EBKSG verbs
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Types of verbs, negation, tense and aspect
This public article was written by [Deactivated User], and last updated on 27 May 2020, 08:38.
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3. EBKSG verbs
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Verb typesAll EBKSG verbs (including the verb-like adjectives) are derived from a combination of a noun and a suffixed dummy verb or copula:
| DYNAMIC VERBS | STATIVE VERBS | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Suffix | Derived from / meaning | Examples | Suffix | Derived from / meaning | Examples |
| -ma | Dummy verb “to do”; this is simply the primary “catch-all” ending for dynamic verbs | - “lama” = to prepare food; from “la” = “food” [+ “ma” = “do”] - sama = (archaic) "to speak"; from “sa” = “speech” - | -hɛ | From a copula that is in turn derived from the genitive marker for alienable possession; the two different stative verb types often form word pairs with a difference in meaning* | - “behɛ” = “to be scared” - “tagohɛ” = “to know” - “ninhɛ” = “to be cold” (when a person freezes) |
| -som | Dummy verb roughly equivalent to “to take / consume / experience” | - “tassom” = “to drink”; from “tas” = “water” [+ “som” = “consume”] - “lasom” = “to eat”; from “la” = “food” - tagosom = “to study”; from “tago” = “knowledge” - “sasom” = “to listen”; from “sa” = “speech” | -he | From a copula that is in turn derived from the genitive marker for inalienable possession; the two different stative verb types often form word pairs with a difference in meaning* | - “behe” = “to be scary” - “tagohe” = “to be wise” - “ninhe” = “to be cold” (of weather, or cold to the touch) |
Negation
The general form of negation is to add the negative particle “sɛ” in front of the verb.
Tense and aspect
Tense and aspect are marked by suffixes on the verb; while the markers, each of which is specific to either tense or aspect, most often occur individually with a verb, they usually encode a specific combination of tense and aspect.
The perfective suffix -mɛ conveyes a perfective past, while the imperfective suffix -ka alone expresses a habitual present tense; to form the imperfect (an imperfective past tense), -ka is combined with the past marker to -kali. The past marker -li is furthermore suffixed to verbs to encode a past meaning in subordinate clauses, in which the verb simply precedes the referent noun. The future tense is expressed by a combination of bo - originally the lative case marker - and lu , the word for time , to form the future marker -bolu.
Example sentences:
sa
DEMDemonstrative
e.g. this/ that.DISTDistal (proximity)
far from speaker (and addressee) lu-mɛ
time-LOCLocative (case)
'in, on, at' etc sohe
many kiki
people inudhe-ka-li
be.lazy-IPFVImperfective (aspect)
'interrupted or incomplete'-PSTPast (tense)
action occurred before moment of speech
“In that time, many people were lazy/wasteful.”
Sothuka
Sothuka nɛki
REFLReflexive (valency)
argument acts on itself nuɣehɛ-nɛ
annoy-and pima-mɛ
say-PFVPerfective (aspect)
completed action
“Sothuka [name of a deity] got angry, and said:”
kiki
people tagoma-bolu
teach-FUTFuture (tense)
action occurring after the moment of speech
“I will teach the people!”
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