cws
Greetings Guest
home > library > journal > view_article
« Back to Articles » Journal
About conjugation
0▲ 0 ▼ 0
unadrosh verbs
This public article was written by [Deactivated User], and last updated on 12 Jun 2020, 00:52.

[comments]
?FYI...
This article is a work in progress! Check back later in case any changes have occurred.
Menu 1. Verbal Morphology (introduction) 2. Affixes uses and meanings 3. Prefix Combinations 4. Sound Adaptations 5. The Troublemaker verb To Be 6. Pseudoverbs and Noun Incorporation 7. Examples and others
[top]Verbal Morphology (introduction)

Verbs in Unadrosh are inflected with both fusional and agglutinative affixes, with two main divisions: Prefixal "Means" and Suffixal "Targets", which will be explained later.
The verb stem is definitely the easiest part: just remove the suffix -oh or -ah from the infinite form and it's done.
It doesn't need any type of thematic vowel and there are no conjugation patterns, being extremely regular.
Verbal Agreement is mandatory for the subject in any scenario, however, it is mandatory for the object only if there is a noun explicit on the sentence. When needed, a case affix may be inserted but it doesn't need to agree with the target noun. If there is a second object on the sentence, it is entirely optional the suffixation or the agreement.
From a third object onwards, all that is needed will be marked on the noun itself.

So, let's see which parts can build a verb.
Slot 4Slot 3Slot 2Slot 1Verb

Stem
Slot 1Slot 2Slot 3Slot 4Slot 5Slot 6
NegativeEvidentialMood/AspectReduplicationSubject AffixCase AffixObject AffixCase AffixObject AffixCase Affix
NegativeFactual, Visual,
Hearsay
Realis, Irrealis,
Command, Reason
Progressive, Habitual,
Usitative
Singular,
Plural
(see
below)
Singular,
Plural
(see
below)
(optional)(optional)

Prefixes: how and when the action happens

As seen above, these prefixes represent the moods, aspects, and evidentials and are exclusively agglutinatives. Also, these affixes represent the hard part of the conjugation: there are a lot of combinations between evidential and moods that can form other moods or even more aspects. The negative affix also falls here, as well the partial reduplication section, used for progressive and habitual aspects.

Suffixes: by and for who the action happens

As seen above too, these suffixes represent the subjects and the objects, alongside the case markers. This part of the main conjugation is the oddest: it has fusional subjects (but only for past and present), agglutinative affixes that create variations of the main set and there are the case markers, which change its positions to change its meaning. Additionally, may be marked a second object for historical reasons. And some epenthetic vowels for euphony.

[top]Affixes uses and meanings

PREFIXES


The sequence of prefixes is NEGNegative (polarity)
not
> EVIEvidentiality (mood)
categorises information source/certainty
> MOODMood or modal (mood) > REDUPReduplication
full or partial reduplication of a word, stem, root, or morpheme
> Stem, but if the verb is factual and indicative so no affix is needed, leading to NEG > REDUP > Stem. See down below all the prefixes and their uses.

Slot 4 - Negative: c- /k/ (before vowels or s), co- /ko/ (before the others consonants). Also ce- /ke/ is used before evidential and mood/aspect affixes or reduplication.
Used for opposite action or the lack action of the said verb. Corresponds to the "do not" and sometimes to "without". If used with some evidentals-moods/aspects, the meaning may change according to the context.

Slot 3 - Evidential: There are 3 distinctions:
  • Factual or no evidentiality expressed (null morpheme - ∅);
  • Visual m- (before n, b, y/w or vowel) or n- (before d, g, and h);
  • Hearsay s- /ʃ/ (before vowels) or se- /ʃe/ (before consonants).

  • Factual/Direct (DIREDirect evidential (evidentiality)
    speaker has direct knowledge
    ) is used as in "I know", "I did", "I'm alive" etc. It may be understood as gnomic sometimes, but it is mostly used for common dialogue or for some statement without any importance.
    Visual/Witness (VSLVisual evidential (evidential)
    'I see that...'
    /WITWitness (evidential)
    speaker witnessed action
    ) is used as in "I saw/witnessed... [action that happened]" or "I was together when... [action that happened]". It can be used to replace the verb mocah (to see).
    Hearsay/Auditory (HSYHearsay evidential (evidential)
    'I have heard that...'
    /AUDAuditory evidential (evidential)
    information gained from hearing
    ) is used as in "I have heard... [action that happened]" or "Someone told me... [action that happened]". It can be used to replace the verb umboh (to hear/listen).

    Slot 2 - Mood/Aspect: There are 4 distinctions:
  • Realis (null morpheme - ∅);
  • Irrealis u- /u/ (before consonants) or w- /w/ (before vowels);
  • Command yo- /jo/ (before consonants, except r, l) or yol- /jol/ (before r, l and vowels);
  • Reason r- /ɾ/ (before vowels) or re- /ɾe/ (before consonants).

  • "Realis" is used exclusively for the indicative mood.
    "Irrealis" is used to represent probability or uncertain events.
    "Command" is used to represent order or desires/wills.
    "Reason" is used to represent motives or permission.
    All theses 4 forms must be combined with some of the 3 evidentials to carry meaning. See later all the possible combinations and their negative version as well.

