User:Bukkia/sandboxVIII

Verbs

Verbs in Eβmiʔ language usually have a multisyllabic form. 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:

godner
(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:

godner ɔn
I hear

godner eʂeʂ
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.

godner nuʔ bɔ
hear - past - perfective

The aspectual particles are:

aspect	particle
progressive	moʈ
perfective	nuʔ
resultative	βoʔ
habitual	aβ
repetitive	hɔb
experiential	jaç
prospective	ňes

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

godner ɔn
I hear (always)

godner moʈ ɔn
I am hearing

godner nuʔ ɔn
I heard

The temporal particles are:

time	particle
present	he
past	bɔ
future	sä

Temporal particles are similar to temporal adverbs, and sometimes they are regarded as such. However, they are somehow tied to the verb, as part of the verb cluster. They tend to be placed in the clause position for time referements.

These forms are not always expressed, only if deemed necessary for the temporal identification of the clause. In a common clause, only the aspect is expressed. The temporal referement is substantially indefinite and they are not expressed if a more definite temporal referement is already present in the clause.

godner moʈ ɔn sä
I will be hearing

godner βoʔ ɔn he
I've heard just a bit ago

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

	particle
imperative	dji
prohibitive	ňi

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.

dji ɣoʔreɖ
go!

dji ɣoʔreɖ nuʔ
go! (up to destination)

dji ɣoʔreɖ eʂ mu dji gonbåð uʈ
you go, but he stay!