Munasto verbs
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Features
Gender/Number
Munasto verbs do not conjugate for gender or number. There is one form for each tense.
Aspect/Voice
There is one prevalent aspectual distinction, imperfective/perfective, which is distinguished between a synthetic form (imperfective) and an analytic form (perfective), similar to English.
There is one prevalent voice distinction, active/passive, which is also distinguished mostly between synthetic (active) and analytic (passive).
Mood
On the verbs themselves, three moods are distinguished: indicative, subordinate, imperative. Both the indicative and subordinate conjugate for tense; the imperative is non-finite
Tense
There are five indicative and subordinate tenses:
- present: this tense represents simple acts performed in the present, either as a single act, or as an irregularly repeating act.
- present-future: this tense represents simple acts performed in either the present or immediate future, with indefinite scope; this tense often has habitual consequences.
- past: this tense represents simple acts completed in the past, with indefinite scope as to beginning, or effect on the present.
- imperfect: this tense represents acts begun in the past that may continue into the present; often, this tense has habitual consequences.
- future: this tense represents act yet to begin, i.e. a more distant act.
Non-Finite Forms
There are four types of non-finite forms:
- imperative: the is the mood of command, order or request. (In Munasto, there is no "register" stigma attached to using the imperative, i.e. the bare imperative can be used by inferiors to superiors without social impropriety.)
- participle: the forms of the verb used with the auxiliary form of nas "to be" to form the perfect and passive forms. There are two types of participles, active and passive.
- gerund: the forms of the verb used in some types of subordinate clauses. Like the participle, there are two forms, the active and the passive.
- infinitive: the "citation" form of the verb, used in part to determine the base stem of the verb; also used in certain syntactic constructions.
The non-finite forms can be explored here.
Forms and Functions
Conjugations
There are two main conjugations, based on transitivity. All verbs in the infinitive end in -ás:
- Class 1 verbs are transitive (i.e. takes a direct object [accusative case]). Many class 1 verbs end in -as, but almost all verbs ending in -ldas or -mbas are transitive.
- Class 2 verbs are intransitive (i.e. do not take a direct object). Many class 2 verbs end in -as. There are two types of class 2 verbs:
- plain (class 2a); and
- "adjectival" verbs (class 2b), which express a state that often correspond to an adjective in English (i.e. is blue, was tall, etc...) All adjectival verbs end in -lás.
Irregular Verbs
There are a few irregular verbs in Munasto. In addition to nas "to be", verbs of motion (which are intransitive) conjugate like "transitive" verbs. Also, the verb otsas "to have" is transitive, but conjugates like an intransitive verb.
Included in the irregular pattern:
- is "to come"
- ses "to go"
- jiras "to walk"
- pegas "to stand", etc...
Irregular verbs tables can be found here.
Mood: Indicative and Subordinate
The two finite moods, indicative and subordinate, have separate functions:
- the indicative is used in all affirmative, factual statements;
- the subordinate is used in all negative statements, in interrogative statements, in emphatic statements, in hypothetical statements, and in counterfactual statements.
Here is an example, using the verb nurás "to eat", of all the uses:
- nurí "eats" [indic.]
- mok nuría "does not eat" [sub. -- neg.]
- tik nuría "does (indeed) eat" [sub. -- emph.]
- nuría tik? "does ... eat?" [sub. - interr.]
- nuría mok? "does ... not eat?" [sub. -- neg. interr.]
- ... es nuría "if ... eats" [sub. - hyp/count.]
Present
Indicative
The indicative is formed based on the conjugations. Class 1 verbs drop the -ás of the infinitive, then add -í:
nurás* "to eat" --> nurí "is eating"
roptaldás "to dress s.o." --> roptaldí "is dressing s.o."
kambás "to unite" --> kambí "is uniting"
Class 2a verbs also drop -ás, then adds -élu:
nurás* "to eat (with)" --> nurélu "is eating (with)"
sakás "to write (to)" --> sakélu "is writing (to)"
Class 2b verbs drop -ás, then add -ú:
shantalás "to be important" (fr. shanta "important") --> shantalú "is important"
hanalás "to be selfish" --> hanalú "is selfish"
*Many verbs in -ás can be both transitive and intransitive, e.g. nurás "to eat s.th." (tr) vs. "to eat (with) s.o.". (itr).
