3.1.2.3. Certainty verb root :
Certainty verb roots are obtained by using həy, placing it before the verb stem. Here there are two degrees of ‘certainty’. One is less forceful than the orther. To distinguish the two, the verb root itself is reduplicated completely in case of the first while non-reduplicated form is used for the second.
When reduplicated, this marker is placed before the reduplicated verbs unlike in case of iterative verb root where the iterative marker is placed between the reduplicated verb root, eg. :
(a) təwə həy ha?ha?lək ‘certainly I will eat’
1 2 3 2 1 3
eə hey pəypəylək ‘certainly he will come’
1 2 3 2 1 3
təwə həy cóŋcóŋlək ‘certainly it will grow’
1 2 3 2 1 3
As can be noted above the tense markers are added to the second part of the reduplicated verb root.
(b) təwə həy ha?lək ‘surely I will eat’
1 2 3 2 1 3
eə həy pəylək ‘surely he will come’
1 2 3 2 1 3
nàŋə həy sòlək ‘surely you will complete’
1 2 3 2 1 3
When the verb root is not reduplicated the intensity of certainty reduces; as can be notices in (b). Similarly :
eə həy pəypəy ‘he certainly came’
1 2 3 1 2 3
e tɨnñi? həy pəykɨlək ‘surely he is coming today’
1 2 3 4 3 1 4 2
nàŋ ŋayñí? həy yɨpəylək ‘surely you will not come
1 2 3 4 3 1 4
tomorrow’
2
3.1.2.4. A verb phrase may consist of various elements discussed so far, as well as the following elements. It consists obligatorily of a verb root, and preceded by one of the various stem derivatives, eg. :
1. Reciprocal,
2. Concessive,
3. Certainty,
4. Iterative,
5. Negative base and
6. Infinitive base: and followed by at least one of these-
1. tense
2. Aspect and
3. Mood
As already noted in the section on mood that there are many types of moods; more than one can occur together in a VP. Except for imperative (mood), all others require the presence of ‘tense’ with the V root. From IC point of view, a VP can have a NP as its constituent. Then the NP will occur before all the base merkers mentioned above. Also adverbs-particularly manner adverbs also form part of a VP.
Taking the bases into consideration from the point of view of possible combinations-concessive and certainty bases cannot occur together. The following figure 1 (c) gives a general idea about their distribution.
Figure 1(a) VP : (Simplified version)
təy
mɨn
Neg. VRT T A M Interrogative
həy
V saha ……. VRT
Figure 1(b) Extended VP :
NP Adv-(manner)
Figure 1(c) :
təy* mɨn həy saha Neg
1
2 3 4 5
The figures 1(a) and 1(b) are simplified versions of VP
and extended VP respectively. Figure
1(c) gives the verb base markers in a sequence, numbered. The possible combinations with illustrations
are listed below.
1. imannə təy sətnàŋ ‘they beat each other’
12. imannə mɨn təy sət təw? ‘let
they beat each other’ (command)
13. imannə həy təy satsət nàŋ ‘certainly they beat each other’
14. imannə təy sət saha sətnàŋ ‘they beat each other continuously’
15. iman təy yɨsət ‘they
do not beat’
2. iman
mɨn səttəw? ‘let
them beat’ (command)
21. S 12.
*22.
*23.
24. iman mɨn sət saha səttəw ‘let them beat continuously’
25. iman mɨn yɨsəttəw ‘let
them not beat’
3. iman
həy (setsətlək) ‘certainly
they will beat’
31. S 13.
*32.
*33.
34. iman həy sətsahasət lək ‘certainly they will beat surely/
certainly’
Here as for 3 and 4 bases verb is reduplicated, the
fourth gets it while the third doesn’t.
But the meaning does not change much on account of it.
35. iman həy mɨn sətsət ‘certainly
they will not beat’
4. iman
sətsahasətnàŋ
‘they
beat and beat/beat continuously’
41.
S 14; 42.
S 24; 43.
S 34; *44.
45. iman yɨsət sahasət ‘they do not beat continuously’
5. iman
yɨsət ‘they
no not beat’
51.
S 15; 52.
S 25; 53.
S 35; 54.
S 45; *55
Three member possibilities :
*123
124. iman mɨn təy set saha ‘let
them beat each other continuously’
sət təw?
125. iman mɨn təy ta?sət ‘let them not beat each other’
*234, *235.
345. iman həy yɨsət saha sətlək ‘certainly they will not beat
continuously’
341. iman həy təy yɨsətsət lək ‘certainly
they will not beat each other’
Four member possibilities :
1245. iman mɨn təy ta?sət saha sət ‘let them not beat each other
si?
Continuously’ (request(
--------------
*Restricted to a type of
verbs only.
1345. iman həy təy ytɨsət saha ‘certainly
they will not beat each other
sətlək
continuously’
Most of the above combinations are only theoretically
possible. More than two member
combinations are seldom used.
A verb phrase usually consists forms belonging to base
formatives, tense, and mood markers.
More frequently a simple declarative VP consists of a VRT followed by
tense marker, with or without imperative or negative markers. In case of negative marker, as said earlier
they precede the VRT. In the following
illustrations VPs is ascending complexity are listed. It may be noted however that the
illustrations are not exhaustive.
As base formatives have been illustrated here others will
be taken up :
VRT alone cannot occur. It has to take either a tense marker or an
imperative or request marker for its occurrence.
eg.:
ha? ‘to eat’ ha?təw? ‘eat’ (command)
ha?si? ‘eat’ (request)
eə ha?nàŋ ‘he eats’ (present tense) etc.
In the section on verb, the simple combinations have been
illustrated. So here only those
combinations, which are in phrasal structure are listed.