GRAMMAR

I. VERBAL MORPHOLOGY

The Cheians consider verbs to be the most important kind of words. They are never omitted in and they can carry clitic pronouns.

They are inflected in person and number (Singular, Paucal [referring to a small countable group of less than 12 things], Plural), and there are three Voices (Active, Mediopassive and Reflexive, though the latter one is defective).

There are three tenses (present, perfect and future), and one subjunctive mood.

There are two classes of regular verbs (consonant conjugation and ‘a’-conjugation), and a plenty of irregular ones.

The basic form of each verb is the active infinitive, that ends in ‘ie’ at the consonant stems, and ‘aye’ at the ‘a’-stems.

Most irregular verbs belong to the consonant conjugation, too.

 

1.1. Present tense

The present tense refers to actions in the present, as well as universal statements. These are the endings of the present tense of regular verbs.

  

consonant conjugation

a – conjugation

 

active

mediopassive

reflexive

active

mediopassive

reflexive

Infinitive

férie

féreta

 

ondaye

ondata

 

 

to give

to be given

(to give oneself)

to collect/ gather sth.

to gather, to assemble

(to gather onself)

1. P. Sg. – I

féra

ferande/

ferenyada

ferenye

onda

ondanyada

feranye

2. P. Sg. – You

féris

feriste

 

ondas

ondaste

 

3. P. Sg. – He/ She/ It

fére

fereta

feréze

onda

ondata

feráze

1. P. Pc. – We

férumen

ferúmeda

 

ondumen

ondúmeda

 

2. P. Pc. – You

fereíon

fereyunde

 

ondon

ondayunde

 

3. P. Pc. – They

féron

ferunde

 

ondadon

ondunde

 

1. P. Pl. – We

férimen

ferémeda

 

ondamen

ondameda

 

2. P. Pl. – You

férasse

feréseda

 

ondasse

ondaseda

 

3. P. Pl. – They

féren

ferende

 

ondana

ondande

 

The reflexive voice has only retained distinct forms for the 1 & 3. Person Sg., the other forms are supplied by the mediopassive.

 1.1.2. Verbs with irregular present paradigmas

The following verbs have got some differing forms in the present paradigm, mostly due to alternating stems:

 

1. ‚aisie’ (to release, to solve, to deliver) alternates between the regular ‘a’-stem ‘asya-’ and the consonant stem ‘ais-‘

 

active

mediopassive

reflexive

1. P. Sg. – I

aisa

asyanyada

asyanye

2. P. Sg. – You

ayes

asyaste

 

3. P. Sg. – He/ She/ It

ayes

asyata,

aista

asyáze

1. P. Pc. – We

aisumen

asyúmeda

 

2. P. Pc. – You

asyaíon

asyayunde

 

3. P. Pc. – They

asyadon

asyunde

 

1. P. Pl. – We

asyamen

asyameda

 

2. P. Pl. – You

asyasse

asyaseda

 

3. P. Pl. – They

aisen

asyande

 

 

The following composita are inflected in the same way:

apaisie – to dissolve, to release

eξaisie – to remove, to take away

panaisie - to redeem, to save, to deliver

 2. ‚cúye’ (to say). The stem ‘cu’ turns into ‘qu-‘ in front of a vowel.

 

active

mediopassive

reflexive

1. P. Sg. – I

qua

quande

quenyada

quenye

2. P. Sg. – You

quis

quiste

 

3. P. Sg. – He/ She/ It

cúda

cúze

1. P. Pc. – We

cúmen

cúmeda

 

2. P. Pc. – You

queíon

queyunde

 

3. P. Pc. – They

cúon

cunde

 

1. P. Pl. – We

cúmen

meda

 

2. P. Pl. – You

quasse

seda

 

3. P. Pl. – They

quen, cúna

quende

 

 

The following composita are inflected in the same way:

               lincúye – to convince, to persuade

vacúye – to defend/ to support (with words)

mecúye – to correspond, to agree

secúye – to utter, to pronounce

      úzacúye – to lie

 3. ‘sãye’ (to be (situated), to stand [like the Spanish ‘estar’])

The stem is ‘SAKH’, but it’s contracted in most forms.

