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| ==Verbs== | | ===Interrogative pronouns=== |
| The main distinction made in the verbal system of Proto-Piti language is based on the fundamental dichotomy between '''imperfective''' aspect and '''perfective''' aspect. This distinction is conveyed by two different verbal roots, with a '''''CVCVC''''' structure, for every verbal meaning, the ''imperfective root'' ('''R<sub>imp</sub>''') and the ''perfective root'' ('''R<sub>prf</sub>''').
| | Basic interrogative pronouns display two different roots: |
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| The basic form is generally the imperfective root. The perfective root is usually derived from the imperfective one through an introflexive process of vowel switching:
| | *<small>''quality'':</small> '''ṫjejm-''' |
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| | *<small>''quantity'':</small> '''sjowp-''' |
| '''CV<sub>1</sub>CV<sub>2</sub>C''' → '''CV<sub>2</sub>CV<sub>1</sub>C'''
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| Example:
| | When taking a noun role, the root is usually expanded by the nominal suffix '''-e-'''. |
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| '''R<sub>imp</sub>''' = '''ŋaŋok-''' → '''R<sub>prf</sub>''' = '''ŋoŋak-''' | | '''ṫjejm-''' → '''ṫjejm-''' + '''-e-''' → '''ṫjejme''' |
| | <small>''interr.'' → ''what?, who?''</small> |
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| There is a limited amount of verbal roots with a '''''CVC''''' structure, called ''monosyllabic roots''. These roots do not have a perfective counterpart, not displaying, thus, the usual introflexive process of vowel switching.
| | When taking an adjective role, the root is usually expanded by the adjectival suffix '''-i-'''. |
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| '''R<sub>imp</sub>''' = '''tʰaːŋ-''' | | '''ṫjejm-''' → '''ṫjejm-''' + '''-i-''' → '''ṫjejmi''' |
| | <small>''interr.'' → ''which?''</small> |
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| These roots display thus only one aspect, usually the ''imperfective''.
| | As pronouns, these forms display a complete declension, in which the case forms according to the animacy of the referred noun. |
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| Another distinction, newer than the aspectual distinction, is made, on a temporal level, between a non-past tense, generally called “''present''”, and a past tense, by means of the prefix '''ʔa-''', known as ''augment'', which conveys the past tense, while non-past actions are marked by its absence.
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| '''R<sub>imp</sub>''' = '''ŋaŋok-''' → '''R<sub>imp-past</sub>''' = '''ʔaŋaŋok-'''
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| '''R<sub>imp</sub>''' = '''tʰaːŋ-''' → '''R<sub>imp-past</sub>''' = '''ʔatʰaːŋ-'''
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| The following modal infixes can be added to every verbal root:
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| *''indicative'': '''Ø'''
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| *''subjunctive'': '''-iɳ-'''
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| *''optative'': '''-oṕ-'''
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| *''potential'': '''-æʈ-'''
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| As they infer a modal value to the root, without altering the aspectual information, these infixes are not involved in the vowel switching process.
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| In the archaic period, the verb is not declined for person or bumber, and the original personal pronoun are mandatorily used to convey the first and the second person. Since the word order is initially VSO, these pronouns are placed right after the verbal form. They are then cliticized to the verb, turning into actual personal endings. In an earlier stage, these endings convey only the first two persons, without distinguishing any number.
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| {|- | | {|- |
| | colspan="2" | ''Personal morphemes''
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| | style="width: 100px;"|<center><small>''1<sup>st</sup>''</small></center> || style="width: 60px;"| '''-oɬ''' | | | || colspan="2" | <center>''who? / what?''</center> || colspan="2" | <center>''how much? / how many?''</center> |
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| | <center><small>''2<sup>st</sup>''</small></center> || '''-er''' | | | style="width: 100px;"| || style="width: 100px;"|<center><small>''singular''</small></center> || style="width: 100px;"|<center><small>''plural''</small></center> || style="width: 100px;"|<center><small>''singular''</small></center> || style="width: 100px;"|<center><small>''plural''</small></center> |
| |} | |
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| The third person displays two possible endings: '''-æt́''', derived from the demonstrative pronominal root, and '''-Ø''', namely a ''zero marking''. This dichotomy arises from the original lacking of any personal marking when the subject is clearly expressed. Usage of such ending, however, remain significantly unclear and the daughter languages display different strategies in their development.
