The Mafulu Part 24

Verbs.

I. Conjugation.

The Fuyuge verb is conjugated by modifications of the terminal syllables, or by a particle added to the subject.

II. The Particle, Ga.

The particle _ga_ (often _g'_ before a vowel) is generally used with the past tense, and is rarely absent in the positive form of the verb. But it may be used also with the present and future. With the present it seems to indicate reference to a preceding action in the sense of "being on the point of," "ready to." With the future it has almost the sense of "go."

Ex. _Ake ga nembe na,_ the men have eaten the bird; _amu g'anga_ the women are gone; _naga bulitsi gatsi,_ I am going to go away to the garden; _naga sue,_ I am going away.

Note (1). _Ga_ always immediately follows the subject, except with the past of the verb _ange(ge),_ to go, which always has _g'anga._

(2). When the subject is not a p.r.o.noun, the p.r.o.noun of the 3rd pers. sing. is often expressed.

(3). _Ga_ never appears to be used in a negative expression.

Ex. _Naga ipitsial' uruv' ema,_ I have killed with the gun a toucan; _mel ul' etsi g'anga,_ the child to his village has gone; _Okom' ug'

nemb' ema,_ Okome has killed a bird; _ake kupa me na,_ the men have not eaten the potatoes.

III. Person and Number.

These are not expressed by the verb in Fuyuge.

IV. Tense and Mode.

1. There are three princ.i.p.al tenses, present, past and future. The present is found in the indicative and imperative modes, the past in the indicative only, and the future in the indicative and subjunctive. Besides these, there is a method of expressing the infinitive, a pa.s.sive participle, and two forms of verbal adjectives.

2. _Paradigm of tenses and modes._

ememe, umbubi, isiei, pierce wash follow

Indicative present ememe umbubi isiei Indicative past (1) ema(me) umbubi(ne) isia Indicative past (2) emo(ne) Indicative future ematsi(me) umbubitsi(me) isiatsi Imperative (1) ema umbubi isia Imperative (2) emau umbubu Subjunctive (1) emo(le) umbubi(ne) isio(me) Subjunctive (2) emo(me) Infinitive ema(me) umbubi(me) isie(me) Past participle emam(ane) umbubim(ane) Verbal adjective (1) emabul(ane) umbubibul(ane) Verbal adjective (2) ememond(ana)

If the Imperative be regarded as the stem, there appear to be three Conjugations, but Dr. Strong gives four based on past tense, thus: i. Verbs with monosyllabic roots, 2. Verbs with roots in _a_, 3. Verbs with roots in _i_, 4. Verbs with roots in _e_.

His examples are:--

1. 2. 3. 4.

nen, itede, ongai, bole, eat cut break leave

Present nene itede ongai bolo Past na ita ongai bole Future natsi itatsi ongaitsi bolatsi Imperative nu ito ongai bo(le) Subjunctive no ito ongai bolo Infinitive namubabe itamubabe ongaimubabe bolamane Past participle namane itaname ongaimane bolamane Adjectival nab'ula(ne) itedondona ongaibula(ne) bolabula(ne)

3. _Notes on the foregoing paradigms._

_a._ Indicative present.

Most verbs double the last syllable of the stem, which in the first conjugation always ends in _e_. There are, however, some exceptions, especially among verbs in _i_, and those which have a verbal suffix. The syllable _-te_ when doubled is always _-tede_.

Ex. _Nag alili_, I see; _nani e gadi_, I build (tie up) the house; _nani okid' atede_, I light the fire.

_b._ Indicative past.

The difference between the two forms, both of which are preceded by the particle _ga_, is not yet clearly made out. The ending _e_ seems to refer to the time when the action finished, whilst _-a_ has a more general signification.

Ex. _Naga ne_, I have eaten, _naga kupa na_, I ate the potatoes. There is another form which replaces the final syllable of the present tense by _-ua_. Verbs in _-i_ add _-ua_ to the final syllable. But it is uncertain whether this expresses the near past, or includes an idea of movement.

Ex. _na bul' elelua_, I have just worked in the garden; _nu a gadi ua_, you have just tied up the fence.

_c_. Indicative future.

If the syllables preceding the suffix _-tsi_ also contain _-tsi-ti_. In monosyllabic verbs especially, a second form of the future is often found, which retains the doubling of the present tense.

Ex. _etsiati_, will come; _nenetsi_, will eat; _yeyetsi_, will take. For _ga_ with the future, see below.

_d_. Imperative.

The first form of the imperative has less force than the second. In the first conjugation the second form always terminates in _-au_, even when the first form is irregular. The last syllable of the imperative is often lost, especially when the ending is _-li_.

Ex. _aitodede_, runs, imperat. _aitode_ and _aitodau_; _itulili_, ward off, imperat. _itu_; _bole_, leaves, imperat. _bole_, _bo_, and _bolau_; _ameme_, puts, imperat. _a_ and _ama_.

The imperative is only used for the second person. In the first and third (sometimes even in the second) it is replaced by the subjunctive.

Ex. _di ango_, let us go; _to n'alo_, speak, that I may know; _go di go_, go that we may go.

_e_. Subjunctive.

The two forms of the subjunctive are distinguished only in composition, and have not yet been clearly understood. The last syllable besides is rarely heard except in questions, and refers then to the interrogative form. The subjunctive without a conjunction is used in simple phrases consisting only of subject and object.

Ex. _kuku gadi, di no_, roll the tobacco (make cigarette), that we may smoke (eat).

_f_. Infinitive.

The forms given as infinitive are uncertain. They may be verbal nouns. They are used in phrases such as: _nam' u babe_, father of eating, for 'a great eater': _tsimilim' u babe_, father of licking, cf. _andaval' u babe_, father of crying, one who causes crying.

_g_. Past Participle.

This does not easily lose the final syllable when it ends a sentence. In other cases, when it is followed by the word it qualifies it loses _-ane_, if the qualified word begins with a vowel, and _-ne_ in other cases.