Re: infix

David Peterson wrote:

>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>
I'm curious:  in all this discussion of Arabic, no one has mentioned /mu-/
as in mujahid(in) 'holy warriors', < jihad 'holy war'; I assume it's also
present in Muhammad, and perhaps Mubarak (leader of Egypt).  Are these
lexicalized, or is mu- still as productive as the others?

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?)

You have the general idea.  But the infix goes after the initial consonant:
sulat 'write', s-um-ulat active focus, s-in-ulat patient focus.  (I think.
Barry Garcia actually knows Tagalog, but hasn't spoken up yet.) IIRC these
are the only productive infixes nowadays, but apparently in the past Tag.
had -ag- and -al-, generally indicating plural actions.

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