Seuna verbs

In finite form, the verb can have upto five slots after the main word. These slots are for subject, mood, negation 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 him

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 rin bundoi???

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

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

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.

the reflexive and the reciprocal

These are given by the following three words which follow the verb, the same as normmal objects do.

reflexive(singular subject)	=te
reflexive(plural subject)	=ten
reciprical	=gan

Negation

solboru = he/she will drink

solbortu = he/she will not drink

The infinitive is negated by suffixing hu which by itself, means 'to lack' ??? hua = to lose ??

hutimpa = 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	harti	we(exc.)weren't	haurti
		we(inc.) weren't	hairti
you weren't	hirti	you(lot) weren't	herti
he/she wasn't	horti	they aren't	hurti

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 horto 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
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