1.9, 1.10Monosyllabic verbs in this group are stressless, although such verbs only exist as irregular forms.
- ↑2.0, 2.1, 2.2, 2.3, 2.4, 2.5, 2.6, 2.7, 2.9, 2.10, 2.11, 2.12, 2.13, 2.14, 2.15, 2.16, 2.17, 2.18, 2.19If the word begins with a lone vowel, i.e. the first syllable consists of only a monophthong, then this monophthong is deleted.
The rule shows what part of the stem's end turn into what. Examples follow with first words in their lemma form and then in the polite conjugation form. A worded explanation follows (with stress change explanations at the end):
- In classes a-B, a-M, a-N the final -ḅu, -ṃu or -ṇu is replaced by -ḍ.
- In class b-B and b-M the final -bu or -mu is replaced by -d, and the vowel before this -d is lengthened. (Note that the long form of a is ax.)
- In class G and 1 the final -gu or -· is replaced by -id.
- In class L and 2 the final -lu or -· is replaced by -tt.
- In class S and Z, the final -s or -zu is replaced by -sht.
- In class 3 the final vowel is replaced by -tt. If the verb ends with -ue, the -ue is replaced by -ott.
- In class 4 the final -lu is replaced by -d.
- If a class II verb begins with a lone vowel, this vowel is deleted.
- In class I-a the stress is moved to the final syllable (to the suffix). But if the verb is monosyllabic, it will be stressless. Verb forms that are monosyllabic in this conjugation are all irregular though.
- In classes I-b, II-b, III-b-4 the stress is on the initial syllable.
- In class II-a and III-a the stress is moved to the final syllable (to the suffix). (Monosyllabic forms do not exist.)
- In class III-b (except for III-b-4) the stress is on the penultimate syllable.
Imperative Conjugation
This conjugation is used only for expressing the familiar imperative, and thus is only used with one suffix: -e (or -o in case of class 4 verbs). Since there is only one suffix, and the conjugated stem cannot be used alone, the fully conjugated familiar imperative is shown in the following table.
| I-B, I-G, I-L, I-M, I-N, I-Z | I-S | I-1 | I-2 | I-3 | I-4 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rule | u → e | s → se | · → ge | · → de | u → e | u → o |
| Lemma | yoḅu | ṣas | ʻi· | u· | ʻkau | ṃilu |
| IMP.FAM | yoḅe | ṣase | iġe | uḍe | ḳae | ṃilo |
| II-B, II-G, II-L, II-M, II-Z | II-S | II-1 | II-2 | II-3 | II-4 | |
| Rule | u → e | s → se | · → ge[1] | · → de[1] | u → e | u → o |
| Lemma | ỵogu | aḷu· | aḷau | kuḷu | ||
| IMP.FAM | ỵoge | ḷuge | aḷae | kuḷo | ||
| III-B, III-G, III-L, III-M, III-Z | III-S | III-1 | III-2 | III-3 | III-4 | |
| Rule | u → e | s → se | · → ge | · → de | u → e | u → o |
| Lemma | kadaḷu | haḷa· | koṇau | shaḅelu | ||
| IMP.FAM | kadaḷe | halaġe | koṇae | shaḅelo |
- ↑1.0, 1.1If the word begins with a lone vowel, i.e. the first syllable consists of only a monophthong, then this monophthong is deleted.
In this table, classes that funtion similarly have been grouped together. The rule shows what part of the stem's end turn into what. Examples follow with first words in their lemma form and then in the polite conjugation form. A worded explanation follows (with stress change explanations at the end):
- In classes B, G, L, M, N, Z, 3, the final -u is replaced by -e.
- In class S, -e is added to the end of the verb.
- In class 1, the final -· is replaced by -ge.
- In class 2, the final -· is replaced by -de.
- In class 4, the final -u is replaced by -o.
- In class a, the stress is moved to the final syllable (to the suffix).
- In class I-b and II-b, the stress is on the initial syllable.
- In class III-b the stress is kept on its original position.
