User:Bukkia/sandboxVIII

Verbs

Verbs in Pı̇ħ usually have a monosyllabic form, or a multisyllabic form, if morphologically derived. Each verbal form carries only the semantical information, while othere feature are conveyed by other grammatic particles.

On the morphological level the verb display no person, or number, exhibiting always the same unaltered form:

rjos
(I, you, he, she, it, we, they) hear

The verbal person is conveyed by nouns and personal pronouns, which can convey also the number, unlike nouns:

ŋọ rjos
I hear

sȧ ʔẹ rjos
you (pl.) hear

The verb, however, can be adjoined by particles, which convey either the aspectual or the temporal value of an action or a state. The set of the verb form, carrying the meaning, together with the temporal and the aspectual particles is called verb cluster.

hı̣wŋ rjos xȯ
past - hear - perfective

Personal pronouns are not considered to be part of the verb cluster, as they can be freely placed in other parts of the clause. Verbal particles, conversely, are strictly tied to the same verbal form.

The aspectual particles are:

aspect	particle
progressive	ɴjạ
perfective	xȯ
resultative	cjɛ̣
repetitive	ɬjuj
experiential	ɸɔ̇
prospective	pwọ

The absence of an aspectual particle is understood as an habitual aspect, namely pointing to a usual or customary in time action or state. The aspectual particle are always place after the verb, and are not usually left out. Examples:

ŋọ rjos
I hear (always)

ŋọ rjos ɴjạ
I am hearing

ŋọ rjos xȯ
I heard

The temporal particles are:

time	particle
now	rɔj
past	hı̣wŋ
future	ku̇x
distant past	rjɛ̇w

Temporal particles are similar to temporal adverbs, and sometimes they are regarded as such. However, unlike real adverbs, they are tied to the verb, as part of the verb cluster. They are not always expressed, only if deemed necessary for the temporal identification of the clause. In a common clause, only the aspect is expressed:

ŋọ hı̣wŋ rjos
I used to hear (always)

ŋọ ku̇x rjos ɴjạ
I will be hearing

ŋọ rɔj rjos xȯ
I heard (right a bit ago)

Two additional particles can be placed after the verb, sjı̇, which conveys a meaning of command, being thus an imperative particle, and sjȧ, which conveys a meaning of negative command or prohibition, being thus a prohibitive particle.

	particle
imperative	sjı̇
prohibitive	sjȧ

These particles are mandatorily used when orders and prohibition are to be conveyed. When used, personal pronouns, aspectual particles and temporal particles are usually not required, but they can be optionally used. Both particles are placed at the end of the verbal cluster.

tı̇h sjı̇
go!

tı̇h xȯ sjı̇
go! (up to destination)

sȧ tı̇h sjı̇ ɬa ɬė ʔjɛ̇n sjı̇
you go, but he stay!