    Slot 1 - Reduplication: Its function is to represent the progressive aspect, which can be used with the simple tenses (perfect, present, future) and the compound tenses (pluperfect, imperfect and conditional). It will always give the meaning "to be + verb-ing" but it serves only to the subject/agent.
    Although the reduplication occurs in the first syllable of the verb, there are some points regarding the sound of the syllable:
  • If the syllable is just a vowel, so h- must be added on the front of it and doesn't occur any reduplication;
  • If the syllable starts either with mn- or a prenasalized consonant (mb, nd, ng, nh), so only the non-nasal consonant + its vowel is reduplicated. For mn-, m- is kept but with the addition of -e- /ə/ = me- /me/.
  • If the syllable starts with Cw, so two actions can be taken: reduplicate w + inherent vowel (if the verb is short) or reduplicate just the vowel (if it is a compound/derivated/long).
  • Finally, if none of these circumstances above aren't found, the partial reduplication occurs normally (CV-).


  • SUFIXES


    Slot 1 - Subject: There are 5 "persons" that can be suffixed: First, Second, Third, Indefinite and Natural. Three simple tenses: Past (Perfect), Present and Future, and three compound tenses: Past Pluperfect, Past Imperfect and Conditional.
    There are 2 numbers: singular and plural, but the First Person, Indefinite and Natural do not vary in number.
    Their uses are the following:
  • First Person is for I and We, with no distinction between them;
  • Second Person Singular is You (Thou) and Plural is You All;
  • Third Person Singular is for humans and big animals, and Plural is for They (humans and big animals);
  • Indefinite is for small animals, plants, inanimate beings and abstractions;
  • Natural is for natural phenomena, weather, time and the elementals (water, fire, air, etc)

  • The affixes of Past (Perfect) and Present are the only ones fusionals, the distinction relies on the change of the vowel to a similar one (SG + NAT) and the addition/change of the consonant (PL + INDF).
    For Future, is added -s to the singular ones, while -t is added to the rest of them.
    For the compound tenses, is added h- for SGSingular (number)
    one countable entity
    and NATNatural (class)
    a natural object
    , or hi- for PLPlural (number)
    more than one/few
    and INDFIndefinite
    a nonspecific referent
    .
    No voice is marked, so the only voice existent (technically) is the active. To represent the reflexive voice 3 actions can be taken:
    - reduplicate the subject affix with no case or object after;
    - use the word "xessi" (self) after the verb;
    - use the word "ngosse" (person) declined in the instrumental-comitative case with its respective form and suffix it with -u, but this one actually is kinda useless.

    See all the subject suffixes down below. Note that an epenthetic -i/y- must be prefixed when needed.
    Person
    Number
    Past
    Perfect
    PresentFuturePast
    Pluperfect
    Past
    Imperfect
    Conditional
    1SFirst person singular (person)
    speaker, signer, etc.; I
    , 1PFirst person plural (person)
    we (inclusive or exclusive)
    -e-/-ye--i-/-yi--is-/-yis--he-/-ihe--hi-/-ihi--his-/-ihis-
    2SSecond person singular (person)
    addressee (you)
    -oa-/-yoa--a-/-ya--as-/-yas--hoa-/-ihoa--ha-/-iha--has-/-ihas-
    3SThird person singular (person)
    neither speaker nor addressee
    -aen-/-yaen--en-/-yen--ens-/-yens--haen-/-ihaen--hen-/-ihen--hens-/-ihens-
    2PSecond person plural (person)
    addressee (plural)
    -soa-/-isoa--sa-/-isa--sat-/-isat--hisoa-/-ihisoa--hisa-/-ihisa--hisat-/-ihisat-
    3PThird person plural (person)
    neither speaker nor addressee, they/them
    -nae-/-inae--yen-/-iyen--yent-/-iyent--hinae-/-ihinae--hiyen-/-ihiyen--hiyent-/-ihiyent
    INDFIndefinite
    a nonspecific referent
    -pa-/-ipa--ma-/-ima--mat-/-imat--hipa-/-ihipa--hima-/-ihima--himat-/-ihimat-
    NATNatural (class)
    a natural object
    -aoss-/-yaoss--oss-/-yoss--ost-/-yost--haoss-/-ihaoss--hoss-/-ihoss--host-/-ihost-


    Slot 2, 4 or 6 - Case Affixes: There are 7 consonantal affixes: l, p, c, x, m, g and j. Each one of these is related to the grammatical cases used by nouns and pronouns. However, these affixes are quite different from the related ones. The principal differences are the following:
  • Noun cases must show one number (SG, PAU, PL) while verbal cases lack number agreement;
  • Noun cases have a standard vowel to be used when needed (e or u), while at verbal cases the last vowel used must prefix the case;
  • Noun cases are exclusively suffixal while verbal cases may be inserted in alternate positions to change their meaning.

