User:Bukkia/sandboxVIII
Verbs
Verbs in Į̄mχɛ̱́ language 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:
ŕǿ̱θ (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:
wo̱ ŕǿ̱θ I hear
θā he̱ ŕǿ̱θ you (pl.) hear
The verb, however, can be adjoined by particles, which convey both the aspectual and the temporal value of an action or a state. The set of the verb form, carrying the meaning, together with the temporal-aspectual particles is called verb cluster.
ŕǿ̱θ xø̌w hear - past+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 make a distinction between a present form and a past form:
| progressive | ||
| perfective | ||
| resultative | ||
| repetitive | ||
| experiential | ||
| prospective |
The absence of an aspectual particle is understood as an tenseless habitual aspect, namely pointing to a usual or customary in time action or state, without any specific referement to time. The aspectual particle are always place after the verb, and are not usually left out. Examples:
wo̱ ŕǿ̱θ I hear (always)
wo̱ ŕǿ̱θ ɑ̀rɛ́ I am hearing
wo̱ ŕǿ̱θ xø̌w I heard
There are, however, addtional temporal particles:
| future | |
| distant past |
These 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 usually placed after the verb and after the aspectual particles. Their usage is combined with the aspectual particles, conveying different tenses.
wo̱ ŕǿ̱θ ɑ̀rɛ́ I am hearing
wo̱ ŕǿ̱θ ɑ̀rɛ́ kūx I will be hearing
wo̱ ŕǿ̱θ ěw I was hearing
wo̱ ŕǿ̱θ ěw ŕə̄̀ I was hearing (a long ago)
wo̱ ŕǿ̱θ ěw kūx I would be hearing
These combinations are quite free, except for the fact that the distant past particle is never used with present aspectual particles.
Two additional particles can be placed after the verb, šı̄, which conveys a meaning of command, being thus an imperative particle, and šɑ̄, which conveys a meaning of negative command or prohibition, being thus a prohibitive particle.
| imperative | |
| prohibitive |
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 right after the verb.
šı̄ tı́ go!
šı̄ tı́ xōrɛ́ go! (up to destination)
θā šı̄ tı́ ða ðē šı́ ɟēn you go, but he stay!
