57 are different for each of the five main classes, although there is much overlap i.e. the
first four classes can all have
-
,
-
, or – suffixes, but – and – only occur with – verbs. Each verb class is discussed individually in §4.3.2-4.3.7. Classes 4-6 together
represent only 16 of the verbs in my data. As such, their description is brief and very tentative.
Note on the semantics of imperfective suffixes: There is a wider variety of suffixes for the imperfective aspect than for the other
aspects, and many verbs can take more than one different imperfective suffix. Neukom 2005:120 claims that different verbs can take the following suffixes as
habitual:
-mu, -ti, -di, -si, -ki, -d , and
–
n
although each can just be imperfective for other verbs. However, my data often contradicted this. A lot more research would be
needed to determine the exact semantics of each imperfective suffix, but that is beyond the scope of this paper.
4.3.2 Class 1: – verbs
4.3.2.1 Semantics
The – suffix and its perfectiveimperfective counterparts often functions as a
derivational suffix. In this capacity, the suffix can be either inversive or inchoative. However, many
– verbs cannot be shown to be derived from another verb, so in these cases,
-
is simply a class suffix.
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4.3.2.2 Inchoative
A small number of verbs have an inchoative meaning when they have the –
uffi , ꜛeaꜜiꜜg ‘to becoꜛe X’ or ‘to tart X-iꜜg’, as illustrated by the verb pairs below:
Base Verb Derived Verb
sua ‘be black’
s ta ‘becoꜛe black’
t ɛ
‘be ꜛeaꜜ’ ti
ɛta ‘becoꜛe ꜛeaꜜ’
yãã ‘know’
yããta ‘be iꜜtroduced’
pi ɛni
16
‘be white’ pi
ɛta ‘becoꜛe white’
4.3.2.3 Inversive
Another small group of verbs have an inversive meaning with the – suffix,
ꜛeaꜜiꜜg ‘to cause to bedo the oppo ite of X’, as evident in the verb pairs below:
Base Verb Derived Verb N
b ɛnki ‘be clo ed’
b ɛkita ‘open door’
buo ‘be tied up’
boota ‘uꜜtie’
cu ni ‘be iꜜ pocket’
c nta
‘reꜛove froꜛ pocket’ dakki
‘be sittiꜜg oꜜ’ dakita
‘pick upget off’ p
ɛkki ‘be full’ p
ɛkita ‘take’ piihi
‘clo e haꜜd’ piita
‘open hand’ piiti
‘be tied up’ pitta
‘uꜜtie’ sakki
‘be oꜜ the fire’ sakita
‘reꜛove froꜛ fire’ sukki
‘dre oꜜe elf’ sukita
‘uꜜdre ’ These inversive verbs typically have a causative counterpart in Class 2.
16
This base-derived verb pair is irregular. Normally a CVVni stative verb like pi ɛni would surface
as [p ɛnta] when the derivationalneutral aspect suffix –ta is added, as with the base-inversive pair
cu nic nta ‘be iꜜ pocketreꜛove froꜛ pocket’, howꜜ below.
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4.3.2.4 Morphology
This group of verbs shows the most diversity in terms of imperfective suffixes. Many verbs can take either of two or three suffixes for the imperfective aspect,
with
- -
being the most common alternation. All of the suffixes except the - imperfective suffix and the
-t
perfective suffix are high toned. Below are several example verbs from this class:
Table 7: Class 1 verbs
Gloss Root
Neutral Perfective
Imperfective IPF Suffix
straighten bik-
bikita bikit
bikidi -
d
wait baan-
banta baꜜt
baani -
choose
bas- batta
batt basiki
- k
go
b k- b kita
b kit b ki i
-
sieve caa-
caata caat
caaki caasi
- k
-
vaccinate
c - c ta
c t c ki
c di -
k -
d
turn page
wɛɛ- wɛɛta
wɛɛt wɛɛꜛu
- ꜛ
4.3.3 Class 2: – verbs
4.3.3.1 Semantics
Almost all Class 2 verbs are causatives derived from another verb, as shown by the pairs of verbs below:
60
Base Verb Derived Verb N
b ɛnki ‘be clo ed’
b ɛkina ‘close’
buo ‘be tied up’
boona ‘tie up’
cu ni ‘be iꜜ pocket’
c nna ‘put in pocket’
dakki ‘be ittiꜜg oꜜ’
dakina ‘put ondown’
p ɛkki ‘be full’
p ɛkina ‘fill’
piihi ‘clo e haꜜd’
pihina ‘close haꜜd’
piiti ‘be tied up’
pitina ‘tie’
sakki ‘be oꜜ the fire’
sakina ‘put on fire’
sukki ‘dre oꜜe elf’
sukina ‘dress someone’
4.3.3.2 Morphology
