Appendix IV
Verbs fall into four groups distinguished by the ending of the infinitive: (1) -din, -ḍin, or -tin ; (2) -în ; (3) -an ; (4) -ûn. The principal parts are present stem, past stem, and past participle. The present stem of all verbs is given in the Dictionary. The past stem is found by cutting off the -in or -n of the infinitive. The only two intransitive verbs of group (4), bûn and chûn, have a second, shortened, past stem—bu, chu ; the shortened bu only is used for the auxiliary in the formation of compound tenses. The past participle is formed by adding û to the past stem if it ends in a consonant, and w if it ends in î or a ; in verbs of the fourth group the past stem and the past participle are identical in form.
Specimen paradigms of an intransitive and a transitive verb, each with the present and past stems ending in a consonant, are given below. If either stem ends in a vowel considerations of euphony impose the following minor changes:
- (а) The i of the inflexions -im, -in, and the i between the past stem and the auxiliary in the compound tenses, disappear, e.g. e-kew-im but e-ṟo-m, kewt-im but peṟî-m, girt-i-bu-m but kêsha-bu-m.
- (b) The î of the inflexions -î(t) and -în becomes y, e.g. kewt-î(t) but gora-y(t), e-kew-în but e-duwê-yn, kewt-în but bezî-yn (or bezî-n).
- (c) When the inflexion -ê(t) would follow a present stem ending in ê the ê is pronounced and written only once, e.g. e-geṟê(t) not e-geṟê-ê(t).
- (d) Where the ending -aye occurs w is inserted after u and û, y is inserted after î, and the a is elided after a, e.g. bi-buw-aye, bi-man-diṟûw-aye, bi-perîy-aye, bi-geṟa-’ye.
- (e) The 2nd person singular, imperative has no inflexion, e.g. bi-gir-e but bi-ṟo.
Paradigm
| Intransitive | Transitive | |
|---|---|---|
| Infinitive | kew-tin | gir-tin |
| Present stem | kew | gir |
| Past stem | kewt | girt |
| Past participle | kewt-û | girt-û |
| indicative intransitive | subjunctive intransitive | indicative transitive | subjunctive transitive | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Present | ||||
| 1 | e-kew-im | bi-kew-im | e-gir-im | bi-gir-im |
| 2 | e-kew-î(t) | bi-kew-î(t) | e-gir-î(t) | bi-gir-î(t) |
| 3 | e-kew-ê(t) | bi-kew-ê(t) | e-gir-ê(t) | bi-gir-ê(t) |
| 4 | e-kew-în | bi-kew-în | e-gir-în | bi-gir-în |
| 5 | e-kew-in | bi-kew-in | e-gir-in | bi-gir-in |
| 6 | e-kew-in | bi-kew-in | e-gir-in | bi-gir-in |
| Preterite | ||||
| 1 | kewt-im | girt-im | ||
| 2 | kewt-î(t) | girt-it | ||
| 3 | kewt | girt-y | ||
| 4 | kewt-în | girt-man | ||
| 5 | kewt-in | girt-tan | ||
| 6 | kewt-in | girt-tan | ||
| Imperfect | ||||
| 1 | e-kewt-im | bi-kewt-im-aye | e-m-girt | bi-m-girt-aye |
| 2 | e-kewt-î(t) | bi-kewt-ît-aye | e-ṭ-girt | bi-t-girt-aye |
| 3 | e-kewt | bi-kewt-aye | e-y-girt | bi-y-girt-aye |
| 4 | e-kewt-în | bi-kewt-în-aye | e-man-girt | bi-man-girt-aye |
| 5 | e-kewt-in | bi-kewt-in-aye | e-tan-girt | bi-tan-girt-aye |
| 6 | e-kewt-in | bi-kewt-in-aye | e-yan-girt | bi-yan-girt-aye |
| Perfect | ||||
| 1 | kewt-û-m | kewt-i-b-im | girt-û-m-e | girt-i-b-êt-im |
| 2 | kewt-û-y(t) | kewt-i-b-î(t) | girt-û-t-e | girt-i-b-êt-it |
| 3 | kewt-uw-e | kewt-i-b-ê(t) | girt-û-y-e | girt-i-b-êt-y |
| 4 | kewt-û-yn | kewt-i-b-in | girt-û-man-e | girt-i-b-êt-man |
| 5 | kewt-û-n | kewt-i-b-in | girt-û-tan-e | girt-i-b-êt-tan |
| 6 | kewt-û-n | kewt-i-b-in | girt-û-yan-e | girt-i-b-êt-yan |
| Pluperfect | ||||
| 1 | kewt-i-bu-m | kewt-i-bu-m-aye | girt-i-bu-m | girt-i-bu-m-aye |
| 2 | kewt-i-bu-y(t) | kewt-i-bu-yt-aye | girt-i-bu-t | girt-i-bu-t-aye |
| 3 | kewt-i-bu | kewt-i-buw-aye | girt-i-bu-y | girt-i-bu-y-aye |
| 4 | kewt-i-bu-yn | kewt-i-bu-yn-aye | girt-i-bu-man | girt-i-bu-man-aye |
| 5 | kewt-i-bu-n | kewt-i-bu-n-aye | girt-i-bu-tan | girt-i-bu-tan-aye |
| 6 | kewt-i-bu-n | kewt-i-bu-n-aye | girt-i-bu-yan | girt-i-bu-yan-aye |
| Imperative | ||
|---|---|---|
| intransitive | transitive | |
| Singular | bi-kew-e | bi-gir-e |
| Plural | bi-kew-in | bi-gir-in |