Subordinate
The subordinate forms are also based on the conjugations. Class 1 verbs drop the -ás of the infinitive, then add -ía instead of -í:
nurás "to eat" --> nuría "(that) be eating"
roptaldás "to dress s.o." --> roptaldía "(that) be dressing s.o."
kambás "to unite" --> kambía "(that) be uniting"
Class 2 verbs of either type change indicative -u/-ú to -o/-ó:
nurás "to eat" --> nurélo "(that) be eating"
sakás "to write (to)" --> sakélo "(that) be writing (to)"
shantalás "to be important" --> shantaló "(that) be important"
hanalás "to be selfish" --> hanaló "(that) be selfish"
Usage
The present tense is the tense in Munasto that is used: (1) for actions that occur either singularly (i.e. once), or irregularly; (2) for events that occur in sequence (one after another); (3) for events that occur as the speaker is speaking; and, (4) in literature, where it is used as a "narrative past" tense:
- (1) Jiraldi shamem i shasaduntak "I am walking my child to school"
- (2) Jiri o i shasaduntak, serte ii (ha) rob adambek "He will walk to school, then I will go to work"
- (3) Nuri (nek) vordozem "I am (now) eating an apple"
- (4) I Dubimi mi: 'Aselu da ban hantalo' "Dubimi said: "I think you are wrong"
Note that example (2) translates as a future expression in English, but actually refers to a present action.
Present-Future
Indicative
The indicative is formed based on the conjugations. Class 1 verbs drop the -ás of the infinitive, then add -éti:
nurás "to eat" --> nuréti "eats"
roptaldás "to dress s.o." --> roptaldéti "dresses s.o."
kambás "to unite" --> kambéti "unites"
Class 2a verbs also drop -ás, then adds -éltu:
nurás "to eat (with)" --> nuréltu "eats (with)"
sakás "to write (to)" --> sakéltu "writes (to)"
Class 2b verbs drop -ás, then add -tú:
shantalás "to be important" --> shantaltú "is important"
hanalás "to be selfish" --> hanaltú "is selfish"
Subordinate
The subordinate forms are also based on the conjugations. Class 1 verbs drop the -ás of the infinitive, then add -etía instead of -éti:
nurás "to eat" --> nuretía "(that) be eating"
roptaldás "to dress s.o." --> roptaldetía "(that) be dressing s.o."
kambás "to unite" --> kambetía "(that) be uniting"
Class 2 verbs of either type change indicative -tu/-tú to -to/-tó:
nurás "to eat" --> nurélto "(that) be eating"
sakás "to write (to)" --> sakélto "(that) be writing (to)"
shantalás "to be important" --> shantaltó "(that) be important"
hanalás "to be selfish" --> hanaltó "(that) be selfish"
Usage
The present-future tense is the tense in Munasto that is used: (1) for actions that occur habitually; (2) for events that occur in tandem (at the same time); (3) for events that will imminently occur as the speaker is speaking; and (4) for events that occur in the immediate future (which is sometimes translated as the present tense in English):
- (1) Jiraldeti judam shamem i shasaduntak "I walk my child to school every day"
- (2) Jireti o i shasaduntak, ieti (ha) rob adambek "He walks to school as I go to work"
- (3) Nureti (nek) vordozem "I will (now) eat an apple"
- (4) Seti ni ishamidam Bostonek "She leaves for Boston tomorrow"
Past
(Note: this tense is also called the "Past Definite" or the "Preterite".)
Indicative
Class 1 verbs add a circumfix. In addition to a suffix, there is a prefix ne-. The suffix entails dropping the -ás of the infinitive, then add -i:
roptaldás "to dress s.o." --> neroptáldi "dressed s.o."
kambás "to unite" --> nekámbi "united"
The prefix changes depending on the verb. If the verb begins with a m, n or ng, then the affix becomes de-:
nurás "to eat" --> denúri "ate"
mas "to say" --> démi "said"
If the verb begins with a vowel, then the affix becomes n- and the vowel doubles:
adás "to commit" --> náadi "committed"
onás "to give" --> nóoni "gave"
Class 2a verbs also drop -ás, then adds -ú:
nurás "to eat (with)" --> nurú "ate (with)"
sakás "to write (to)" --> sakú "wrote (to)"
Class 2b verbs drop -ás, then add -ón:
shantalás "to be important" --> shantalón "was important"
hanalás "to be selfish" --> hanalón "was selfish"
Subordinate
Class 1 verbs change the suffix from -i instead of -ía:
roptaldás "to dress s.o." --> neroptaldía "(that) dressed s.o."
kambás "to unite" --> nekambía "(that) united"
nurás "to eat" --> denuría "(that) ate"
mas "to say" --> demía "(that) said"
adás "to commit" --> naadía "(that) committed"
onás "to give" --> noonía "(that) gave"
Class 2a verbs change -ú to -ó:
nurás "to eat (with)" --> nurú "(that) ate (with)"
sakás "to write (to)" --> sakú "(that) wrote (to)"
Class 2b verbs change -ón to -án:
shantalás "to be important" --> shantalán "(that) were important"
hanalás "to be selfish" --> hanalán "(that) were selfish"
Usage
The past tense is the tense in Munasto that is used: (1) for actions that occurred once or irregularly; (2) for events that occurred in sequence (one after another); (3) for events that interrupted another past act; and, (4) in literature, where it is used as a "narrative perfect" tense:
- (1) Nejiraldi shamem i shasaduntak "I walked my child to school"
- (2) Nejiri o i shasaduntak, serte nezi (ha) rob adambek "He walked to school, then I went to work"
- (3) Denuri (kamek) vordozem "I (just) ate an apple"
- (4) I Dubimi demi: 'Aselu da ban hantalo' "Dubimi has said: "I think you are wrong"
Imperfect
Indicative
Like the Past, Class 1 imperfect verbs add a circumfix. In addition to the ne- prefix of the past tense, the suffix entails dropping the -ás of the infinitive, then add -ési:
roptaldás "to dress s.o." --> neroptaldési "would dress s.o."
