2. Verbs

How the Verb System Works

Erëtas is an SOV language. The V usually comprises of the Imperative form of the verb or the Gerund form of the verb followed by an Auxiliary Verb.

The majority of verbs only exist in three forms: the gerundive, gerund, and imperative. The base form of verbs is the gerund. Gerunds end in either `-an' or `-ën'. To get the root, the ending is removed along with any other vowels at the end of the word. The auxiliary verbs are the only ones still existing in all forms. The auxiliaries are partially irregular, but there is a general pattern to their conjugation. The following table outlines the auxiliaries and their meanings:

The Auxiliary Verbs
Verb Meaning As an Auxiliary
Doan be Marks the realis (past and present) tense
Hlan have Denotes a future intention
Dëanën go Marks the irrealis (future) tense
Kasën walk Imperfective realis tense
Etscan do/make Expressing eternal truths

More to come...

Verbal Inflections

Subject & Object Inflections (1st Degree Inflections)
Subject
Object 1sg 1pl 2sg 2pl 3sg 3pl
None Ø--a Ø--ä Ø--o Ø--ö Ø--ë Ø--e
1sg ë--a* ë--ä Ø--sö Ø--so ëa--Ø ëa--ë
1pl e--a e--ä* ö--sö ö--so ea--Ø ea--ë
2sg sa--e sa--ë Ø--o* Ø--ö nä--së ma--së
2pl sä--e sä--ë o--o ö--ö* na--ë mä--ë
3sg ëllo--a ëhlo--ä Ø--äma Ø--äna Ø--ë* Ø--e
3pl äo--e äo--ë ë--aba ë--anta e--ë ë--e*

The forms marked with * are used as the reflexive forms of the verb.

The indirect object is also indicated on the verb. To do so, the following affixes are added.

Indirect Objects & ... (2nd. Degree Inflections)
Indirect Object
None Singular Plural
1st 2nd 3rd 1st 2nd 3rd
Normal -ta -hlo -da -tä -llo -dä

The other verb forms are:

Gerunds (Base verbal form, all 1st declension nouns)
Ø--an or Ø--ën
Gerundive
o--ëans
Singular Imperative
Ø--ont
Plural Imperative
Ø--ondë

Negatives are formed with the suffix -sö (3rd Degree Inflection).

More soon...


This is a counter © Keith Gaughan, 2001
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