The Singular and the paucal has got active forms, while the plural has got medial forms.

 

active

mediopassive

1. P. Sg. – I

-

2. P. Sg. – You

saxxis

-

3. P. Sg. – He/ She/ It

-

1. P. Pc. – We

saxxumen

-

2. P. Pc. – You

saxxeíon

-

3. P. Pc. – They

saxxon

-

1. P. Pl. – We

-

meda

2. P. Pl. – You

-

seda

3. P. Pl. – They

-

sãnde

 

4. ‘seiye’ (to leave, to go away) alternates between the stems ‘SEI’ and ‘SEΔ’

 

active

mediopassive

1. P. Sg. – I

séδa

seδande

seδenyada

2. P. Sg. – You

seyes

seδiste

3. P. Sg. – He/ She/ It

seye

seida

1. P. Pc. – We

δumen

seδúmeda

2. P. Pc. – You

seδeíon

seδeyunde

3. P. Pc. – They

seyon

seyunde

1. P. Pl. – We

seimen

seímeda

2. P. Pl. – You

seδasse

seíseda

3. P. Pl. – They

seyen, seina

seyende

 

The following compositum are inflected in the same way:

                  auseiye - to disappear (completely)

 

5. ‚gωye’ ((act.) to cause, to make; (med.) to must, to have to, to urge).

There are two alternating stems ‘GÔ’  and ‘ANGW-’ (<@GHUA)

 

active

mediopassive

reflexive

1. P. Sg. – I

angwa

angwande

angwenyada

angwenye

2. P. Sg. – You

gωyes

angwiste

 

3. P. Sg. – He/ She/ It

gω

gωda

gωze

1. P. Pc. – We

angúmen

angúmeda

 

2. P. Pc. – You

angweíon

angweyunde

 

3. P. Pc. – They

gωyon

angunde

 

1. P. Pl. – We

gωmen

gωmeda

 

2. P. Pl. – You

angwasse

seda

 

3. P. Pl. – They

na, angωna

angwende

 

 

The following composita are inflected in the same way:

             sungωye – to carry through, to accomplish

             megωye – to interfere, to meddle in sth.

 

6. ‚ónie’ (to want)

Some forms are formed by the extended stem ‘ONU-’ instead of ‘ON’. There are no mediopassive forms.

 

active

1. P. Sg. – I

onwa

2. P. Sg. – You

ónis

3. P. Sg. – He/ She/ It

óno, ón

1. P. Pc. – We

onúmen

2. P. Pc. – You

oneíon

3. P. Pc. – They

ónon

1. P. Pl. – We

ónumen

2. P. Pl. – You

onwasse

3. P. Pl. – They

onwen

 

7. ‘séta’ ((med.) to be used to, to be accustomed) contracts in some form

The corresponding active form is the regular ‘a’-stem ‘sénaye’ (to make so. accustomed with, to acquaint)

 

active

mediopassive

reflexive

1. P. Sg. – I

séna

sende,

senyeda

senye

2. P. Sg. – You

sénas

seste

 

3. P. Sg. – He/ She/ It

séna

senda

senáze

1. P. Pc. – We

sénumen

senúmeda

 

2. P. Pc. – You

senaíon

senayunde

 

3. P. Pc. – They

sénadon

senunde

 

1. P. Pl. – We

sénamen

meda

 

2. P. Pl. – You

senasse

seda

 

3. P. Pl. – They

sénana

sende

 

 

8. ‘embíe’ (to drink)

Some formes are extended by a prefix.

