[YG Conlang Archives] > [saweli group] > messages [Date Index] [Thread Index] >

[Date Prev] [Date Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next]

verb endings

In a message dated 6/6/2007 8:48:15 AM Central Daylight Time, sts@hidden.email writes:


Questions: "b" means that there are two arguments. I wonder what happens
if you use open nouns: needs the suffix to indicate the quantity of
arguments as well?
Can you please give other examples instead of "b" (other verb suffixes)?


There are five verb endings: p b f v m.  They indicate the number of arguments in the argument structure of the classifier and whether the classifier is static (-s) or dynamic (-d).
The ending is determined by the classifier. Thus all forms of the verb take the same ending, regardless of any suffixes.  This is subject to change if it makes more sense to have the ending conform to the suffixed form of the verb.  I haven't used the language enough to tell which is better.

Unvoiced "p" and "f" indicate there is only one argument, the subject.  The argument may be any of A, AP, or P.  Only classifiers "to" and "tu" and their extensions end in "f".
Voiced "b" and "v" indicate that there are two arguments, the subject and an object.  Since the only classifiers that have two arguments and are dynamic are "we" and "we'a", only these two classifiers take ending "v".
Voiced nasal "m" indicates that there are three arguments, which must be A/P/F.  Only classifier "ta" has this argument structure (which also happens to be dynamic).

Stops "p" and "b" are static.  Fricatives "f" and "v" are dynamic.  

       -s -d
1 arg p f
2 arg b v
3 arg - m

There are no classifiers with three arguments that are static, i.e., A/P/F-s, so there is no ending for them.

Examples;

xegup - sleep, slumber, doze, snooze, be asleep.

vagub - dream about. (used strictly for dreams during sleep)

toguf - faint.

wev - exchange, swap, trade, switch, interchange.
we'av - pass, hand (over), turn over, present, tender, deliver.

tam - tell.

stevo