Re: infix

<<Hi.I was wondering about the use of infix in languages. Prefix and suffix are
common in western languages, but I do not understand the use of infix. Is it in
German when you change a to ä is that an infix or could you give me an example
of infix being used in a natural languages?/David :-P>>

Well, I gave a rather long example of my language that uses infixes the other day,
but I'll give a quick idea on one way infixes can be used.

In Arabic, you have the root k-t-b which has something to do with writing.
However, to get any words out of it, you have to put in different vowels and
such in between and around those three root letters (in that order). So...

kaatIb=writer
kItaab=book
kataba=wrote (3rd pers., past., masc.)
'aktub=I write (present)
maktub=office (place where one writes)
maktaba=book store/library

etc.  If you add these same forms to other three letter roots, you get similar meanings.

Another type of infixes are like in Tagolog. Now, I don't know Tagolog, and I can't
think of any examples, so I'll make some up that work like Tagolog.

tagan=to read
tagalin=to have read (-li- is the infix)
taganon=to read (past tense, -no- is the infix)
taganolin=to have had read (perfect+past)

So, those are my examples.  I hope that my Arabic examples don't offend any homme out there.

-Jenesis