Periphrastic Conjugation
The periphrastic conjugation is used when a verb is compounded with another verb. The first verb, which can be any verb in the language, is conjugated into the periphrastic form. The choice for the second verb is limited. This verb adds an aspectual meaning to the first verb. Further conjugations are carried by the second verb. A verb in the periphrastic form can also be used alone, in which case it stands for an infinitive. In this conjugation, stress is moved to the final syllable. But monosyllabic verbs are stressless.
| I-B, I-L, I-M, I-N, I-3 | I-G | I-S | I-Z | I-1, I-2 | I-4 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rule | u → i | gu → ji | s → sh | - | lu → ∅ | |
| Lemma | yoḅu | ṇugu | ṣas | ʻi· | ṃilu | |
| PPH | yoḅi | nuȷ̈i | ʻsash | ʻi· | ʻmi | |
| II-B, II-L, II-M, II-N, II-3 | II-G | II-S | II-Z | II-1, II-2 | II-4 | |
| Rule | u → i | gu → ji | s → sh | stem 2-ush[1] | - | lu → ∅ |
| Lemma | aḷau | ỵogu | huẓu | aḷu· | ḥyilu | |
| PPH | aḷai | yoȷ̈i | haẓush | aḷu· | ʻhyi | |
| III-B, III-L, III-M, III-N, III-3 | III-G | III-S | III-Z | III-1, III-2 | III-4 | |
| Rule | u → i | gu → ji | s → sh | - | lu → ∅ | |
| Lemma | kadaḷu | |||||
| PPH | kadaḷi |
- ↑1.0The final vowel in the second stem is replaced by -ush.
In this table, classes that funtion similarly have been grouped together. The rule shows what part of the stem's end turn into what. ∅ stands for nothing, and - for no change. Examples follow with first words in their lemma form and then in the periphrastic conjugation form. A worded explanation follows:
- In classes B, L, M, N, 3, the final -u is replaced by -i.
- In class G, the final -gu is replaced by -ji.
- In class S, the final -s is replaced by -sh.
- In class Z, the verbs second stem is used, with -ush replacing the last vowel of the stem.
- In class 1 and 2, the periphrastic form is the same as the lemma.
- In class 4, the final -lu is deleted, making it identical to the familiar conjugation form.
Tense, polarity and politeness
Seebee has two tenses: past and non-past. Polarity is either positive or negative. Positive polarity is used in affirmative statements or questions, and negative polarity is used for negation.
There are several levels of politeness which are different registers that are used depending on the status of the person one is talking to or about. The lowest level is the familiar speech. This register is used when talking with member's of one's own family. This includes parents and siblings, as well as members of the extended family that are the same age or younger than oneself. It is also used when talking to close friends that are younger or the same age as oneself, to pets, to servants and other people below one's social status. When familiar speech is used towards someone outside of these groups, it can convey either intimacy or rudeness, depending on the relation between the two people.
The polite speech is the "default" politeness level used when speaking to strangers or other people towards whom familiar speech would be inappropriate.
Seebee lacks complete conjugation paradigms for all combinations of tense, polarity and politeness. To overcome this, various forms of the copula is used together with available conjugations, as the following table shows.
| FAM | POL | |
|---|---|---|
| PST-POS | ḷutta | aḷud deshṭa |
| PST-NEG | luġax datṭa | alaṣee deshṭa |
| NPST-POS | aḷu· | aḷud ʻdes |
| NPST-NEG | luġax | alaṣee |
To summarize, the above combinations consist of the following morphemes:
- FAM.POS.PST: The past-conjunctive stem and the suffix -a (FAM.PST). The positive polarity is zero-marked.
- FAM-NEG-PST: The familiar stem (FAM), the negative suffix -ax or -nai (NEG), and datṭa (FAM.PST).
- FAM-POS-NPST: The lemma form. Both the familiar politeness (FAM), positive polarity (POS) and non-past tense (NPST) are zero-marked.
- FAM-NEG-NPST: The familiar stem (FAM) and the negative suffix -ax or -nai (NEG). The non-past tense (NPST) is zero-marked.
