----- 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 = ?
> 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
>