A Grammatical sketch of the Siezan language

 

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III. Nominal morphosyntax < > V. Derivational processes

 

IV. Verbal morphosyntax

 

Verbs have finite forms that agree in person and number with their subjects and are marked for tense, mood and aspect, and have simple and compound forms. They also have non-finite forms that lack some of the previous inflectional categories. They are classified into weak, strong and irregular verbs.

 

Finite, simple forms

 

The system of simple forms is divided into three subsystems, based on stem morphology.

Present system: indicative present and imperfect, subjunctive present, imperative present.
Perfective system: indicative perfective and subjunctive imperfect.
Future system: indicative future and conditional.

 

The present system

 

The following endings are used:

Indicative
present
Indicative
imperfect
Subjunctive
present
Imperative
present
Weak Strong Weak Strong Weak Strong Weak Strong
Singular 1 -o -ea -a
2 -as -es -eas -as -a -e
3 -a -e -ea -a
Plural 1 -om -iam -om
2 -és -íes -és
3 -ont -eont -ont

 

Examples with the verbs amar (to love, weak) and cozir (to run, strong):

Indicative
present
Indicative
imperfect
Subjunctive
present
Imperative
present
Weak Strong Weak Strong Weak Strong Weak Strong
Singular 1 amo cozo amea cozea ama coza
2 amas cozes ameas cozeas amas cozas ama coze
3 ama coze amea cozea ama coza
Plural 1 amom cozom amiam coziam amom cozom amom cozom
2 amés cozés amíes cozíes amés cozés amés cozés
3 amont cozont ameont cozeont amont cozont

 

When a singular imperative is followed by a clitic starting with a vowel, the ending is ellided:
Prende. (Take.) > Prend'ên. (Take one/some.)

An exception to this rule are a few verbs with a monosyllabic form in the singular imperative:
Fa. (Do.) > Fa-ên (Make one/some.)

 

Many strong verbs take a special augment -iss- in all forms of the present system, which is absent in other forms. Example with the verb finir (to end):

Indicative
present
Indicative
imperfect
Subjunctive
present
Imperative
present
Singular 1 finisso finissea finissa
2 finisses finisseas finissas finisse
3 finisse finissea finissa
Plural 1 finissom finissiam finissom
2 finissés finissíes finissés
3 finissont finisseont finissont

 

Some verbs can see an e transform into ie and an o transform into ue on forms stressed on the stem.

Example for e > ie, with the verb quezir (to search):

Indicative
present
Indicative
imperfect
Subjunctive
present
Imperative
present
Singular 1 quiezo quezea quieza
2 quiezes quezeas quiezas quieze
3 quieze quezea quieza
Plural 1 quezom queziam quezom
2 quezés quezíes quezés
3 quiezont quezeont quiezont

Example for o > ue, with the verb trovar (to find):

Indicative
present
Indicative
imperfect
Subjunctive
present
Imperative
present
Singular 1 truevo trovea trueva
2 truevas troveas truevas trueva
3 trueva trovea trueva
Plural 1 trovom troviam trovom
2 trovés trovíes trovés
3 truevont troveont truevont

 

On forms stressed on the stem, a few weak verbs gain an additional syllable, here illustrated with the verb manjar (to eat):

Indicative
present
Indicative
imperfect
Subjunctive
present
Imperative
present
Singular 1 manjúo mangea manjúa
2 manjúas mangeas manjúas manjúa
3 manjúa mangea manjúa
Plural 1 manjom mangiam manjom
2 mangés mangíes mangés
3 manjúont mangeont manjúont

 

A number of strong verbs with stems ending in -n or -l undergo palatalization of their final consonant in the first person singular of the indicative present, in the entire subjunctive present, and sometimes in the second person singular of the imperative present as well. This is often accompanied by vocalic transformations as well. Example with the verbs venir (to come) and falir (to fail):

Indicative
present
Indicative
imperfect
Subjunctive
present
Imperative
present
Singular 1 vinho felho venea falea vinha felha
2 vienes fales veneas faleas vinhas felhas viene felhe
3 viene fale venea falea vinha felha
Plural 1 venom falom veniam faliam vinhom felhom venom falom
2 venés falés veníes falíes vinhés felhés venés falés
3 vienont falont veneont faleont vinhont felhont

 

Asides from the above semi-regular patterns, the present systems is also where irregular verbs manifest most of their irregular behavior, manifesting as irregular endings, contractions, suppletion and other unpredictable stem modifications.

