Difference between revisions of "Verb infixes"

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''Note:'' this page is about the morphology of the verb infixes primarily.  For the meaning and use of these, see [[Verb syntax]].
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All verbal inflection in Na'vi makes use of infixes. These are morphemes which, rather than occurring before (prefixes) or after (suffixes), are inserted into the middle of the verbal root. There are three positions for infixes.  Frommer speaks of first position, second position and ''pre-first'' position.  In some online documentation people have chosen to label the positions ‹1› (pre-first), ‹2› (first) and ‹3› (second).
 
All verbal inflection in Na'vi makes use of infixes. These are morphemes which, rather than occurring before (prefixes) or after (suffixes), are inserted into the middle of the verbal root. There are three positions for infixes.  Frommer speaks of first position, second position and ''pre-first'' position.  In some online documentation people have chosen to label the positions ‹1› (pre-first), ‹2› (first) and ‹3› (second).
  
== Pre-first Position ==
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== Pre-first position ==
This position holds affixes that change transitivity, as well as the participle marker.
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This position holds affixes that change transitivity, as well as the participle markers.
  
 
{{GrTablePreFirst}}
 
{{GrTablePreFirst}}
  
== First position infixes ==
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== First position ==
 
Infixes that occur in the first position indicate tense, aspect, and mood.
 
Infixes that occur in the first position indicate tense, aspect, and mood.
  
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{{GrTableAspect}}
 
{{GrTableAspect}}
  
The perfective aspect indicates completion of the verb's action. The action clearly started and stopped. The perfective morpheme is <nowiki><ol></nowiki>. It literally translates to the auxiliary verb "to have", as in "I have eaten". However, in Na'vi the perfective aspect can be used as a simple past tense. "Oe yolom" can mean "I have eaten" or "I ate".
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When the perfective infix '''‹ol›''' encounters the pseudovowel '''ll''' the combination reduces to the simple consonant. The perfective of '''plltxe''' is thus '''poltxe''' not '''*p‹ol›lltxe'''.
 
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The same thing occurs when the imperfective infix '''‹er›''' encounters the pseudovowel '''rr'''. Therefore, the imperfective of '''frrfen''' is '''frrfen''' not '''*f‹er›rrfen'''.
lu > lolu (have been), taron > tolaron (have hunted)
 
 
 
 
 
The imperfective aspect indicates that the action is repeated or ongoing. The imperfect morpheme is <nowiki><er></nowiki>.
 
 
 
lu > leru (was being), taron > teraron (was hunting)
 
  
 
=== Tense ===
 
=== Tense ===
 
{{GrTableTense}}
 
{{GrTableTense}}
  
The present tense indicates that the action is happening in general. The regular form of a verb denotes present tense, so no infix is needed.
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=== Mood ===
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The subjunctive infix is '''‹iv›'''.
  
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=== Combination of affixes in first position ===
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Although not all possible combinations of aspect, tense, and mood are known from the current corpus, it is known that at least some combinations result in a new, complex infix.
  
The past tense signifies that the action terminated quite a while ago, or a long time ago. If the action was finished recently, the immediate past tense is used instead. The past morpheme is <nowiki><am></nowiki>.
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==  Second position ==
 
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{{GrTableAffect}}
lu > lamu (was), taron > tamaron (hunted)
 
  
=== Mood ===
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Infixes which occur in the second position indicate a range of features, including most prominently the speaker's attitude toward the event.
  
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When the laudative infix, '''‹ei›''', is followed by the vowel '''i''' a euphonic '''y''' is inserted, so '''*s‹ei›i''' becomes '''seiyi'''.
  
=== Combination of affixes in first position ===
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When the pejorative infix, '''‹äng›''' is followed by the vowel '''i''', its vowel is optionally raised to '''e''', as in '''s‹eng›i'''.
Although not all possible combinations of aspect, tense, and mood are known from the current corpus, it is known that at least some combinations result in a new, complex infix.
 
 
 
==  Second position infixes ==
 
Infixes which occur in the second position indicate a range of features, including most prominently speak attitude toward the event.
 

Latest revision as of 15:57, 25 July 2015

Note: this page is about the morphology of the verb infixes primarily. For the meaning and use of these, see Verb syntax.


All verbal inflection in Na'vi makes use of infixes. These are morphemes which, rather than occurring before (prefixes) or after (suffixes), are inserted into the middle of the verbal root. There are three positions for infixes. Frommer speaks of first position, second position and pre-first position. In some online documentation people have chosen to label the positions ‹1› (pre-first), ‹2› (first) and ‹3› (second).

Pre-first position

This position holds affixes that change transitivity, as well as the participle markers.

Reflexive ‹äp›
Causative ‹eyk›
Active Participle ‹us›
Passive Participle ‹awn›

First position

Infixes that occur in the first position indicate tense, aspect, and mood.

First position affixes are placed between the onset and the nucleus of the verb's penultimate syllable. If the verb is monosyllabic, they are placed before the first, and only, vowel of the root.

Aspect

Perfective ‹ol›
Imperfective ‹er›

When the perfective infix ‹ol› encounters the pseudovowel ll the combination reduces to the simple consonant. The perfective of plltxe is thus poltxe not *p‹ol›lltxe. The same thing occurs when the imperfective infix ‹er› encounters the pseudovowel rr. Therefore, the imperfective of frrfen is frrfen not *f‹er›rrfen.

Tense

Future ‹ay›, ‹asy›
Proximal Future ‹ìy›, ‹ìsy›
Present none
Proximal Past ‹ìm›
Past ‹am›

Mood

The subjunctive infix is ‹iv›.

Combination of affixes in first position

Although not all possible combinations of aspect, tense, and mood are known from the current corpus, it is known that at least some combinations result in a new, complex infix.

Second position

"Laudative" ‹ei› (‹eiy› before i)
"Pejorative" ‹äng› (optionally ‹eng› before i)
Honorific ‹uy›
Indirect evidential ‹ats›

Infixes which occur in the second position indicate a range of features, including most prominently the speaker's attitude toward the event.

When the laudative infix, ‹ei›, is followed by the vowel i a euphonic y is inserted, so *s‹ei›i becomes seiyi.

When the pejorative infix, ‹äng› is followed by the vowel i, its vowel is optionally raised to e, as in s‹eng›i.