8.Verb Stems
The verb stem is generally composed either of a
consonant plus vowel or of a consonant plus vowel plus consonant. Variations in the final
consonant and in the quality, pitch accent, and length of the stem vowel indicate differences
in mode and aspect. Five modes are distinguished: the imperfective, perfective, progressive,
iterative, and optative. In addition, four aspects may be distinguished: the momentaneous,
continuative, repetitive, and semelfactive. No stem, however, has a distinct form for each of
these modes and aspects. In the first place, most stems are conjugated only for the five modes
and, of those that are conjugated for aspect, few distinguish between more then two aspectival
forms. Secondly, many verbs have the same stem form in each conjugation. In general, then, the
number of stem forms for any given verb rarely exceeds eight.
The stem variations are highly irregular and it will
be impossible to list here all of the possible variations. A few examples will suffice to
illustrate the commoner types. In the following examples, the stems are listed in this order:
imperfective, perfective, progressive, iterative, and optative. Where variant forms for aspect
are found, these are marked.
| imp. |
perf. |
prog. |
iter. |
opt. |
|
| -'ah |
-'ah |
-'ah |
- 'ah |
-'ah |
'to butcher' [-[- class, act.tr.]
|
| -t'ee |
-t'ee |
-t'eeł
|
-t'ee |
- t'ee |
'to handle a board-like object' [-[- class, act.tr.]
|
| -'aa |
-'á
|
-'ááł
|
-'á
|
-'a |
'a noise is heard'[zero class, act. intr.] |
|
-ká [mom.], -ka [cont.] |
-ka |
-kał
|
- ka |
-ká
|
'several move' [zero class, act. intr.] |
|
-ghee [mom.],-gho [cont.] |
-gho |
- ghoł
|
-gho |
- ghe |
'to move quickly, to run' [-ł- class, act. intr.] |
|
-lé
|
-lá
|
-lééł
|
-lé
|
-lé [mom.], -la'[cont.] |
'to handle a rope-like object' [zero class, act. tr.] |
|
-chiͅiͅ
|
-chaͅaͅ
|
-chiͅiͅł
|
-chiͅiͅ
|
-chiͅiͅ
|
"to defecate' [zero class, act. tr.] |
|
-tł'ó
|
- tł'óͅ
|
- tł'ół
|
- tł'ó
|
- tł'ó
|
'to tie, bind' [zero class, act. tr.] |
|
-'aa [mom.], -'á [cont.] |
-áͅ
|
'ááł
|
-'á
|
-'aa |
'to handle a round object' [zero class, act. tr.] |
|
-ghé
|
- ghíͅ
|
- ghééł
|
- ghé
|
- ghé
|
'to kill one' [-ł- class, act. tr.] |
|
-zé
|
- záͅ
|
- zééł
|
- zé
|
- za'
|
'a movement of people takes place' [zero class, act. intr.] |
|
-ghee [mom.], -ghé [cont.] |
-ghí
|
ghééł
|
-ghé
|
-ghee |
'to carry a burden' [zero class, act. tr.] |
|
-biͅiͅ [mom.],
-biͅ' [cont.] |
-báͅ
|
bíͅíͅł
|
-bíͅ
|
-bíͅ
|
'to win a game' [-ł-class, act. tr.] |
|
-tał
|
-tał
|
-tał
|
-tał
|
-tał
|
'to burst, explode' [-ł- class, act. intr.] |
|
-'oł
|
-'eel
|
-'oł
|
-'oł
|
-'oł
|
'to spread out' [-ł- class, act. tr.] |
| -dees |
-deez
|
-dis
|
-dis
|
-dees |
'to singe' [- ł- class, act. tr.] |
|
-'eesh
|
-eezh
|
-'ish
|
-'ish
|
-'eesh |
'to string beads'[zero class, act. tr.] |
|
-baał
|
-baal
|
-bał
|
-bał
|
-baał
|
'to hang suspended' [zero class, act. intr.] |
|
-baͅaͅs
|
- báͅáͅz
|
-baͅs
|
-baͅs
|
-baͅaͅs
|
'to become round' [zero class, act. intr.] |
| -aash |
- 'áázh
|
-'ash
|
- 'ash
|
-'aash |
'two move' [zero class, act. intr.] |
|
-'eeł
|
- 'éél
|
-'oł
|
-'oł
|
-'eeł
|
'two move' [zero class, act. intr.] |
|
-'éés
|
-'eez
|
-'is
|
-'is
|
-'éés
|
'to step about' [-ł- class, act. intr.] |
|
-k'ash [mom.], -k'ash [cont.] |
-k'aazh[mom.], -k'ash
[cont.] |
k'ash |
-k'ash |
-k'aash [mom.], -k'ash
[cont.] |
'to sharpen' [zero class, act. tr.] |
|
-'iͅiͅł
|
-'iͅiͅł
|
-'íͅíͅł
|
-'íͅíͅł
|
-'íͅíͅł
|
'to copulate' [zero class, act. tr.] |
