In order to indicate the differences to be found between the descriptions presented by Rodriguez and Collado, I have extracted the formational rules from the Arte Breve and, setting aside only two short appendices dealing with variant forms, present them here in their entirety.
THE CONJUGATION AND FORMATION OF THE TENSES AND MOODS OF THE VERBS
All the verbs of this language may be reduced (se reduzem) to four affirmative and three negative conjugations. This is because the negative conjugation of the adjectival verb, which we discussed before,[[11]] agrees with the second of the three conjugations; and the conjugation of the substantive verb Sǒrai, Sǒrǒ, or soro, which is an abbreviated form of Samburai, samburǒ[[12]] both in the affirmative and the negative is reduced to the third conjugation. At this point we will treat the three affirmative and three negative ordinary conjugations of the regular personal verbs.[[13]] Following this, and on account of its particular usage and formation, we will discuss the conjugation of the adjectival verb.
The verbs of this language do not change (naõ fẽ variedade) to show person and number as do those of Latin; rather, one form (voz)
is used for all persons, singular and plural. Number and person are understood according to the subject (Naminativo [sic]), or pronoun, which is joined to the verb. The moods of the verb, which in this language have distinct forms for the tenses, are indicative, imperative, conjunctive, conditional, and preterit participle. The remaining moods are made up of these forms joined to certain particles. Each mood has but three tenses which have distinct forms; these are preterit, present, and future. These forms are signified by the Japanese terms (vocabulos) Quaco, ghenzai, mirai. The preterit imperfect and pluperfect are made up of the present, preterit, and preterit participle together with the substantive verb, as will be seen below in the conjugations.
Concerning the formation of the tenses and moods of the verbs in general, one is reminded that to understand the actual root (raiz) and the natural formation of all the tenses and moods, both affirmative and negative, it is extremely important to take notice of the usage of the Goyn,[[14]] which are the five vowels (cinco letras vogaes) in the syllables which are below each aforementioned formation; and that it is also important to understand Canadzucai,[[15]] which is the way to write with Firagana as well as the way one joins together syllables, or letters, to form other words (palauras), while noticing which syllable is changed by which, what constitutes long, short, or diphthongal syllables, which combinations cause contraction (sincope), which cause augmentation (incremento) of the verb, whether one makes a syllable liquid (liquescit)[[16]] or not, and how the tenses of the moods are written with the same Cana.[[17]] The term Goyn, not only indicates the syllables, or Cana, which are transformed to others, such as Fa, Fe, Fi, Fo, Fu, which are changed to the closely related sounds Ba, Be, Bi, Bo, Bu and Pa, Pe, Pi, Po, Pu; but it also indicates another kind of change from one sound to another in the same order (ordem), as happens among the syllables Fa, Fe, Fi, Fo, Fu. Ba, Be, Bi, Bo, Bu. Ma, Me, Mi, Mo, Mu,
etc. where often by rule (regna) Ma is changed to Mi; or to the contrary Bu to Ba and Bi to Ba, and likewise for others. The greater part of the formation of the tenses of each mood is confined to such changes, as is clearly seen in the way one writes the tense forms with Cana. It is to this that another change belongs. That which exists among those syllables having a certain relationship and rapport between them, as Ma, Fa, Ba, Pa; Me, Fe, Be, Pe; Mi, Fi, Bi, Pi; Mo, Fo, Bo, Po; Mu, Fu, Bu, Pu; with Mu and V. Thus, what is written Vma in Cana is written Muma, and Mume written for Vme in order to conform more closely to its pronunciation.[[18]] Also Mu is written for Bu[[19]] so that all the harmony (armonia) in the formations of this language are contained in the rules for Goyn and Canadzucai. Those who are informed see, as native speakers, how the tenses are formed for any mood, and which letter, or syllable, must be changed to another to affect a formation. Concerning this matter there is a booklet[[20]] which teaches Canadzucai, and the general rules on the subject. Teachers should have this booklet to teach more easily and advantageously those students who are learning Cana. Lacking a knowledge of Goyn and Canadzucai, some of the rules which until now have been used in the formation of verbs (some of which I have let remain as they were), are not the original and natural rules as are the Goyn.[[21]] They are rather devices, some forming affirmative tenses and moods from negative forms and others forming them from yet other more remote sources, which appear to correspond to formational rules, but for which the proper rules are not known. The fact is that the affirmative as well as negative are formed from the affirmative, beginning with the root, as will be seen below.
Speaking in general of the formation of the verb, the forms of the indicative and imperative moods of all three conjugations are formed from the root of the verb. The rest of the tenses in the other affirmative moods are formed from either the indicative or imperative forms. In the same way, the negative indicative present is formed from the root of the verb and the other tenses of the indicative are formed from
the present form. The other negative moods are formed from the indicative forms.
Formation of the Tenses for the Indicative and Imperative Moods of the Verbs of the First Affirmative Conjugation