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Re: Compound Tense Mystery

From:Joe <joe@...>
Date:Wednesday, July 9, 2003, 19:14
----- Original Message -----
From: "Steg Belsky" <draqonfayir@...>
To: <CONLANG@...>
Sent: Tuesday, July 08, 2003 11:27 PM
Subject: Compound Tense Mystery


> So, most of you probably know by now (due to the number of times i've > mentioned it) that Rokbeigalmki conjugates its verbs by means of > "subject-tense complexes" which combine a subject pronoun and a vowel > which signifies the tense/aspect/mood (the categories aren't distinct in > Rokbeigalmki). > > There are 5 vowels/diphthongs used for this: > > U /u/ = past (perfect) > OI /Oj/ = present-routine > A /a/ = present-immediate > II /aj/ = future (irrealis) > E /E/ = command (imperative/jussive) > > Examples, using the pronoun |EZ| "you (singular)" and the verb |RIS| > "learn" > > EZU-RIS = you learned > EZOI-RIS = you learn (in general) > EZA-RIS = you're learning (right now) > EZII-RIS = you'll learn > EZE-RIS = (you,) learn! > > But, there are also compound tenses. I put up a gif of a chart of the > compound tenses at: > http://bingweb.binghamton.edu/~bh11744/stuff/rokbtout.gif > (as you can see, when you make compound tenses the |Z| of the pronoun > gets echoed between the vowels) > > So, i already have some of the combinations set, but i'm wondering what > the others could mean. Now, not all of them *have* to mean anything > (blanks in the system is realistic, after all ;-) ), but i'm just > wondering if anyone can come up with uses for them. > > Here are the compound examples: > > EZUZU-RIS = you learned (a long time ago), (once upon a time) you learned > EZUZOI-RIS = you used to learn (in general) > EZUZA-RIS = (one specific time) you were learning > EZUZII-RIS = ?
You were going to learn
> EZUZE-RIS = ?
You should have learnt
> EZOIZU-RIS = ?
You have learnt often
> EZOIZOI-RIS = you always learn, you're always learning > EZOIZA-RIS = you're always learning (and every second is significant)
> EZOIZII-RIS = ?
You will be learning
> EZOIZE-RIS = ?
Remember this(lit. learn this always)
> EZAZU-RIS = you just learned, you just finished learning > EZAZOI-RIS = you're learning (right now, but it feels like forever) > EZAZA-RIS = you're learning right now (and may be finished by the time i > say this) > EZAZII-RIS = you're about to learn > EZAZE-RIS = ?
Learn this right away!
> > EZIIZU-RIS = you would have learned (but were unable to) > EZIIZOI-RIS = you will learn (in general) > EZIIZA-RIS = you will be learning (at a specific time) > EZIIZII-RIS = you would learn (and may still) > EZIIZE-RIS = ?
you're going to learn(on my orders), nearly the same as present
> > EZEZU-RIS = ? > EZEZOI-RIS = ? > EZEZA-RIS = ? > EZEZII-RIS = ? > EZEZE-RIS = ?
I think these ones shold merely be different ways of expressing the other way round of compounding, perhaps with more emphsis on a certain bit.
> > So can anyone come up with any possible meanings or uses of the "?" > combinations? I can see how the combinations with the command tense > vowel may not make sense, but can anyone make sense of the others? > thanks, > > > -Stephen (Steg) > "how can help ease your pain, city of gold?" > ~ 'city of gold' by blue fringe >