Non-finite verbal forms in Laefêvëši: view article

The most important infinitive is the so-called base infinitive (or just infinitive). It's the base form of verbs and all other verbal forms are derived from and influenced by this infinitive. All verbs in Laefêvëši are classified into three classes based on the infinitival ending.

The the infinitival endings (and the three verbal classes) are: -vij, -laj, and -vaj.

Here are some examples of various verbs:

-vij: vévij "(to) give", ývij "to hear", skópvij "to solve", ksívij "to steal"
-laj: álaj "to be", lálaj "to see", sólaj "to think", gállaj "to say"
-vaj: évaj "to have", távaj "to do", tévaj "to sleep", névaj "to teach"

The base infinitive is used as the citation form of verbs in dictionaries. It is also normally used as the complement of verbs and verb phrases, and it can also be used as a noun, especially in short imperative structures.
1) Žónnais vi skópvij žîteu. "He helped me solve the problem."
2) Kêvij taksáisás. "Shouting is forbidden." (lit. "To shout is forbidden.") (This could also be paraphrased as "Kêvoi taksáisás", using a gerund.)
3) Álaj wa kálaj. "To be or not to be."

The second important infinitive is the purposive or the infinitive of purpose. At is formed by replacing the base infinitival ending with the purposive ending.

The purposive endings are:

-vij → -výn (or -vyyn): vévij → vévýn "(in order) to give", ývij → ývýn "(in order) to hear", skópvij → skópvýn "(in order) to solve", ksívij → ksívýn "(in order) to steal"
-laj → -lán (or -laan): álaj → álán "(in order) to be", lálaj → lálán "(in order) to see", sólaj → sólán "(in order) to think", gállaj → gállán "(in order) to say"
-vaj → -vǿn (or -vøøn): évaj → évǿn "(in order) to have", távaj → távǿn "(in order) to do", tévaj tévǿn "(in order) to sleep", névaj → névǿn "(in order) to teach"

As the name suggests, the purposive is used to express a purpose. It behaves like a noun and it can be combined with the benefactive case (which expresses purpose, ie. for), but it is usually seen as redundant and it doesn't change the meaning - the only exception when benefactive is usually used is when purposive comes first in a sentence. The purposive is not used with verbs of movement, however (see below under Supines).

Some examples of the use of the purposive:
4) Náitteusa annívýn þíereade. "I'm calling to order some food."
5) Tók kénna nióvǿn. "I have nothing to read."
6) Amántesi šânvǿn kvéu. One ring to rule them all.
7) Ʒylóvýnelo ʒylógra, te hléski kóettannén. "In order to answer the question, you need to understand it first." (with the benefactive suffix -elo)

[edit] [top]Supines

Laefêvëši has two supines, which differ in usage and form.

One of the supines is called the modal supine or the first supine. As usual, it's derived from the base infinitive.

Modal supine endings:

-vij → -(t)ia: vévij → véttia "(to) give", ývij → ýttia "(to) hear", skópvij → skóppattia "(to) solve", ksívij → ksíttia "(to) steal"
-laj → -(t)ie: álaj → áltie "(to) be", lálaj → láltie "(to) see", sólaj → sóltie "(to) think", gállaj → gállaltie "(to) say"
-vaj → -(t)io: évaj → éntio "(to) have", távaj → tántio "(to) do", tévaj téntio "(to) sleep", névaj → néntio "(to) teach"

The modal supine is used after modal verbs when they are used in their full forms (and conjugated regularly) rather than in their clitic forms.
Here are some examples:
8) Náróleu évinna nióuntio. "I have to read this book."
9) Péi véllan tántio! "You can do this!"

It should be noted that the modal supine is nowadays rarely used as the modal verbs are usually expressed as clitics (and the main verb is conjugated normally), unless the modal is strongly emphasises. Both examples from the above can be paraphrased as:
10) Náróleu évinna nióuntio. → Náróleu nióunnanné. "I have to read this book."
11) Péi véllan tántio! → Péi tánnallén! "You can do this!"

The other supine is called the supine of purpose or the second supine, sometimes also called as the purposive supine. Like the modal supine, it is derived from the base infinitive.

Supine of purpose endings:

-vij → -(t)iau: vévij → véttiau "(to) give", ývij → ýttiau "(to) hear", skópvij → skóppattiau "(to) solve", ksívij → ksíttiau "(to) steal"
-laj → -(t)ieu: álaj → áltieu "(to) be", lálaj → láltieu "(to) see", sólaj → sóltieu "(to) think", gállaj → gállaltieu "(to) say"
-vaj → -(t)iou: évaj → éntiou "(to) have", távaj → tántiou "(to) do", tévaj téntiou "(to) sleep", névaj → néntiou "(to) teach"

The supine of purpose is used after verbs of movement (or motional verbs) and thus expressing purpose. It should not be mistaken for the purposive discussed above under Infinitives.

Some examples of the supine of purpose with motional verbs:
12) Kés hjánnai néontiou vánseiteu. "I came here to study linguistics."
13) Ánna éltieu. "I'm going for a run." (lit. "I'm going to run." / "I'm going running.")
14) Plánnais jø sántiau náleu. "She went to tell them the truth."

The supine of purpose is also used after phaseal verbs, ie. verbs indicating a phase, such as onóvaj "to begin", hélaj "to stop", mâivij "to finish", etc.

Some examples of the supine of purpose with phaseal verbs:
15) Onónnais ve nýggattiau éik. "My head started to hurt." / "My head started hurting."
16) Mâittois majáttiau. "They finished partying."
17) Héllar nǿltieu! "Stop crying!"

