Laefêvëši/Verbs

Laefêvëši verbs are highly inflected.

Characteristics

Types
Lexical verbs (full meaning)

  • verbs of movement

Auxiliary verbs:

  • phaseal verbs
  • modal verbs
  • the verb álaj (to be)

Classes
Three classes:

  1. verbs on -vij
  2. verbs on -laj
  3. verbs on -vaj

Number
Numbers:

  • singular
  • dual
  • plural

Aspect

  1. Perfective aspect
  2. Imperfective aspect

Mood
Realis moods:

  • Indicative
  • Generic

Irrealis moods:

  • Conditional
  • Subjunctive
  • Optative
  • Jussive
  • Reputative
  • Presumptive
  • Potential
  • Hypothetical
  • Admirative
  • Imperative
  • Inferencial/renarrative

Tenses
Simple tenses:

  • simple present
  • simple past
  • remote past
  • nonpast
  • pluperfect
  • simple future
  • future anterior
  • nonfuture
  • future-in-the-past

Conjugation

Stem lengthening

Tenses

Compound tenses

Compound tenses are formed with the auxilliary verb álaj (to be) and past active participle.

Compound tenses are rarely used, and when they are, usually there's a clause inserted between the auxilliary and the past active participle.

Moods

Imperative

Causative

The causative is a verbal form with the meaning of "to make/cause someone/something do something". It is formed with an infixiated verb between the stem of the lexical verb and the inflection of the lexical verb, much like modal and phaseal verbs. Both the lexical verb and the causative infix can be inflected.

The bare causative infix is: -ajsk-

There are three types of causative derived from the original causative above:

  • -ajsk- is the default or neuter causative that means both "make" and "cause"
  • -ejst- is the volitional causative: to make on purpose, to force
  • -ojst- is the non-volitional causatve: to cause by accident


Inflextion of the causative (the agent of the verb) immediately follows the causative infix, and the inflection of the lexical verb is then added to the inflected causative. When negating, the position of the negation depends on what is negated, the lexical verb or the causative infix.

The formation paradigm is as follows: (agent) + (object 1) + [lexical verb]-ajsk-[agent inflection]-[object 1 inflection] + (object 1) + (object 2)

Other examples:

  • Ánnajskaihaŋe.
    • I made you not go.
  • Ánnajskaikeaŋe. / Ánnajskaikehaŋe.
    • I didn't make you not go.
  • Ánnajskalléhan. / Ánnajskalléhahan.
    • I can make you go.
  • Ánnajskallékehan.
    • I can't make you go.
  • Ánnajskallékehaŋe.
    • I can't make you not go.
  • Ánnajskalléketeŋe.
    • I can't not make you not go.

Álaj (to be)

Auxiliary verbs

Several verbs have clitic forms, sometimes they act as infixes, too. In first person, they're simply added to the conjugational suffix; in second and third person, they're inserted between the vowel(s) and the final consonant of the conjugational suffix.

Three main types of auxiliary verbs are:

  1. modal verbs
  2. phaseal verbs
  3. verbs of movement


Examples:

  • Vétta.Véttanné.
    • I give. → I have to give.
  • Véttos.Véttonnés.
    • They give. → They have to give.
  • Nótta.Nóttanój.
    • I work. → I start to work.
  • Nóttos.Nóttonójs.
    • They work. → They start to work.

Auxilliary verb álaj (to be)

The verb to be is used as an ausxilliary verb in compound tenses. The auxilliary is fully inflected and the past active participle is inflected only by number. The auxilliary is somewhat special as it has stress on the actual inflection, which is marked. For moods other than the indicative, the indicative m- is replaced with the appropriate stem.


Non-finite forms

Infinitives

First infinitive

The first infinitive is the basic form of verbs. It is a marked form, the suffixes are -vaj, -laj and -vij. Each suffix corresponds to one verbal class and each class undergoes a different change when conjugating.

Second infinitive

The second infinitive is a form derived from the first infititive. It can be used with one case, the benefactive, although it is mainly omitted; it usually indicates intention. Stem lenghtening does not apply. When combined with reflexive verbs, the forms are slightly changed (shown in brackets).

The forms are:

  • -vij → -vyyn (-vyen)
  • -laj → -laan (-laen)
  • -vaj → -vøøn (-vøen)

Third infinitive

The third infititive is a form of the verb meaning "to be just about to ..." . It is different from other infinitives because it is formed from two parts. One part is always attached to the verb while the other is the actual infinitival suffix which is removed when conjugated. Stem lenghtening applies.

The forms are:

  • -vij → -(t)einviaj
  • -laj → -(l)ainlaaj
  • -vaj → -(n)oinvaaj


Example: Example:

  • vévij → vétteinviaj → vétteina
    • to give → to be about to give → I'm about to give
  • névvaj → névvannoinvaaj → névvannoina
    • to teach → to be about to teach → I'm about to teach

Progressive infinitive

The progressive infinitive (or the fourth infinitive) is the basic form of verb indicating progressiveness. Both imperfective and perfective verbs can become progressive. The progressive form expresses an action taking place at the moment of speaking. The progressive infinitive is similar to the third infinitive because it's formed from two parts. One part is always attached to the verb while the other is the actual infinitival suffix which is removed when conjugated. Stem lenghtening applies.

The forms are:

  • -vij → -(t)eusvinj
  • -laj → -(l)auslanj
  • -vaj → -(n)ousvanj


Example:

  • vévij → vétteusvinj → vétteusa
    • to give → to be giving → I'm giving [at this moment]
  • névvaj → névvannousvanj → névvannousa
    • to teach → to be teaching → I'm teaching [at this moment]

Reflexive infinitive

The reflexive infinitive (or the fifth infinitive) is the basic form of reflexive verbs. There are two types, one ending in -ej and one ending in -ij. Stem lenghtening does not apply.

The forms are:

  • -vij → -viej, -viij
  • -laj → -laej, -laij
  • -vaj → -vaej, -vaij

Supines

First supine

The first supine is a form of verbs used after modal verbs (when they are used in their full form instead of the clitic form). Stem lenghtening applies.

The forms are:

  • -vij → -tia (type I, II and III verbs), -ia (type IV and V verbs)
  • -laj → -tie (type I, II and III verbs), -ie (type IV and V verbs)
  • -vaj → -tio (type I, II and III verbs), -io (type IV and V verbs)


NOTE: Verbs of the type I shorten the geminate consonant of the lenghtened stem:

  • -tt- → -t-
  • -ll- → -l-
  • -nn- → -n-

Second supine

The second supine is a form of verbs used after phaseal verbs and verbs of movement. Stem lenghtening applies.

The forms are:

  • -vij → -tiau (type I, II and III verbs), -iau (type IV and V verbs)
  • -laj → -tieu (type I, II and III verbs), -ieu (type IV and V verbs)
  • -vaj → -tiou (type I, II and III verbs), -iou (type IV and V verbs)


NOTE: Verbs of the type I shorten the geminate consonant of the lenghtened stem:

  • -tt- → -t-
  • -ll- → -l-
  • -nn- → -n-

Gerunds and participles

NOTE: Verbs of the type I shorten the geminate consonant of the lenghtened stem:

  • -tt- → -t-
  • -ll- → -l-
  • -nn- → -n-

Reflexive verbs

There are two types of reflexive verbs, the -ej verbs and the -ij verbs (indicated as -viej, -viij, -laej, -laij, -vaej, -vaij). Their forms change depending on the person and number; and are attached to the verb.

Gradation of verbs

Verbal emphasis