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| Number marking appears in a later, but still pre-diasporic, period. It is considerably free and unstable. Similarly to the nominal declension, numeral morphemes can be freely placed before or after the personal morphemes.
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| {|-
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| | colspan="2" | ''Numeral morphemes'' | |
| |- | | |- |
| | style="width: 100px;"|<center><small>''singular''</small></center> || style="width: 60px;"| '''-'''
| | | <center><small>''ergative''</small></center> || '''ṫjejmek̇ə''' || '''ṫjejmejk̇ə''' || '''sjowpek̇ə''' || '''sjowpejk̇ə''' |
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| | <center><small>''plural''</small></center> || '''-on''' | | | <center><small>''absolutive''</small></center> || '''ṫjejme''' || '''ṫjejmej''' || '''sjowpe''' || '''sjowpej''' |
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| | <center><small>''dual''</small></center> || '''-iʔ''' | | | <center><small>''possessive''</small></center> || '''ṫjejmeṗu''' || '''ṫjejmejṗu''' || '''sjowpeṗu''' || '''sjowpejṗu''' |
| |} | |
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| In the later pre-diasporic period, the scheme of the personal endings looks like this:
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| {| class="wikitable"
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| | style="width: 70px;"| ''<small>1<sup>st</sup> sing.</small>'' || colspan="2" | <center>'''-oɬ'''</center> | | | <center><small>''terminative''</small></center> || '''ṫjejmeʈu''' || '''ṫjejmejʈu''' || '''sjowpeʈu''' || '''sjowpejʈu''' |
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| | ''<small>2<sup>nd</sup> sing.</small>'' || colspan="2" | <center>'''-er'''</center> | | | <center><small>''ablative''</small></center> || '''ṫjejmeʡo''' || '''ṫjejmejʡo''' || '''sjowpeʡo''' || '''sjowpejʡo''' |
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| | rowspan="2" | ''<small>3<sup>rd</sup> sing.</small>'' || colspan="2" | <center>'''-æt́'''</center> | | | <center><small>''causative''</small></center> || '''ṫjejmeno''' || '''ṫjejmejno''' || '''sjowpeno''' || '''sjowpejno''' |
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| | colspan="2" | <center>'''-'''</center>
| | | <center><small>''benefactive''</small></center> || '''ṫjejmepə''' || '''ṫjejmejpə''' || '''sjowpepə''' || '''sjowpejpə''' |
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| | ''<small>1<sup>st</sup> dual</small>'' || style="width: 70px;"| <center>'''-iʔoɬ'''</center> || style="width: 70px;"| <center>'''-oɬiʔ'''</center> | | | <center><small>''instrumental''</small></center> || '''ṫjejmema''' || '''ṫjejmejma''' || '''sjowpema''' || '''sjowpejma''' |
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| | ''<small>2<sup>nd</sup> dual</small>'' || <center>'''-iʔer'''</center> || <center>'''-eriʔ'''</center> | | | <center><small>''locative''</small></center> || '''ṫjejmewa''' || '''ṫjejmejwa''' || '''sjowpewa''' || '''sjowpejwa''' |
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| | rowspan="2" | ''<small>3<sup>rd</sup> dual</small>'' || <center>'''-iʔæt́'''</center> || <center>'''-æt́iʔ'''</center>
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| | colspan="2" | <center>'''-iʔ'''</center>
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| | ''<small>1<sup>st</sup> plur.</small>'' || <center>'''-onoɬ'''</center> || <center>'''-oɬon'''</center>
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| | ''<small>2<sup>nd</sup> plur.</small>'' || <center>'''-oner'''</center> || <center>'''-eron'''</center>
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| | rowspan="2" | ''<small>3<sup>rd</sup> plur.</small>'' || <center>'''-onæt́'''</center> || <center>'''-æt́on'''</center> | |
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| | colspan="2" | <center>'''-on'''</center> | |
| |} | | |} |
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| These endings are added after the modal infixes. As they derive from pronominal or numeral cliticized forms, these endings are not involved in the vowel switching process.
| | The quality root can refer freely to either animate or inanimate entities. A distinction of animacy can be inferred by the context or by choice of case forms. However, some declined forms can acquire new interrogative meanings depending on the selected case: |
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| There are, moreover, other endings, which are used to create non-verbal non-finite forms. There are two nominal forms, the ''infinitive<small><sub>1</sub></small>'', and the the ''infinitive<small><sub>2</sub></small>'', and two adjectival forms, the ''active participle'' and the ''passive participle''. These endings can be added to both aspectual root and take the augment, to convey their aspectual and temporal value..
