Seuna verbs

From FrathWiki
Jump to navigationJump to search

In finite form, the verb can have upto five slots after the main word. These slots are for subject, mood, voice and tense. A fifth slot, which gives evidential information is also often tagged on.

Subject suffix

The subject slot is filled as follows ;-

I -a- we(exc.) -au-
we(inc.) -ai-
you -i- you(pl.) -e-
he/she -o- they -u-

Mood suffix

The mood slot is filled as follows ;-

indicative -r-
subjunctive -s-
imperative -ya

Imperative

When the imperative is used there is no tense suffix. Also it is used only with the two second person subject suffixes. So for example;-

to hit timpa
Hit him/her. timpiya na
Hit him/her(spoken to more than one person). timpeya na

For the negative imperative we use the particle kya and the verb in its recitation form. For example ;-

Don't hit him/her. kya timpa na

Notice that in the negative form, the single/plural distinction is lost.

Subjuntive

The subjunctive have the subject slot filled and then s.

timpas na = Let me hit him timpis na = Please hit him timpos na = Let him hit im.

For the negative subjunctive we suffix ka.

timpaska na = In order that I do not hit him

Indicative

What is called the passive voice

This is made by end.sticking fi to the verb.

bundorinfi dwolo = they say a house was built (immaterial whether still standing or not)

dwolo bundortanfi = they say the house has been built (it is still standing)

caito kludorusfi = (I guess) the book will be written

Tense suffix

The tense slot is filled as follows ;-

past -i
future -u
perfect -a
past perfect -ia
future perfect -ua
general/habitual -o
present -e
simultaneous -ai
consequential -au

She walked and walked = walkori walkorau

She walked and walked and walked = walkori walkorau walkorau

Evidential suffix

reported -n
inferred -s
seen -o

Evidentials are only used in main(independent clauses), with the indicative mood. The "seen" evidential is only used with the past tense suffix. None of the evidentials are obligatory. The reported and inferred seem to bring into doubt the reliability of the information somewhat.

-n means inferred from evidence and is used in the situations in which we prefix or tag on "I guess" or "I think" to a clause in English.

-s means and information asserted is got from some third party and is used where we might prefix "they say" to a clause in English.

Negation

The way to negate is to prefix ha in front of the verb. For example;-

hasolboru = he/she will not drink

The infinitive is negated by suffixing hi which by itself, means 'to lack'.

hitimpa = to not hit

Two epistemic particles

The two epistemic particles meu and loi take the same positions relative to the verb as ka.

meu = "may"

loi = "probably"

Antonyms

Some verbs that end with a have antonyms. For example;-

tata = to tangle tatua = to untangle

The copula

The forms of the copula are almost identical to the TAM markings.

I was ari we(exc.)were auri
we(inc.) were airi
you were iri you(lot) were eri
he/she was ri they are uri

Notice that the third person singular copula drops the o that occurs in the verb paradigm. The u of the third person singular can also be dropped if the subject has already been stated.

kaunu nage ro hau'e = her coat is beautiful kaunun wage ro hau'e = their coats are beautiful (kaunun wage uro hau'e would sound strange)

You will notice that in the above table we demonstrated the copula system using the past tense. The reason that the past tense was used is that the present tense in English corresponds to two forms and two meanings in Seuna. The difference in meaning between the two forms, is the same as the difference between the two Spanish copulas “estar” and "ser". The "e" form being used for a less permanent state of affairs (similar to the use of "estar")and the "o" form being used for a more permanent state of affairs (similar to the use of "ser").

are buke = I am sick aro buke = I am an invalid

There is a set of negative copulas as given below;-

I wasn't hari we(exc.)weren't hauri
we(inc.) weren't hairi
you weren't hiri you(lot) weren't heri
he/she wasn't hori they aren't huri

As in Russian, if tense information is unimportant, two words can just stand together with no copula.

mi "doctor" = I am a doctor

The causative, the inchoative and the reciprocal

timpaya = to make hit

solbaye = to make drink

timpala = to start to hit

solbale = to start to drink

timpawa = to fight

Gerund constructions

In English we have what is called the 'gerund'. For example;- "Me hitting him is not on". In this example "Me hitting him" is sort of a noun. In Seuna there is only one verbal-noun. It is the 'base form' or 'recitation form' of the verb. It is also the infinitive.

timpa mige nafi horo boi = "Me hitting him is not on"

??timpa mige ta na horo boi = "Me hitting him is not on"??

Adjectives from verbs

There are two participles. The passed passive is the infinite with oi replacing the original vowel. The present active is the infinite with eu replacing the original vowel.

These participles can appear in compounds. For example;- hand.makeoi = handmade

wife.beatla = wifebeater

It could be said that there is a third participle. The infinitive can be used to mean "that must be". For example "shirt" "to wash" means the shirt that must be washed.

Verb list

Usually a verb is recognizable by its midword consonant cluster. These verbs are of course multi-syllable. However the most common verbs are single-syllable. They are given below.

?/m/my/y/j/jw/f/fy/fl/b/by/bl/bw/g/gl/gw /d/dw/l/c/cw/s/sl/sw/k/ky/kl/kw/p/py/pl /t/tw/w/n/ny/h/

to see bai
to show bya
to meet bwa
to fly senfo
to throw fyo
to know moi
to tell myoi
to realize,recognize maloi
to do tu
to start dwa
to be ku
to become gwa
to have su
to get swa
to flutter awata
to wonder awasa
to want ye
to lack hi?
to need hu?
to walk dono
to run cwonso
to bite glehe
to sever nya
to cut kata
to talk cata
to say kle
to read baca
to write kludau
to build bunda
to buy osta
to be able to nua
to give loi
to be obliged to jwa
to feel that you should jada
osta to enter pali
to put in palyi
to exit malu
to extract malyu
to stop ha
to go down teu
to raise jwo
to lower twe
to enter pai
to exit myu
to insert pli
to extract fyu
to go through fau
to say plo
to think kle
to wish flua
to take oi
to want heu
to understand nai
to follow dwe
to cross cwo

The initial k is not taken by ku = to be, because this is of course realized by the r paradigm when the verb is finite. It is taken by the negative copula kvrv.


fyo was originally senfyo awan is an adjective meaning 'random' gleno is a noun meaning tooth ???

??I will take = oyaru, imperative singular oi, imperative plural oye

Other

You ought to hit him = you should hit him = timpohire na

You must hit him = timpuhire na

You can hit him = timpawire na

Index

  1. Introduction to Seuna
  2. Seuna : Chapter 1
  3. Seuna word shape
  4. The script of Seuna
  5. Seuna sentence structure
  6. Seuna pronouns
  7. Seuna nouns
  8. Seuna verbs (1)
  9. Seuna adjectives
  10. Seuna demonstratives
  11. Seuna verbs (2)
  12. Asking a question in Seuna
  13. Seuna relative clauses
  14. Seuna verbs (3)
  15. Methods for deriving words in Seuna
  16. List of all Seuna derivational affixes
  17. Numbers in Seuna
  18. Naming people in Seuna
  19. The Seuna calendar
  20. Seuna units