 

active

mediopassive

1. P. Sg. – I

byá

byande

2. P. Sg. – You

byas

embiste

3. P. Sg. – He/ She/ It

embí

embída

1. P. Pc. – We

byúmen

byúmeda

2. P. Pc. – You

embíon

embeyunde

3. P. Pc. – They

byón

byunde

1. P. Pl. – We

embimen

embímeda

2. P. Pl. – You

byasse

embíseda

3. P. Pl. – They

byen

byende

 

The following composita are inflected in the same way:

embíe – to drink (this compositum never looses the prefix)

           aubíe – to drink up, to drain

 

9. ‚ménie’ (to charge)

There are two alternating stems ‘MEN-’ and ‘MI-‘ (< M@NI)

 

active

mediopassive

1. P. Sg. – I

myá, ména

myande

2. P. Sg. – You

ménis

meniste

3. P. Sg. – He/ She/ It

mén

menda

1. P. Pc. – We

myúmen

myúmeda

2. P. Pc. – You

myeíon

embeyunde

3. P. Pc. – They

ménon

myunde

1. P. Pl. – We

mímen

mímeda

2. P. Pl. – You

myasse

míseda

3. P. Pl. – They

ména

myende

 

 The following composita are inflected in the same way:

anaménie/ aménie – to challenge

apaménie – to attack, to assail, to charge

auménie – to structure, to align

eξaménie – to discharge, to solve

yerménie – to charge another time, to recharge

 

10. ‘voidie’(to know)

[is gonna revised]

 

1.3. Negative forms

All finite verb forms can be negated, by attaching an ‘(u)m’

  

 

consonant conjugation

a – conjugation

 

active

active

active

active

mediopassive

reflexive

1. P. Sg. – I

féram

ferandem

ferenyadam

ferenyam

ondam

ondanyadam

ondanyem

2. P. Sg. – You

feríum

feristem

 

ondáum

ondastem

 

3. P. Sg. – He/ She/ It

férem

feretam

ferézum

ondam

ondatam

ondázum

1. P. Pc. – We

feruménum

ferúmedam

 

onduménum

ondúmedam

 

2. P. Pc. – You

fereyónum

fereyundem

 

ondayónum

ondayundem

 

3. P. Pc. – They

ferónum

ferundem

 

ondadónum

ondundem

 

1. P. Pl. – We

feriménum

ferémedam

 

ondaménum

ondamedam

 

2. P. Pl. – You

férassem

ferésedam

 

ondassem

ondasedam

 

3. P. Pl. – They

ferénum

ferendem

 

ondanam

ondandem

 

1.3. Past tense

All finite verb forms can be negated, by attaching an ‘(u)m’

 1.3.1. Weak Past

Nearly all verbs of the ‘a’-conjugation, and a few consonant verbs containing other consonant clusters than ‘st’ form weak past forms.

The stem remains unchanged, and a new set of personal endings is attached (‘an’ + regular endings).

   

active

mediopassive

1. P. Sg. – I

ondana

ondanyada

2. P. Sg. – You

ondanis

ondaniste

3. P. Sg. – He/ She/ It

ondan

ondanta

1. P. Pc. – We

ondánumen

ondanúmeda

2. P. Pc. – You

ondaneíon

ondanyunde

3. P. Pc. – They

ondanon

ondanunde

1. P. Pl. – We

ondánimen

ondanémeda

2. P. Pl. – You

ondanasse

ondanéseda

3. P. Pl. – They

ωganen

ωgande

 

The 1. P. Sg. med. and the 3. P. Sg. pc. are the same in all tenses.

 There are no reflexive weak past forms. Use the mediopassive instead.

1.3.2. Strong Past

Most consonants form strong past forms, consisting of a changed stem (by an ‘n’ – infigation) and the regular set of personal endings.

 Thus we can get the following scheme.

 

active

mediopassive

reflexive

1. P. Sg. – I

ferna

fernande

fernenyada

fernenye

2. P. Sg. – You

fernis

ferniste

 

3. P. Sg. – He/ She/ It

ferne

ferneta

fernéze

1. P. Pc. – We

fernumen

fernúmeda

 

2. P. Pc. – You

ferneíon

ferneyunde

 

3. P. Pc. – They

fernon

fernunde

 

1. P. Pl. – We

fernimen

fernémeda

 

2. P. Pl. – You

fernasse

fernéseda

 

3. P. Pl. – They

fernen

fernende

 

 In the past tense the stem consonant is changed in the following way.

 stem consonant

‘n’ - stem

Example

Past

b

d

g

mb

nd

ng

dηbie (to stay)