- POL-POS-PST: The lemma form and deshṭa (POL.PST). The positive polarity is zero-marked.
- POL-NEG-PST: The polite stem (POL), the negative suffix -ṣee (NEG), and deshṭa (POL.PST).
- POL-POS-NPST: The lemma form and ʻdes (POL.NPST).
- POL-NEG-NPST: The polite stem (POL) and the negative suffix -ṣee (NEG). The non-past tense is zero-marked.
Hortatives and Imperatives
The polite hortative can be directed either toward oneself, indicating an offer to do something, or it can be an encouragement for the addressee to do something with the speaker, as in English let's-constructions.
| FAM | POL | |
|---|---|---|
| HORT | alaṣhue |
Conjunctive
The most basic type of conjunctive is a verb with the past-conjunctive stem and the suffix -e. This verbform is used for connecting two verbs. One use of it is to express that someone does two things. The first verb is in the conjunctive form, and the second verb follows it, taking tense and politeness conjugations. Note that the subject of both verbs need to be same. See also Expressing Several Actions for another way of coordinating verbs.
Another use is for compounding verbs. Some verb compounds are lexical in nature, and in some cases the second verb has a more grammatical meaning, as in ḥyitte ṃilu (to try to cut, literally "cut and see").
Verbs using the past-conjunctive stem do not carry tense or politeness, but the conjunctive can be combined with some clitics and particles, as explained under the following headings.
Even if (CONJ-mo)
A verb with the conjunctive suffix and the clitic -mo expresses the idea of "even if" or "no matter how".
After an Event (CONJ kaḷa)
To express that something happened/happens after another event, the first event is expressed with a verb in the conjunctive form followed by kaḷa, and then a phrase describing the second event. The subject does not need to be the same in both verb phrases.
Desiderative Mood
The desiderative mood is expressed by adding -noṃu to the verb's periphrastic form. Noṃu is a class a-M verb, and can be further conjugated to indicate e.g. tense.
Specifying the Time of Events Relative to Other Events
To specify when something happened, the word to· is used between two verb phrases. If the subject in the second phrase is the same as in the first phrase, it is dropped. When translating a construction like this into English, the word when or while would be used in the beginning of the first phrase.
The word to· has two allomorphs: A stressed ṭo· after class a verbs, and an unstressed ʻto· after class b verbs. The verbs in the two phrases receive the same tense. Usually the familiar poliness level is used, because the politeness is defined by the verb in the second phrase. But in a more formal situation, a polite form can be used before to·, especially when the second phrase is in honorific form.
Another way to specify time is with the word toḷo, which is also placed between two verb phrases. The verb before toḷo can have the conjunctive form followed by -lu toḷo, in which case a time right at which something happened is specified, or the verb can have non-past tense in which case it specifies when something is about to happen, or it can have past tense, in which case it specifies an event which something happened right after. Just as with to·, the verb usually has familiar politeness, but polite forms can be used as well. (In the case of CONJ-lu toḷo, the polite form would be CONJ-mas toḷu.)
See also After an Event (CONJ kaḷa).
Seem to
To express what seems to happen, the word midai is placed after a verb in any tense and polarity, familiar form. Midai has the two allomorphs ṃidai, after class a verbs, and miḍai, after class b verbs. The construction can be made polite by adding ʻdes after midai, while in the familiar politeness level midai can end the sentence as is.
Expressing Several Actions
When expressing several actions in one sentence, the structure V1-mo ... Vn-mo suḷu. Any number of verbs can be used, all receiving the clitic -mo. The last verb is also followed by the verb suḷu, which can take any conjugation. Note that this structure is not necessarily an exhaustive list, but it may just be a few examples of actions. This structure can also be used with just one verb, in which case it serves as an example.
Particles
If (ṃosh)
The particle ṃosh is used at the beginning of conditional clauses. The structure used is ṃosh VP1 to VP2. VP1 contains the condition. When polite speech is used, the verb in this phrase may be in either familiar or polite form. Otherwise the verb has the same politeness level as the verb in VP2. VP2 expresses the consequence of the condition.
