Note 2.—On Boloki Verb
The verb in the Boloki language has the eight following forms: Active, Passive, Stative, Causative, Prepositional, Reciprocal, Reflexive, and Repetitive.
| Active | kanga = to tie. |
| Passive | kangama = to be tied. |
| Stative | kangwa = to be in a tied state. |
| Causative | kangija = to cause to tie. |
| Prepositional | kangela = to tie for or with. |
| Reciprocal | kangana = to tie one another. |
| Reflexive | mikanga = to tie oneself. |
| Repetitive | kangelela = to tie again and again. |
The moods of the verb are: Infinitive, Imperative, Indicative, Subjunctive, and Purportive.
Infinitive mood is made by prefixing lo to the verb: najingi lokanga = I desire to tie.
The imperative is kanga, and a more emphatic form kangaka = tie. The imperative hortative is formed by leme = let, followed by the present subjunctive, as leme nakanga = let me tie.
The indicative is nakanga = I tie.
The subjunctive, (te) nakanga = (that) I may tie.
The purportive, naye nokakanga = I am come to tie.
The tenses are as follows:
| Indicative pres. indefinitive | nakanga = I tie |
| Indicative pres. indefinitive continuous | nakakanga = I am tying. |
| Indicative pres. perfect | nakangi = I have tied. |
| Indicative pres. perfect continuous | nakakangi = I have been tying. |
| Indicative past indefinite | nakangiki = I tied. |
| Indicative past indefinite continuous | nakakangiki = I was tying. |
| Indicative past perfect | nakangaka = I had tied. |
| Indicative past perfect continuous | nakakangaka = I had been tying. |
The past imperfect and progressive tenses made with the aid of the verb “to be” are as follows:
| Nabeki nakangi = | I tied in time near past. |
| Nabeki nakakangi = | I was tying in time near past. |
| Nabaka nakangi = | I tied in time far past. |
| Nabaka nakakangi = | I was tying in time far past. |
| Indicative future indefinite | naakakangi = I shall tie. |
| Indicative future indefinite continuous | naakakanga = I shall be tying. |
| Indicative future perfect | naakakangaka = I shall have been tying. |
| Indicative future immediate | naikakanga = I am just about to tie. |
| Narrative tense | ekangele = I tied. |
| Narrative tense continuous | ekakangele = I was tying. |
There are only three conjugations to be found, and these are formed on the final vowel of the root:
| SIMPLE VERB. | PERFECT. | PASSIVE. |
| kanga | kangaka | kangama |
| bete | beteke | beteme |
| kolo | koloko | kolomo |
It will be interesting to the reader, before closing this very short note on the verb, for me to give an idea of the number of verbs that can be built up on a single verb by the aid of affixes which can all run through the various tenses already mentioned. The seven given in the first paragraph of this note are not repeated here:
Active transitive. Kanga = to tie.
Passive and prepositional. Kangemela = to be tied for (a purpose).
Passive and causative. Kangimija = to cause to be tied.
Passive, prepositional, and causative. Kangemelija = to cause to be tied for (a purpose).
Active, reciprocal, and prepositional. Kangenela = to tie one another for (a purpose).
Active, reciprocal, prepositional, and causative. Kangenelija = to cause to tie one another for (a purpose).
There are many other combinations in use, but these twelve will give some idea of the possibilities of the verb and its prefixes and suffixes. It will be noted that although the passive of kanga is kangama, yet in the above examples the vowels sometimes become e and sometimes i, this is because the vowel e in ela (see first example, the passive and prepositional form given in the preceding paragraph) changes the final a of kangama into e as kangamela, and has a retro-active force in turning the initial a of the passive suffix also into e; kangama is really kangaama, but as one a elides another it becomes kangama, and kangemela is really kangamaela, but a elides before e, so it becomes kangamela, and the e in the penultimate demands that the other a of the suffix should become e also, hence we have kangemela. The same euphonic law demands that kanga-ama-ija should become kangimija, and kanga-ana-ela should become kangenela.
There is also an intensive form of the verb that is best expressed in English by a suitable adverb:
Kata = to hold; katatala = to hold tightly; and this has a causative Katitija = to cause to hold tightly.
Kana = to push in; kanalala = to be pushed in too much, kaninija = to cause to go in too far.
Ama = to press; amamala = to be pressed too far: amimija = to cause to be pressed too much.
Tamba = to stand out; tambambala = to be standing out conspicuously, and the causative tambimbija = to cause to stand out well in sight.
In the above are very good examples of what I call, for the lack of a better word, the retro-active power of their euphonic laws for harmonizing the vowels.
By the aid of so plastic a verb we had no difficulty in expressing the finest shades of meaning in the New Testament—a part of which is translated into the Boloki language—and in translating other books for the benefit of the natives.