VERBS.
The verbs are sometimes derived from nouns, sometimes from participles, sometimes from other verbs, and have reflexive, passive, frequentative, and other forms. Thus from lana, the name of a certain black dye, comes lannatün to color with this dye, alannatunna to color oneself with it, alannattukuttun to let oneself be colored with it, alanattukuttunnua to be colored with it.
The infinitive ends in in, ün, ùn, ân, unnua, ên, and ûn. Those in in, ün, ùn, and ân are transitive, in unnua are passive and neuter, the others are transitive, intransitive, or neuter.
The passive voice is formed by the medium of a verb of permission, thus:
| amalitin, | to make. |
| amalitikittin, | to let make. |
| amalitikittunnua, | to be made. |
| assimakin, | to call. |
| assimakuttün, | to let call, |
| assimakuttùnnua, | to be called. |
The personal pronouns are united to the verbs as they are to the nouns. They precede all verbs except those whose infinitives terminate in ên, in, and ân, to which they are suffixed as a rule, but not always. When they follow the verb, the forms of the pronouns are either de, bu, i he, n she, it, u, hu, je or da, ba, la, ta, wa, ha, na. The latter are used chiefly where the negative prefix m, ma or maya is employed. Examples:
hallikebben, to rejoice.
| hallikebbéde, | I rejoice. |
| hallikebbébu, | thou rejoicest. |
| hallikebbéi, | he rejoices. |
| hallikebbên, | she rejoices. |
| hallikebbéu, | we rejoice. |
| hallikebbéhü, | you rejoice. |
| hallikebbéje, | they rejoice. |
majauquan, to remain.
| majáuquada, | I remain. |
| majáuquaba, | thou remainest. |
| majáuquala, | he remains. |
| majáuquata, | she remains. |
| majáuquawa, | we remain. |
| majáuquaha, | you remain. |
| majáuquana, | they remain. |
Moods and Tenses. Their verbs have four moods, the indicative, optative, imperative, and infinitive, and five tenses, one present, three preterites, and one future. The rules of their formation are simple. By changing the termination of the infinitive into a, we have the indicative present, into bi the first preterite, into buna the second preterite, into kuba the third preterite, and into pa the future. The conjugations are six in number, and many of the verbs are irregular. The following verb of the first conjugation illustrates the general rules for conjugation:
| ayahaddin, | to walk. |
Indicative Mood.
Present tense:
| dayahadda, | I walk. |
| bujahadda, | thou walkest. |
| lujahadda, | he walks. |
| tüjahadda, | she walks. |
| wayahádda, | we walk. |
| hujahádda, | you walk. |
| nayuhádda, | they walk. |
First preterite—of to-day:
| dayaháddibi, | I walked to-day. |
| bujaháddibi, | thou walked to-day. |
| lijaháddibi, | he walked to-day. |
| tujaháddibi, | she walked to-day. |
| wayaháddibi, | we walked to-day. |
| hujaháddibi, | you walked to-day. |
| nayaháddibi, | they walked to-day. |
Second preterite—of yesterday or the day before.
| dayahaddibüna, | I walked yesterday or the day before. |
| bujaháddibüna, | thou walked yesterday or the day before. |
| lijaháddibuna, | he walked yesterday or the day before. |
| tujaháddibüna, | she walked yesterday or the day before. |
| wayaháddibüna, | we walked yesterday or the day before. |
| hujaháddibüna, | you walked yesterday or the day before. |
| nayaháddibüna, | they walked yesterday or the day before. |
Third preterite—at some indefinite past time:
| dayaháddakuba, | I walked. |
| bujaháddakuba, | thou walked. |
| lijaháddakuba, | he walked. |
| tujaháddakuba, | she walked. |
| wayaháddakuka, | we walked. |
| hujaháddakuba, | you walked. |
| nayaháddakuba, | they walked. |
Future:
| dayaháddipa, | I shall walk. |
| bujaháddipa, | thou wilt walk. |
| lijaháddipa, | he will walk. |
| tujaháddipa, | she will walk. |
| wayaháddipa, | we shall walk. |
| hujahaddipa, | you will walk. |
| nayahaddipa, | they will walk. |
Optative Mood.
Present:
| dayahaddama or dayahaddinnika, | I may walk. |
First preterite:
dayahaddinnikábima.
dayahaddinbünáma.
Third preterite:
dayahaddinnikubáma.
Imperative Mood.
| bujahaddáte or bujahaddalte, | walk thou. |
| hüjahaddáte or hujahaddalte, | walk ye. |
| nayahaddáte, | let them walk. |
| wayahaddali, | let us walk. |
Participles.
| ayahaddinnibi, | to have walked to-day. |
| ayahaddinnibüna, | to have walked yesterday. |
| ayahaddínnikuba, | to have walked. |
| ayahaddínnipa, | to be about to walk. |
Gerund.
| ayahaddinti. |
| ayahaddinnibia. |
The following forms also belong to this verb:
| ayahaddinnibiakubáma, | to may or can walk. |
| ayahaddahálin, | one who walks there (infinitive form). |
As in all polysynthetic languages, other words and particles can be incorporated in the verb to modify its meaning, thus:
| dayahaddáruka, | as I was walking. |
| dayahaddakanika, | I walk a little. |
| dayahaddahittika, | I walk willingly. |
In this way sometimes words of formidable length are manufactured, as:
| massukussukuttunnuanikaebibu, | you should not have been washed to-day. |
Negation may be expressed either by the prefix m or ma, as mayahaddinikade, I do not walk (where the prefix throws the pronoun to the end of the word, and gives it the form appropriate for that position), or else by the adverb kurru, not. But if both these negatives are used, they make an affirmative, as madittinda kurru Gott, I am not unacquainted with God.