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Verbs

The verbal system of Memniq language make its distinctions through several introflexive vowel switchings and through suffixation and prefixation. It is easily noticeable that introflexive processes distinguish mood, aspect, and tense, while suffixation and prefixation distinguish person, number, and, limitedly, also tense.

The verbal system is based on the fundamental dichotomy between imperfective aspect and perfective aspect. This distinction is conveyed by two different verbal roots for every verbal meaning, the imperfective root (R_imp) and the perfective root (R_prf). In triconsonantal root, distinction is made through introflexion:

Rimp = CCVC → Rprf = CVCVC

In biconsonantal roots, similarly, distinction is made through introflexion:

Rimp = CVC → Rprf = VCVC

Examples:

Rimp = qmo̥l- → Rprf = qomo̥l-
Rimp = še̥k- → Rprf = eše̥k-

The verbal system of displays the following features:

• aspect:
  • imperfective
  • perfective
• tense:
  • past
  • present
  • future
• mood:
  • definite moods: indicative, subjunctive, conditional, optative, imperative
  • indefinite moods: infinitive, participle
• diathesis:
  • active
  • passive
• valency:
  • declarative
  • inferential

The root vowel change follows well-defined patterns:

Rimp = short vowel → Rprf = long vowel

Rimp = long vowel → Rprf = diphthong

Rimp = semivowel → Rprf = [ə] + semivowel

Examples:

Rimp = ɸaq- → Rprf = ɸāq-

Rimp = çīr- → Rprf = çwir-

Rimp = qmš- → Rprf = qəmš-

However, multisyllabic verbal roots can be formed through morphological derivation by adding prefixes or suffixes or both of them. These morphological affixes are usually not involved in the change process. The vowel involved is that belonging to the original verbal root:

Examples:

Rimp = çāɸaq- → Rprf = çāɸāq-

Rimp = ɣārɸi- → Rprf = ɣārɸī-

Irregular perfective roots can be found, however rarely. Some verbs may entirely lack their perfective root.

No distinction is made on a temporal level. Time is conveyed exclusively through temporal adverbs and particles.

There are three verbal moods and three non-finite forms:

• Moods: indicative, subjunctive, imperative
• Non-finite: active participle, passive participle

The citation form of verbs is the imperfective imperative, which coincides exactly with the imperfective root. From such form the imperfective root can be inferred and can be changed in its perfective equivalent.

All verbs are divided in three groups, called conjugations. Each conjugation is distinguished by a different conjugating pattern in aspect, person and mood, and a different thematic vowel, which is added to the root before the personal endings. The 1^st conjugation has a null ending, with the personal endings being directly added to the root. The 2^nd conjugation and the 3^rd conjugation add -i- and -u-, respectively, as thematic vowels. The general scheme is:

1st conjugation	-
2nd conjugation	-i-
3rd conjugation	-u-

The following personal endings are then added to the various aspectual forms. In this way, verbs show their agreement with the clause subject in person and number:

1st sing.	-š
2nd sing.	-m
3rd sing.	-ɣ
1st plur.	-ža
2nd plur.	-ku
3rd plur.	-ç

The subjunctive mood is usually derived from the indicative forms, with different patterns according to the conjugation. 1^st conjugation verbs add a suffix, while 2^nd and 3^rd conjugation verbs change the thematic vowel. The imperative mood has an only form, not varying in person and number, which coincides with the pure verbal roots, both imperfective and perfective.

The non-finite verbal forms are meant as nominal/adjectival forms of the same verbs. They do not add the personal endings, but they are declined as nouns or adjectives with the nominal declension endings. As verbal forms can, however, be formed on both roots.

The non-finite endings are:

• active participle: -rā
• passive participle: -žu

These forms are used, with the verb sū, to be as an auxiliary verb, to construct further aspectual forms, a progressive form and a resultative form. Thus the distinct aspectual forms amount to four:

• Aspects: imperfective, perfective, progressive, resultative

A distinction between an active diathesis and a passive diathesis is made. However, the passive diathesis distinguishes a reduced amount of aspectual forms.