Estre (to be, to exist):

Indicative
present
Indicative
imperfect
Subjunctive
present
Imperative
present
Singular 1 sui estea sea
2 ês esteas seas sea
3 est estea sea
Plural 1 somos estiam seyom
2 estes estíes seyés
3 sont esteont seont

Avar (to have):

Indicative
present
Indicative
imperfect
Subjunctive
present
Imperative
present
Singular 1 ê avea eya
2 âs aveas eyas eya
3 â avea eya
Plural 1 avom aviam eyom
2 avés avíes eyés
3 ont aveont eyont

Alar (to go):

Indicative
present
Indicative
imperfect
Subjunctive
present
Imperative
present
Singular 1 alea elha
2 vas aleas elhas va
3 va alea elha
Plural 1 alom aliam elhom alom
2 alés alíes elhés alés
3 vont aleont elhont

Fezir (to do, to make):

Indicative
present
Indicative
imperfect
Subjunctive
present
Imperative
present
Singular 1 fe fezea feça
2 fas fezeas feças fa
3 fa fezea feça
Plural 1 femos feziam feçom femos
2 fetes fezíes feçés fetes
3 font fezeont feçont

Povir (can, to be able to, this verb has no imperative):

Indicative
present
Indicative
imperfect
Subjunctive
present
Singular 1 puisso povea puissa
2 pueves poveas puissas
3 pueve povea puissa
Plural 1 povom poviam puissom
2 povés povíes puissés
3 puevont poveont puissont

Savir (to know):

Indicative
present
Indicative
imperfect
Subjunctive
present
Imperative
present
Singular 1 savea secha
2 sas saveas sechas secha
3 savea secha
Plural 1 savom saviam sechom
2 savés savíes sechés
3 savont saveont sechont

Dizir (to say):

Indicative
present
Indicative
imperfect
Subjunctive
present
Imperative
present
Singular 1 dizo dizea diza
2 dizes dizeas dizas dize
3 dize dizea diza
Plural 1 dimos diziam dimos
2 dites dizíes dites
3 dizont dizeont dizont

Ovir (to listen):

Indicative
present
Indicative
imperfect
Subjunctive
present
Imperative
present
Singular 1 oyo ovea oya
2 oves oveas oyas ove
3 ove ovea oya
Plural 1 ovom oviam oyom ovom
2 ovés ovíes oyés ovés
3 ovont oveont oyont

Vere (to see):

Indicative
present
Indicative
imperfect
Subjunctive
present
Imperative
present
Singular 1 veyo vea veya
2 ves veas veyas veya
3 ve vea veya
Plural 1 veom viam veyom veom
2 vés víes veyés vés
3 veont veyont

 

The perfective system

 

The perfective system most often uses the same stems as the present system, but occasionally use modified ones, thus warranting its analysis as a distinct group of tenses.

The following endings are used, with strong verbs being divided into two possible sets of endings, i-stem and u-stem:

Indicative
perfective
Subjunctive
imperfect
Weak Strong Weak Strong
i-stem u-stem i-stem u-stem
Singular 1 -úi -asse -isse -usse
2 -ás -ís -ús -asses -isses -usses
3 -asse -isse -usse
Plural 1 -amos -imos -umos -assiam -issiam -ussiam
2 -astes -istes -ustes -assíes -issíes -ussíes
3 -aront -iront -uront -assont -issont -ussont

 

Examples with verbs amar (to love, weak), partir (to leave, strong i-stem) and vudre (to want, strong u-stem):

Indicative
perfective
Subjunctive
imperfect
Weak Strong Weak Strong
i-stem u-stem i-stem u-stem
Singular 1 amé partí volúi amasse partisse volusse
2 amás partís volús amasses partisses volusses
3 amá partí volú amasse partisse volusse
Plural 1 amamos partimos volumos amassiam partissiam volussiam
2 amastes partistes volustes amassíes partissíes volussíes
3 amaront partiront voluront amassont partissont volussont

 

While all verbs have regular endings in the perfective system, many strong and irregular verbs have altered stems. The alteration can be a contraction of the stem (the most frequent), a modification of the last consonant or consonants of the stem, a stem vowel change, and rarely, a stem completely unrelated to the main stem of the verb.

Examples with the verbs fezir (to do, to make), devre (must, to have to), nestre (to be born), dizir (to say), estre (to be) and avar (to have) (only perfective forms are shown here):

Singular 1 dúi nasquí dezí fúi úi
2 fís dús nasquís dezís fús ús
3 nasquí dezí ú
Plural 1 fimos dumos nasquimos dezimos fumos umos
2 fistes dustes nasquistes dezistes fustes ustes
3 firont duront nasquiront deziront furont uront

 

The future system

 

The future system use the an extended stem, created by adding a suffix to the present stem. For weak verbs, this suffix is -ar. For strong verbs and irregular verbs, the suffix is -ir or -r.