  • As infixMeaningAs suffixMeaning
    [AGE]-l-[OBJ]ALLAllative (case)
    'to, onto'
    , DATDative (case)
    indirect object; recipient, beneficiary, location
    , ILLIllative (case)
    'into'
    [AGE]-[OBJ]-lDELDelative (case)
    'off of'
    , ABLAblative (case)
    away from
    *, ELAElative (case)
    'out of, from'
    *
    [AGE]-p-[OBJ]EQUEquative (case)
    equates two nouns, '-like'
    , ESSEssive (case)
    'as, similar'
    , SEMSemblative (case)
    'like, similar to'
    [AGE]-[OBJ]-pNEGNegative (polarity)
    not
    -ESSEssive (case)
    'as, similar'
    , DIFFDifferential (number)
    different entities
    [AGE]-c-[OBJ]SPRESupraessive (case)
    'above'
    , SUPESuperessive (case)
    'on top of'
    [AGE]-[OBJ]-cSUBESubessive (case)
    'under'
    , SUBELSubelative (case)
    from below
    [AGE]-x-[OBJ]ASSCAssociative case (case)
    relating to, associated with
    , REFReferential (case)
    about, regarding, on the topic of
    [AGE]-[OBJ]-xAVRSAversive (case)
    in order to avoid, lest
    , OPPOppositive (case)
    contrariety, opposite, against
    , NEGNegative (polarity)
    not
    -REFReferential (case)
    about, regarding, on the topic of
    [AGE]-m-[OBJ]INSTCInstrumental-comitative (case)
    'with' (instrument and/or company)
    [AGE]-[OBJ]-mABEAbessive (case)
    without
    , PRVPrivative (case)
    'without'
    [AGE]-g-[OBJ]LOCLocative (case)
    'in, on, at' etc
    , INEInessive (case)
    'inside'
    , LATLative (case)
    movement, towards
    [AGE]-[OBJ]-guECTSEctessive (case)
    outside of
    , ELAElative (case)
    'out of, from'
    *
    [AGE]-j-[OBJ]ADEAdessive (case)
    near/by
    , APUDApudessive (case)
    'next to'
    , PROXIProximative (case)
    'near'
    [AGE]-[OBJ]-juNEGNegative (polarity)
    not
    -ADEAdessive (case)
    near/by
    , ABLAblative (case)
    away from
    *

    Slot 3 or 5 - Object: They behave exactly how the subject affixes do so there is no surprise here. The only difference relays on the addition of -w- or -u- on the front of the agent affix (now the so-called object affix).
    Their use is only mandatory when there are no explicit nouns (as object) on the sentence or when they could be replaced by pronouns. See some examples later.
    Person
    Number
    Past
    Perfect
    PresentFuturePast
    Pluperfect
    Past
    Imperfect
    Conditional
    1S, 1P-we-/-owe--wi-/-owi--wis-/-owis--hwe-/-ohwe--hwi-/-ohwi--hwis-/-ohwis-
    2S-woa-/-owoa--wa-/-owa--was-/-owas--hwoa-/-ohwoa--hwa-/-ohwa--hwas-/ohwas-
    3S-waen-/-owaen--wen-/-owen--wens-/-owens--hwaen-/-ohwaen--hwen-/-ohwen--hwens-/-ohwens-
    2P-wsoa-/-usoa--wsa-/-usa--wsat-/-usat--husoa-/-ohusoa--husa-/-ohusa--husat-/-ohusat-
    3P-wnae-/-unae--uyen-/-woyen--uyent-/-woyent-hunae-/-ohunae--huyen-/-ohuyen--huyent-/-ohuyent-
    INDF-wpa-/-upa--wma-/-uma--wmat-/-umat--hupa-/-ohupa--huma-/-ohuma--humat-/-ohumat-
    TEMP-(o)waoss-/-waoth-(o)woss-/-woth-wost-/-owost--hwaoss-/-ohwaoth-hwoss-/-ohwoth-hwost-/-ohwost-
    Other points to care about:
  • When there's "-hw-", it may be replaced by "-ç-", and the pronunciation remains the same as /hw/. This action can be taken when the verb is already too long.
  • To avoid long verbal constructions, the object marker can be reduced to "-u-" when the object is explicit on the sentence. However, this final -u- when after -g- may resemble the Ectessive/Elative case, so to avoid this misunderstanding, an object must be declined in the Ectessive/Elative as well.


  • [top]Prefix Combinations


    [top]Sound Adaptations


    [top]The Troublemaker verb To Be


    [top]Pseudoverbs and Noun Incorporation


    [top]Examples and others


    Slot 3Slot 2Slot 1Verb

    Stem
    Slot 1Slot 2Slot 3Slot 4Slot 5Slot 6
    EvidentialMood/AspectReduplicationSubject AffixCase AffixObject AffixCase AffixObject AffixCase Affix
    N--yo--me--mer--i-/-wma--l--uyen/
    nyomemeriwmaluyen = must (progressive)-ing carry I it to them = i should be carrying it for them
    Comments
    privacy | FAQs | rules | statistics | graphs | donate | api (indev)
    Viewing CWS in: English | Time now is 28-Mar-24 22:02 | Δt: 2923.7802ms