θádie (to breathe)

lógie (to knock)

dembe

θande

longe

p

t

c

mp

nt

nc

cappie (to crack)

fatie (to mime)

accie (to cut)

campe

fante

ance

all verbs ending on a ‘v’ have got irregular past stems

δ

quóδie (to rot)

quunδe

f

θ

x

nv

ng

deffie (to protect)

noθθie (to bind)

rixxie (to smell)

denve

nunθe

ringe

m

n

mn

nn

δammie (to shape)

θénie (to find)

δamne

θenne

r

l

rn

ll

sarrie (to damage)

cálie (to shout)

sarne

calle

st

nt

lestie (to hit)

lente

s

nz

pessie (to eat)

penze

y (< G)

ng

váye (to change)

vange

 

This change is accompanied by a shorting of the stem vowels, because there can’t be any long vowels in front of a consonant cluster.

The long, closed vowels ‘η’ [e:] and ‘ω’ [o:] turn to the short open counterparts ‘e’ [E] and ‘o’ [O].

 

stem vowel

shortened

Example

Past

η

e

dηbie (to stay)

dembe

ω

o

σωnie (to rule)

σonne*

*This form is identical to the present and to the past form of ‘σonnie’ (to deceive).

 The few verbs with a diphtong as stem vowel monophtongize that:

ai > e

accairie (to prefer)

accerne

au > o

caubie (to bite)

combe

 The stems without a consonant simply attach an ‘n’, e.g. caiye (to see) > caine.

 1.4. Future tense

The past tense refers to an action in the past.

 1.4.1. Weak Future

Nearly all verbs of the ‘a’-conjugation, and many consonant verbs form weak future forms.

The stem remains unchanged, and a new set of personal endings is attached (< AS + regular endings).

 

 

active

mediopassive

1. P. Sg. – I

ondã

ondanyada

2. P. Sg. – You

ondãs

ondayeste

3. P. Sg. – He/ She/ It

ondã

ondasta

1. P. Pc. – We

ondaumen

ondaúmeda

2. P. Pc. – You

ondãyon

ondayunde

3. P. Pc. – They

ondaston

ondastunde

1. P. Pl. – We

ondãmen

ondãmeda

2. P. Pl. – You

ondãse

ondãseda

3. P. Pl. – They

ondãna

ondande

 

The 1. P. Sg. med. and the 3. P. Sg. pc. are the same in all tenses. The 1. P. Sg. act. is identic with the 3. P. Sg. act.

 There are no weak reflexive future forms. Use the mediopassive instead.

The consonant verbs ending on the following consonants form weak future forms: n, r, l, m, θ and s (which are the most frequent stem consonants), and those ending on othe consonant clusters than ‘rg’

 1.4.2. Strong Future

Most consonants form strong future forms, consisting of a changed stem (by an ‘s’ – infigation) and the regular set of personal endings.

 Thus we can get the following scheme. The example is ‘accie’ (to cut).

 

active

mediopassive

reflexive

1. P. Sg. – I

aξa

aξande

aξenyada

aξenye

2. P. Sg. – You

aξis

iste

 

3. P. Sg. – He/ She/ It

aξe

aξeta

aξéze

1. P. Pc. – We

aξumen

aξúmeda

 

2. P. Pc. – You

aξeíon

aξeyunde

 

3. P. Pc. – They

aξon

aξunde

 

1. P. Pl. – We

aξimen

aξémeda

 

2. P. Pl. – You

aξasse

éseda

 

3. P. Pl. – They

en

ende

 

 In the future tense the stem consonant is changed in the following way.

 stem consonant

‘n’ - stem

Example

Past

b

d

g

ψ

z

ξ

dηbie (to stay)

θádie (to breathe)

lógie (to knock)

deψe

θáze

loξe

p

t

c

ψ

z

ξ

cappie (to crack)

fatie (to mime)

accie (to cut)

caψe

fáze

aξe

all verbs ending on a ‘v’ have got irregular past stems

δ

z

quóδie (to rot)

quóze

f

x

sv

sx

deffie (to protect)

rixxie (to smell)

desve

risxe

y (< G)

ξ

váye (to change)

vaξe

rg

nergie (to allow)

nerξe

 Before any ψ, ξ, sv or sx the stem vowel is shortened, because there can’t be any long vowels in front of a consonant cluster.

