TriCons Notes: Patterns

[qiihoskeh]

I will continue to edit this post. It contains the proposed triconsonantal patterns. The actual vowels haven't been filled in yet.

Each root can produce one verbal word and several nominal words (this includes adjectival words). Both verbal and nominal words can have both verb and noun forms.

Nominal words have a noun (or adjective) stem and a finite verb (or "copular") stem. Verbal words have a participial (noun or adjective) stem, some finite verb stems, some infinitive stems, and an adverbial stem (used for adverbial prepositions as well as simple adverbs).

3-Consonant Roots

The stems map to the stem consonants and vowels like so:

(a) C3 W3       C2 L2              C1 V:case         -- nominal, noun/adjective
    C3 W3       C2 L2              C1 S:mood=indicat -- nominal, copular
(b) C3 S:aspect C2 *W:voice        C1 V:case         -- verbal, participial
    C3 S:aspect C2 *W:voice=direct C1 S:mood=indicat -- verbal, finite, indicative
(c) C3 S:aspect C2 *W:voice=direct C1 L:mood         -- verbal, finite, other moods
(d) C3 W:aspect C2  S:voice        C1 *W=prepos      -- verbal, adverbial
(e) C3 L:aspect C2  S:voice        C1 *W=infini      -- verbal, infinitives

 C# = consonant
 L  = vowel, long
 S  = vowel, short, strong
 W  = vowel, short, weak
 V  = L or S

(a) W3 * L2 determines which nominal is represented.
(d) aspect?

Aspect refers to the principle aspects, perfective and imperfective.
Voice is direct or inverse. The inverse voice isn't used with finite forms except for certain ditransitives.
Moods include indicative, subjunctive, and imperative ((c) only).
An example:

(a)   k'baal-$   -- horse       nominoid  noun
      k'baali-%  -- is a horse  nominoid  copular
(b) %-kavl-$     -- carrying    verboid   participle
    %-kavli-%    -- carries     verboid   finite, indicative
(c) %-kavlee-%   -- may carry   verboid   finite, subjunctive
(d) %-k'belu     -- carrying    verboid   adverbial preposition
(e) %-kaabel     -- to carry    verboid   infinitive

% = personal affix
$ = case suffix

Additional Participles

Ditransitive words have additional participles for the 2nd inverse. They are formed like nominal stems. There is one for the perfective aspect and another for the imperfective.

(f) C3 W3       C2  L:aspect       C1 V:case         -- verbal, 2nd participle

Reduplicated Stems

These have C4 V4 added; C4 is the same phoneme as C3 and V4 duplicates the aspect. Only verboid forms use reduplication.

(b) %-kakavl-$     -- carrying    verboid   participle
    %-kakavli-%    -- carries     verboid   finite, indicative
(c) %-kakavlee-%   -- may carry   verboid   finite, subjunctive
(d) %-kekhbelu     -- carrying    verboid   adverbial preposition
(e) %-kakaabel     -- to carry    verboid   infinitive
(f) %-peftaak-$ ?  -- to tell     verboid   2nd participle

Typical Nominal Stems

Some possibilities for nominal patterns are:

Inherent Agent
Inherent Patient
Inherent Instrument
Inherent Product
Inherent Object
Body Part
Animal
Bird
Sensory Quality

2-Consonant Roots

Lacking V3, these have only one principle aspect (imperfective) and are used for statal words.

(a) C2 L2              C1 V:case         -- nominal, noun/adjective
    C2 L2              C1 S:mood=indicat -- nominal, copular
(b) C2 *W:voice        C1 V:case         -- verbal, participial
    C2 *W:voice=direct C1 S:mood=indicat -- verbal, finite, indicative
(c) C2 *W:voice=direct C1 L:mood         -- verbal, finite, other moods
(d) C2  S:voice        C1 *W=prepos      -- verbal, adverbial
(e) C2  S:voice        C1 *W=infini      -- verbal, infinitives

An example:

(a)   taap-$   -- head              nominoid  noun
      taapi-%  -- is a head         nominoid  copular
(b) %-t'p-$    -- on top of         verboid   participle
    %-tepi-%   -- is on top of      verboid   finite, indicative
(c) %-t'pee-%  -- may be on top of  verboid   finite, subjunctive
(d) %-tepu     -- being on top of   verboid   adverbial preposition
(e) %-tef      -- to be on top of   verboid   infinitive

Reduplicated Stems

These have C3 V3 added; C3 is the same phoneme as C2 and V3 provides the aspect. Only verboid forms use reduplication.

(b) %-tathp-$    -- on top of         verboid   participle
    %-tathpi-%   -- is on top of      verboid   finite, indicative
(c) %-tathpee-%  -- may be on top of  verboid   finite, subjunctive
(d) %-tetepu     -- being on top of   verboid   adverbial preposition
(e) %-tatef      -- to be on top of   verboid   infinitive

Typical Nominal Stems