User:Bukkia/sandboxVIII

Verbs

Verbs in Pı̀ 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:

ró̱s
(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:

go̱ ró̱s
I hear

sæ̱̏ ró̱s
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.

ɪ̱́g ró̱s xō
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	ña̱
perfective	xō
resultative	čɛ̱
repetitive	jʊ̂
experiential	fɔ̄
prospective	pò

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:

go̱ ró̱s
I hear (always)

go̱ ró̱s ña̱
I am hearing

go̱ ró̱s xō
I heard

The temporal particles are:

time	particle
now	rɑ̄̀
past	ɪ̱́g
future	kūx
distant past	rǿ

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:

go̱ ɪ̱́g ró̱s
I used to hear (always)

go̱ kūx ró̱s ña̱
I will be hearing

go̱ rɑ̄̀ ró̱s xō
I heard (right a bit ago)

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

	particle
imperative	šá
prohibitive	šá

These particles are mandatorily used when orders and prohibitions 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.

tı̀ šı́
go!

tı̀ xō šı́
go! (up to destination)

sā tı̀ šı́ ba bē ɛ́ šı́
you go, but he stay!