It should be noted that, like the modal verbs, the phaseal verbs and some of the motional verbs have clitic forms. Some of the sentences above can also be paraphrased using the clitic forms instead of the full forms. The main verb is then fully conjugated and the clitic is just added to it.

Some of the above examples, using clitics:
18) Ánna éltieu. → Éllattá. "I'm going for a run." (lit. "I'm going to run." / "I'm going running.")
19) Onónnais ve nýggattiau éik. → Nýggatainójs ve éik."My head started to hurt." / "My head started hurting."
20) Mâittois majáttiau. → Majáttoimájs."They finished partying."
21) Héllar nǿltieu! → Nǿllahéjr! "Stop crying!"

[edit] [top]Gerund

The gerund or the verbal noun is a verb form that acts as a noun. It is equivalent to the English -ing form when used as a noun as well. It is formed from by base infinitive by changing the ending.

Gerund endings:

-vij → -voi: vévij → vévoi "giving", ývij → ývoi "hearing", skópvij → skópvoi "solving", ksívij → ksívoi "stealing"
-laj → -loi: álaj → áloi "being", lálaj → láloi "seeing", sólaj → sóloi "thinking", gállaj → gálloi "saying"
-vaj → -noi: évaj → énoi "having", távaj → tánoi "doing", tévaj ténoi "sleeping", névaj → nénoi "teaching"

The gerund is often used as the subject or object of a sentence, and as the object of a preposition. Since it is effectively a noun, it also declines regularly (gerunds belong to the Class I nouns).

Some examples:
22) Zánna sójáilozeu. "I like her singing."
23) Ténoi fjǿisás. "Sleeping is healthy."
24) Áilozën tvénnais. "He fell asleep after teaching."

[edit] [top]Gerundives

Laefêvëši has three gerundives, or verbal adverbs. These are indeclinable verbal forms that typically replace adverbial clauses of time and manner. All gerundives are formed from the base infinitive.

The first gerundive to be mentioned is called the present gerundive.

Present gerundive endings:

-vij → -tat: vévij → véttat "giving", ývij → ýttat "hearing", skópvij → skóppattat "solving", ksívij → ksíttat "stealing"
-laj → -lat: áulaj → áullat "sitting", lálaj → lállat "seeing", sólaj → sóllat "thinking", gállaj → gállallat "saying"
-vaj → -nat: álvaj → állannat "wishing", távaj → tánnat "doing", tévaj ténnat "sleeping", névaj → nénnat "teaching"

The present gerundive is used to denote an action that is simultaneous with the action of the main verb (much like the present gerund in English). The present gerund can thus be used to replace an adjunct of time.

Some examples of the present gerund:
25) Niónnat náreu, tvénnai. "Reading a book I feel asleep."
26) Dánt kúttat lôttais. "The wolf fled howling."
27) Áullat ƕǿšuki, þíttais. "Sitting on the ground he ate."

Another gerundive is the adverbial gerundive or the gerundive of manner.

Adverbial gerundive endings:

-vij → -taot: vévij → véttaot "giving", ývij → ýttaot "hearing", skópvij → skóppattaot "solving", ksívij → ksíttaot "stealing"
-laj → -laot: áulaj → áullaot "sitting", lálaj → lállat "seeing", sólaj → sóllaot "thinking", gállaj → gállallaot "saying"
-vaj → -naot: álvaj → állannaot "wishing", távaj → tánnaot "doing", tévaj ténnaot "sleeping", névaj → nénnaot "teaching"

The adverbial gerundive is used to expressed the matter in which in action is done, and it answers the question how.

Some examples of the adverbial gerundive:
28) Kónnaot fólloi htánuj. "We walked home in silence." (lit. "We walked home being silent.")
29) Váj nióunnaun náreu, ƕállaot wan áullaot? "How will you read the book, standing or sitting?"

It should be noted that the present gerundive is often used in conjunction with an imperfective main verb while the adverbial gerundive is often used in conjunction with a perfective main verb.

This can be demonstrated by the following examples:
30) Dánt kúttat lôttais. "The wolf fled howling." (the main verb is imperfective, lit. "The wolf was fleeing (while) howling", denoting the simultaneity of fleeing and howling)
31) Dánt kúttaot lwôttais. "The wolf fled howling." (the main verb is now perfective, denoting that the wolf fled in a howling manner)

The present and adverbial gerundives can often be used interchangeable without changing the meaning too much. An orthographical convention is also that the present gerundive is often, but not necessarily, delimited by a comma from the main clause (see examples 25 and 26), while the adverbial gerundive is not.

The third and last gerundive is the past gerundive.

Past gerundive endings:

-vij → -tait: vévij → véttait "having given", ývij → ýttait "havong heard", skópvij → skóppattait "having solved", ksívij → ksíttait "having stolen"
-laj → -lait: áulaj → áullait "having sat", lálaj → lállait "having seen", sólaj → sóllait "having thought", gállaj → gállallait "having said"
-vaj → -nait: álvaj → állannait "having wished", távaj → tánnait "having done", tévaj ténnait "having slept", névaj → nénnait "having taught"

The past gerundive is used to denote an action which is completed prior to the action of the main verb.

Some examples of the past gerundive:
32) Ʒáillait kôatasre, niájej kneíttaisse. "Forgetting her pains, she smiled kindly." (lit. "Having forgotten her pains, she smiled kindly.")
33) Hjánnait lêala, máirranais téaneu. "Having arrived in the town, he met up with his friend."
34) Mâittait nontáneu, tvénnai. "Having finished my homework, I fell asleep."

[edit] [top]Participles

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