Some verbs form the past tenses on a different root to that from which the present tenses are formed, as will be seen by the list of verbs given at the end of this paper. The rules might be easily worked out with a little leisure for their study.
Transitives are formed from intransitives by interposing f between the root and infinitive sign, as khuling, to fear; khulfing, to frighten—harsing, to change; harsfing, to alter—túling, to sit; túlfing, to seat, &c.
Causals are formed from these transitives by changing the f to íf or ef, as khulfing, to frighten; khulífing, to cause to frighten—túlfing, to seat; túlífing, to cause to seat, &c.
The paradigms of the substantive verb, and two intransitive and two transitive verbs, are here given as models for all other verbs. Irregularities are only to be ascertained by a practical acquaintance with the language, but they do not seem to be numerous.
The substantive verb maning, “to be or become,” is thus conjugated:—
- Infinitive Mood—maning—to be.
- Present Participle—are-e—being.
- Agent—manok—becomer.
- Past Participle—mas—been.
| Imperative Mood. |
| Singular. | Plural. |
| ní mares | be thou. | num mabo | be you. |
| o mare | let him be. | ofk marer | let them be. |
| Indicative Mood. |
| Present. |
| Singular. | Plural. |
| í ut | I am. | nan un | we are. |
| ní us | thou art. | num ure | you are. |
| o are-e | he, she, it is. | ofk arer-or | they are. |
| Aorist. |
| Singular. | Plural. |
| í asitut | I may be. | nan asitun | we may be. |
| ní asitus | thou mayest be. | num asiture | you may be. |
| o asite | he, etc. may be. | ofk asitor | they may be. |
| Imperfect. |
| Singular. | Plural. |
| í asut | I was. | nan asun | we were. |
| ní asus | thou wast. | num asure | you were. |
| o asak | he, etc. was. | ofk asor | they were. |
| Continuative Imperfect. |
| Singular. | Plural. |
| í masut | I was being. | nan masun | we were being. |
| ní masus | thou wast being. | num masure | you were being. |
| o masak | he, etc. was being. | ofk masor | they were being. |
| Perfect. |
| Singular. | Plural. |
| í masasut | I have been. | nan masasun | we have been. |
| ní masasus | thou hast been. | num masasure | you have been. |
| o masas | he, etc. has been. | ofk masasor | they have been. |
| Past. |
| Singular. | Plural. |
| í masunut | I had been. | nan masunun | we had been. |
| ní masunus | thou hast been. | num masunure | you had been. |
| o masune | he, etc. has been. | ofk masunor | they had been. |
| Future Present. |
| Singular. | Plural. |
| í marew | I will be. | nan maren | we will be. |
| ní mares | thou wilt be. | num marere | you will be. |
| o marek | he, etc. will be. | ofk marer | they will be. |
| Future Past. |
| Singular. | Plural. |
| í marot | I will have been. | nan maron | we will have been. |
| ní maros | thou wilt have been. | num morore | you will have been. |
| o maroe | he, etc. will have been. | ofk maror | they will have been. |
The intransitive verbs “to come” and “to go” are thus conjugated:—
- Infinitive Mood—baning—to come.
- Present Participle—bare—coming.
- Agent—barok—comer.
- Past Participle—bas—come.
| Imperative Mood. |
| Singular. | Plural. |
| ní bank-bar | come thou. | num babo | come you. |
| o bare | let him come. | ofk barer | let them come. |
| Indicative Mood. |
| Present. |
| Singular. | Plural. |
| í bareva | I am coming. | nan barena | we are coming. |
| ní baresa | thou art coming. | num barere | you are coming. |
| o bare | he, etc. is coming. | ofk barera | they are coming. |
| Aorist. |
| Singular. | Plural. |
| í barew | I may come. | nan baren | we may come. |
| ní bares | thou mayest come. | num barere | you may come. |
| o barek | he, etc. may come. | ofk barer | they may come. |
| Imperfect. |
| Singular. | Plural. |
| í basut | I came. | nan basun | we came. |
| ní basus | thou camest. | num basure | you came. |
| o basak | he, etc. came. | ofk basor | they came. |
| Perfect. |
| Singular. | Plural. |
| í basasut | I have come. | nan basasun | we have come. |
| ní basasus | thou hast come. | num basasure | you have come. |
| o basas | he, etc. has come. | ofk basasor | they have come. |
| Past. |
| Singular. | Plural. |
| í basunut | I had come. | nan basunun | we had come. |
| ní basunus | thou hadst come. | num basunure | you had come. |
| o basune | he, etc. had come. | ofk basunor | they had come. |
| Future Present. |
| Singular. | Plural. |
| í barew | I will come. | nan baren | we will come. |
| ní bares | thou wilt come. | num barere | you will come. |
| o barek | he, etc. will come. | ofk barer | they will come. |
| Future Past. |
| Singular. | Plural. |
| í barot | I will have come. | nan baron | we will have come. |
| ní baros | thou wilt have come. | num barore | you will have come. |
| o baroe | he, etc. will have come. | ofk baror | they will have come. |