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13.The Imperfective Paradigm

The imperfective paradigm is ordinarily characterized by the absence of a modal prefix. When a verb form includes other prefixes, then, these are united directly with the subject pronoun prefixes to form the conjunct imperfective paradigm. In the table that follows, the vowel referred to stands for the vowel of the preceding prefix.

                 

Person	Chiricahua	Mescalero
Sg. 1	-vowel--sh-	-vowel-sh-
Sg. 2	-high vowel-	-high nasal vowel-
Sg. 3	-vowel-	-vowel-
Sg. 3a	-vowel--ji-	-vowel--ch'i-
Place	-vowel--go-	-vowel--go-
Indef.	-vowel--'i-	-vowel--'i-
Du. 1	-long vowel-[d]-	-long nasal vowel-[d]-
Du. 2	-vowel--ah-	-vowel--ah-

When the verb has no thematic or derivational prefixes, it takes the disjunct imperfective paradigm.

                 

Person	Chiricahua	Mescalero
Sg. 1	hish-	hish-
Sg. 2	n-	n-
Sg. 3	hi-	hi-
Sg. 3a	ji-	ch'-
Place	go-	go-
Indef.	'i-	'i-
Du. 1	hii[d]-	hiͅiͅ[d]-
Du. 2	hah-	hah-

As may be seen from the above table, this paradigm requires a prefix hi- [called the peg element] in all but the second and 3a persons and when the place and indefinite pronouns are used. Note also that the second person singular pronoun is n- in this paradigm. In transitive verbs, a prefixed object pronoun will replace the peg element. Thus, for example, hi-sh-béézh 'I boil it' [3rd person pronoun is zero], ni-sh- béézh 'I boil you' [ni- second person object], shí-ł-béézh 'you boil me' [note that shi-, the first person object, requires the conjunct form of the second person subject], yi-ł-béézh 'he boils him' [yi- third person object].

A third imperfective paradigm is found in verbs with derivational prefixes which require the disjunct form.

                   

Person	Chiricahua	Mescalero
Sg. 1	-long vowel--sh-	-long vowel-- sh-
Sg. 2	-vowel--n-	-long vowel--n-
Sg. 3	-long vowel-	-long vowel-
Sg. 3a	-vowel--ji-	-vowel--ch'i-
Place	-vowel--go-	-vowel--go-
Indef.	-vowel--'i-	-vowel--'i-
Du. 1	-long vowel--[d]-	-long nasal vowel--[d]-
	-vowel-hii[d]-	-nasal vowel- hiͅiͅ[d]-
Du. 2	-aah-	-aah-

In this paradigm, the vowel of the prefix is lengthened, presumably because of the disappearance of the peg element hi-, in all but the second and 3a persons singular and when the place and indefinite pronouns are used. Here, too, when the verb is transitive, a prefixed pronoun object will cause the paradigm to go over to the conjunct form.

Neuter verbs denoting states or qualities undefined as to time are conjugated in the imperfective paradigm. Examples: łi- ni-...-gai 'to be white', łi-ni-...chí 'to be red', łi- ni-...k'aa 'to be fat', ni-...-ndeez 'to be long, tall', 'á-ni-...t'é 'to be thus, so'.

The imperfective mode of the active voice also takes the imperfective paradigm. This mode denotes activities in the process or activities about to fulfill themselves. Examples: k'idasah'aa 'you two tie a fabric on him' [k'i- 'on', das- > dah- 'top', ah- second person dual, -'aa 'to handle a fabric', imperf. stem], nń'aa 'put the round object down' [n- 'down', ń- > ni- completive plus second person singular pronoun,-'aa 'to handle a round object', imperf. stem], shań'aa 'give the round object to me' [sha- > shi- first person object plus aa- 'to', ń- > ni- completive plus second person subject].