 The few verbs with a diphtong as stem vowel, don’t monophtongize that. (caubie > cauψe!)

 The stems without a consonant simply attach an ‘s’, e.g. caiye (to see) > caise.

 1.5. The subjunctive

There is also a strong subjunctive and a weak one.

[is gonna follow]

 1.6. Special classes of verbs

 1.6.1. ‘a’-stems with strong tenses

  

infinitive

 

present

subjunctive

future

past

1.

ãnaye

(act.) to lead

(med.) to follow

ãna

náca

anã

anne

2.

linyágaye

to begin

linyága

linyágaca

linyagã

linyange

3.

inzaye

to want (polite)

inza

-

inã

ínan

4.

maxtaye

to fight

maxta

máco

maξe

mance

5.

pωaye

to speak, to talk

pωa

váro

pωse

pωne

6.

senaye

to acquaint, to familiarize

séna

sηno

senã

senne

7.

umaye

to can, to be able to

úma

-

umã

umme

8.

σηdaye

to wash, splash

σηda

σηdaca

σηze

σende

 1. ‘ãnaye’ once was janus-head stem, being inflected like ‘táye’

3. ‘inzaye’ is now rare, the Archeians preferently use ‘ónie’ or ‘accairie’

5. The suppletive ‘váro’ is related with ‘varda’ (language)

 

1.6.2. Mit 'd' erweiterter Präsensstamm

Der Präsensstamm ist mit einem ‚d’ erweitert, dass in den anderen Formen nicht auftaucht.

 

Infinitiv

 

Präsens

Subjunctive

Futur

past

1.

goldie

to press

golde

gωlo

golã

golle

2.

paldie

to throw

palde

pálo

pyáze

palle

3.

veldie

to love

velde

vηlo

velã

velle

  1.6.3. Verben die einen starken Konjunktiv durch Dehnung bilden

 

Infinitiv

Deutsch

Präsens

Konj.

Futur

past

1.

accie

to cut, to separate

acce

ágo

aξe

ance

2.

ballie

to block

balle

bálo

ballã

balle

3.

burrie

to kill

burre

búro

burrã

burne

4.

byattie

to burst, to break

byatte

byádo

byáze

beante

5.

candie

to veil, to cover

cande

δo

canze

canδe

6.

cappie

to crack

cappe

cábo

caψe

campe

7.

cattie

to tear

catte

cádo

cáze

cante

8.

deffie

to protect

deffe

dηvo

desve

denve

9.

effie

to walk, to go

effe

ηvo

esve

enve

10.

fangie

to sway

fange

fágo

fanξe

fange

11.

férie

to give

fére

fηro

ferã

ferne

12.

gattie

to run, to hurry

gatte

gádo

gáze

gante

13.

lyennie

to shine, to light

lyenne

lyηno

lyennã

lyenne

14.

noθθie

to bind

noθθe

nωθo

noθθã

nunθe

15.

mingie

to meld, to forge

minge

míyo

minξe

minge

16.

pattie

to touch

patte

pádo

páze

pante

17.

peccáye

to wake up, to raise

pecca

pηgo

peccã

peccan

18.

pendie

to ask, to question

pende

pηδo

penze

penδe

19.

pessie

to eat

pesse

pηo[1]

pessã

penze

20.

sarrie

to damage, to harm

sarre

sáro

sarrã

sarne

21.

succie

to pull

succe

súgo

suξe

sunce

22.

ticcie

to stab, to sting

ticce

tígo

tiξe

tinge

23.

végie

to move

vége

vηgo

veξe

venge

24.

xórie

to finish, to end, to cease

xóre

xωro

xorã

xorne

25.

θénie

to find

θén

θηno

θenã

θenne

26.

ξónie

to wound, to injure, to hurt

ξóne

ξωno

ξonã

ξonne

 

[2][1][1] ‚pessie’ < PES·IE, ‚pηo’ < PÊSO; ‚pηo’ wird unregelmäßig genau wie ‚dηo’ konjugiert.

 

[5 other special classes will be uploaded soon]