kambás "to unite" --> nekambési "would unite"
nurás "to eat" --> denurési "would eat"
mas "to say" --> demési "would say"
adás "to commit" --> naadési "would commit"
onás "to give" --> noonési "would give"
Class 2a verbs also drop -ás, then adds -ésu:
nurás "to eat (with)" --> nurésu "would eat (with)"
sakás "to write (to)" --> sakésu "would write (to)"
Class 2b verbs drop -ás, then add -esú:
shantalás "to be important" --> shantalesú "would be important"
hanalás "to be selfish" --> hanalesú "would be selfish"
Subordinate
Class 1 verbs change the suffix from -ési to -esía:
roptaldás "to dress s.o." --> neroptaldesía "(that) would dress s.o."
kambás "to unite" --> nekambesía "(that) would unite"
nurás "to eat" --> denuresía "(that) would eat"
mas "to say" --> demesía "(that) would say"
adás "to commit" --> naadesía "(that) would commit"
onás "to give" --> noonesía "(that) would give"
Class 2 verbs change -ú to -ó:
nurás "to eat (with)" --> nuró "(that) would eat (with)"
sakás "to write (to)" --> sakó "(that) would write (to)"
shantalás "to be important" --> shantalesó "(that) would be important"
hanalás "to be selfish" --> hanalesó "(that) would be selfish"
Usage
The imperfect tense is the tense in Munasto that is used: (1) for actions that occurred habitually (and might still occur); (2) for events that occurred in tandem (at the same time); and (3) for events that were occurring when another event occurred:
- (1) Nejiraldesi judam shamem i shasaduntak "I walked/would walk my child to school every day"
- (2) Nejiresi o i shasaduntak, iesi (ha) rob adambek "He walked to school as I went to work"
- (3) Denuresi vordozem derte da o nebatía hem "I was eating an apple when he saw me"
Future
Indicative
Class 1 verbs drop the -ás of the infinitive, then add -égi:
roptaldás "to dress s.o." --> roptaldégi "will dress s.o."
kambás "to unite" --> kambégi "will unite"
nurás "to eat" --> nurégi "will eat"
Class 2a verbs also drop -ás, then adds -élku:
nurás "to eat (with)" --> nurélku "will eat (with)"
sakás "to write (to)" --> sakélku "will write (to)"
Class 2b verbs drop -ás, then add -elkú:
shantalás "to be important" --> shantalelkú "will be important"
hanalás "to be selfish" --> hanalelkú "will be selfish"
Subordinate
Class 1 verbs change the suffix from -égi to -egía:
roptaldás "to dress s.o." --> roptaldegía "(that) will dress s.o."
kambás "to unite" --> kambegía "(that) will unite"
nurás "to eat" --> nuregía "(that) will eat"
Class 2 verbs change -u/-ú to -o/-ó:
nurás "to eat (with)" --> nurélko "(that) will eat (with)"
sakás "to write (to)" --> sakélko "(that) will write (to)"
shantalás "to be important" --> shantalelkó "(that) will be important"
hanalás "to be selfish" --> hanalelkó "(that) will be selfish"
Usage
The future tense is the tense in Munasto that is used: (1) for actions that will occur at a more distant point in the future, either once or regularly; (2) for events that will occur in sequence (one after another); and (3) for situations in which other languages would employ the conditional mood:
- (1) Jiraldegi ishamidam shamem i shasaduntak "I will walk my child to school tomorrow"
- (2) Jiregi o i shasaduntak bin da iegia (ha) rob adambek "He will walk to school before I go* to work"
- (3) Nuregi vordozem es otselo zonem "I would eat an apple if I have money"
*Note that this translates as a present-tense verb, even though it is in the future.
In addition, with the particle fe, the Future tense represents the Jussive mood:
Gen fe nuregi vordozem! "Let's eat an apple!"
One major difference in the Future and the Present-Future is that the Future refers to events that are more distant in time, while the Present-Future refers to events that are more immediate:
Seti ni ishamidam Bostonek "She will leave for Boston tomorrow" [pres-fut.]
Segi ni Bostonek rob falertem otsana "She will leave for Boston next year" [fut.]
Non-Finite Forms
The non-finite forms can be explored further here.
