VERBS

Verbs in Sabax-golr are relatively easy. They conjugate to reflect the following:

• Past/present tense (“I go” / “I went”)

• Positive/negative polarity (“I go” / “I don’t go”)

• Singular/plural number (“I go” / “They go”

Most verbs are comprised of two syllables. The vowel in the final syllable must be ă, ĕ, or ŭ, because the vowel determines how the verb the verb will conjugate. Rules of thumb for conjugation:

• Past tense has a leading vowel + ‘n’ suffix. Which vowel it is depends on the class of verb: ă verbs are + Ein, ĕ verbs are + Īn, and ŭ verbs are +Oin

• Affirmative polarity doesn’t change the standard ă/ĕ/ŭ, but the final vowel changes in the negative. ă → ŏ, ĕ → ei, ŭ → ū

• An infixed y in the final syllable indicates the plural

SAMPLE CONJUGATIONS

Class 1 conjugation: Ĕ-verbs

TO EXALT. Nominal form: Ĕnkĕ-

Class 2 conjugation: Ă-verbs

TO FIGHT. Nominal form: Fōjă-

Note: In spoken language, jŏ and jyŏ are pronounced identically though written differently. In some dialects there is an infixed ī following j-, ch-, and l- consonants to differentiate an infixed y in speech; Hōjyăs would become Hōjīyăs, with both ī and ă written in infix form. This is not the Appighotian standard though, and would seem to be a holdover from an earlier version of the language.

Class 3 conjugation: Ŭ-verbs

TO SEND. Nominal form: Tŭn-

Roughly half of all verbs are Class 3, while Class 1 and 2 comprise about a quarter each. The final consonant has no effect on conjugation, and usually disappears entirely in the nominal form.

( List of primary verbs )

NOMINAL FORM

There is also the “nominal” form, which can be used as a noun in its own right, in which case it will inflect using Class 5 (abstract things) suffixes. Nominal form is also used when combining the primary verb with various auxiliary-verb suffixes to change the meaning. To make the nominal form, simply drop the final trailing consonant. Monosyllabic verbs retain the final consonant, so nominal form is the same as present-positive-singular.

Examples:

tūzŭx → tūzŭ

to continue → continuity

kĕl → kĕl

to kick → (a) kick

BE VERBS

Sabax-golr differentiates between be-exists (“He is in the city”) and be-equals (“He is my cousin”). Be-exists is feibŭl, and conjugates as a regular Class 3 verb. Be-equals is the copula, which has a highly irregular conjugation.

Nominal form: Mai-

Examples:

	Cybelis is a soldier.
	Saibĕlĕs-tă byăm mai.

	Medis is not a soldier.
	Mĕdĭs-tă byăm sĕ.

AUXILIARY VERBS

Auxiliary verbs can combine with other verbs to further inflect the meaning. Some of them can be used independently (come, go, finish, etc), but others appear only in combination with a root verb (to do on purpose, to be likely, future marker, politeness marker). The more common auxiliary verbs will be explored in more depth individually in subsequent chapters.

~~~~~~~~

PREVIOUS: PHONOLOGY | TOP | NEXT: NOUNS