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| *''infinitive<small><sub>1</sub></small>'': '''-æme'''
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| *''infinitive<small><sub>2</sub></small>'': '''-ika'''
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| *''agentive participle'': '''-iːto'''
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| *''passive participle'': '''-uki'''
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| As these endings infer a nominal/adjectival value to the root, without altering the aspectual information, these infixes are not involved in the vowel switching process.
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| Verbal roots can be also expanded by derivative morpheme, both suffixes and prefixes. Suffixes infer an additional grammatical information, while prefixes infer an additional semantical meaning to the root:
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| '''R<sub>imp</sub>''' = '''ʔimeːχek-''' → '''R<sub>prf</sub>''' = '''ʔeːmiχek-'''
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| '''R<sub>imp</sub>''' = '''muːʔimeːχ-''' → '''R<sub>prf</sub>''' = '''muːʔeːmiχ-'''
| | * '''ṫjejmewa''': where (<small>static location</small>) |
| | * '''ṫjejmeʈu''': where (<small>motion toward</small>) |
| | * '''ṫjejmeno ''': why (<small>cause</small>) |
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| As these endings infer a derivative value to the root, without altering the aspectual information, these infixes are not involved in the vowel switching process. A notable exception affects the monosyllabic roots with a '''CVC''' structures. These endings, when added to such roots, can be involved in the vowel switching process, as they can infer a grammatical information, also an aspectual one.
| | These forms, while broadly undefined in their meaning, are usually specified by using the interrogative adjective with other generic or specific nouns: |
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| '''ʔæɳ-''' → '''R<sub>imp</sub>''' = '''ʔæɳek-''' → '''R<sub>prf</sub>''' = '''ʔeɳæk-'''
| | * '''ṫjejmewa weʡewa''': in which place (<small>static location</small>) |
| | * '''ṫjejmeʈu weʡeʈu''': in which place (<small>motion toward</small>) |
Interrogative pronouns
Basic interrogative pronouns display two different roots:
- quality: ṫjejm-
- quantity: sjowp-
When taking a noun role, the root is usually expanded by the nominal suffix -e-.
ṫjejm- → ṫjejm- + -e- → ṫjejme
interr. → what?, who?
When taking an adjective role, the root is usually expanded by the adjectival suffix -i-.
ṫjejm- → ṫjejm- + -i- → ṫjejmi
interr. → which?
As pronouns, these forms display a complete declension, in which the case forms according to the animacy of the referred noun.
|
who? / what? |
how much? / how many?
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singular |
plural |
singular |
plural
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| ergative |
ṫjejmek̇ə |
ṫjejmejk̇ə |
sjowpek̇ə |
sjowpejk̇ə
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| absolutive |
ṫjejme |
ṫjejmej |
sjowpe |
sjowpej
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| possessive |
ṫjejmeṗu |
ṫjejmejṗu |
sjowpeṗu |
sjowpejṗu
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| terminative |
ṫjejmeʈu |
ṫjejmejʈu |
sjowpeʈu |
sjowpejʈu
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| ablative |
ṫjejmeʡo |
ṫjejmejʡo |
sjowpeʡo |
sjowpejʡo
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| causative |
ṫjejmeno |
ṫjejmejno |
sjowpeno |
sjowpejno
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| benefactive |
ṫjejmepə |
ṫjejmejpə |
sjowpepə |
sjowpejpə
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| instrumental |
ṫjejmema |
ṫjejmejma |
sjowpema |
sjowpejma
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| locative |
ṫjejmewa |
ṫjejmejwa |
sjowpewa |
sjowpejwa
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The quality root can refer freely to either animate or inanimate entities. A distinction of animacy can be inferred by the context or by choice of case forms. However, some declined forms can acquire new interrogative meanings depending on the selected case:
- ṫjejmewa: where (static location)
- ṫjejmeʈu: where (motion toward)
- ṫjejmeno : why (cause)
These forms, while broadly undefined in their meaning, are usually specified by using the interrogative adjective with other generic or specific nouns:
- ṫjejmewa weʡewa: in which place (static location)
- ṫjejmeʈu weʡeʈu: in which place (motion toward)