Then an inflectional ending is added, with no difference for weak, strong or irregular verbs:

Indicative
future
Indicative
conditional
Singular 1 -ea
2 -ás -eas
3 -ea
Plural 1 -om -iam
2 -és -íes
3 -ónt -eont

 

Examples with the verbs chantar (to sing, weak), partir (to come, strong) and devre (must, to have to, strong):

Indicative
future
Indicative
conditional
Weak Strong Weak Strong
Singular 1 chantaré partiré devré chantarea partirea devrea
2 chantarás partirás devrás chantareas partireas devreas
3 chantará partirá devrá chantarea partirea devrea
Plural 1 chantarom partirom devrom chantariam partiriam devriam
2 chantarés partirés devrés chantaríes partiríes devríes
3 chantarónt partirónt devrónt chantareont partireont devreont

 

Strong and irregular verbs that take -r can see significant alteration of their stem. Some examples with quezir (to search), venir (to come), falir (to fail),vudre (to want, stem vol-) and avar (to have) (only the future is shown in those examples):

Singular 1 queré viendré fodré vudré oré
2 querás viendrás fodrás vudrás orás
3 querá viendrá fodrá vudrá orá
Plural 1 querom viendrom fodrom vudrom orom
2 querés viendrés fodrés vudrés orés
3 querónt viendrónt fodrónt vudrónt orónt

 

Two verbs, estre (to be) and alar (to go) have future-conditional stems completely unrelated to their present tense stem:

Singular 1 seré iré
2 serás irás
3 será irá
Plural 1 serom irom
2 serés irés
3 serónt irónt

 

Non-finite forms

 

Three non finite forms are distinguished: an infinitive, a past participle and a gerund.

 

The infinitive of weak verbs is always in -ar. The infinitive of strong verbs is in -ir or -re. Irregular verbs take any of the three infinitives.

The infinitive is suffixed to the present stem of the verbs (without an eventual augment). Verbs in -re often undergo consonant stem changes similar to that of future-conditional stem.

A few irregular verbs have a second, contracted infinitive used only when the infinitive receives one or several postposed pronouns:
estre > ser-lo
fezir > fer-lo
dizir > dir-lo
vere > ver-lo

In a more regular fashion, infinitives in -re lose their final vowel when followed by a pronoun starting with a vowel:
vudre (to want) > vudr'ên (to want one/some, to be determined)

 

Past participles can vary in gender and number, and come in different categories:

Type a Type i Type u Type t Type s
Singular Masculine -ío -úo -to -so
Feminine -ía -úa -ta -sa
Plural Masculine -ós -íos -úos -tos -sos
Feminine -ás -ías -úas -tas -sas

Weak verb always have type a participles. Strong and irregular verbs can have any of the five types, though type i and type u are the most common.

Past participle endings are generally added to the present stem (with the eventual -iss augment absent), but significant modifications of the stem can occure: covrir (to cover) > coverto; prendre (to take) > priso.

 

Gerunds take the suffix -ando and do not decline. Gerunds are normally formed on the unstressed form of the present stem (including a possible -iss augment), but for verbs that display a modified subjunctive present stem, the gerund generally hesitates between a plain stem and a modified stem, depending on the verb, thus povir (to be able to) > povando but savir (to know) > sechando.

 

The irregular verb estre (to be) has a past participle estó and a gerund estando.

 

Analytic forms

 

Perfect series

 

The tenses of the perfect seris are formed with an auxiliary verb and a past participle. By default, the auxiliary verb is generally avar with transitive verbs, and estre with intransitive verbs. Reflexive verbs take estre as an auxiliary.

The past participle generally agrees in gender and number with the subject when estre is used; if there's no explicit subject (such as with an infinitive perfect), the participle is by default in the masculine singular. When avar is used, the participle agrees in gender and number with the direct object if that direct object is expressed by a personal pronoun adposed to avar. Otherwise the participle is undeclinable, defaulting to the masculine singular.

Nine perfect tenses are found, depending on the tense used for the auxiliary:

Infinitive perfect (auxiliary in the infinitive): avar chantó (to have sung).
Perfect (auxiliary in the present): as chantó (you have sung).
Pluperfect (auxiliary in the imperfect): aveas chantó (you had sung).
Subjunctive perfect (auxiliary in the subjunctive present): eyas chantó
Imperative perfect (auxiliary in the imperative): eya chantó (be done singing).
Perfective pluperfect (auxiliary in the perfective): ús chantó (you had sung).
Subjunctive plurperfect (auxiliary in the subjunctive imperfect): usses chantó.
Future perfect (auxiliary in the future): avrás chantó (you will have sung).
Conditional perfect (auxiliary in the conditional): avreas chantó (you would have sung).

 

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III. Nominal morphosyntax < > V. Derivational processes

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