Verbal Prefixes (Spacial Prefixes and Derivational Prefixes): view article

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This article covers spacial and derivational verbal prefixes.

[edit] [top]Spacial Prefixes

In order to discuss spacial verbal prefixes, it is necessary to explain briefly the way in which Qgam verbs and particles indicate spacial relationships. Observing the way in which Qgam verbs encode manner of movement, that is, the type of movement such as walking, running, crawling, etc., and the path of movement, that is, into, along, through, under, etc., the language may be described as a primarily satellite-framed language, meaning that while manner is encoded in the verb root itself, path is indicated by means of extraverbal particles and prefixes.

However, verbs also exhibit characteristics of verb framing, namely through the use of the aforementioned verbal prefixes, which mark path of movement. An outline is provided below:

Postpositional and Nominal Particles
Particles added to nouns may be divided into two types: adpositional particles and nominal particles. The difference is manifested by the positioning of the predicative direct article ar, which appears after the noun and before the postpositional particles, but after nominal particles.

Postpositional particles:

往 di

to; toward; at

在 yim

in; at

至(往) tadi

as far as; upto

從 gwo

from; out of

Nominal particles:

前 tata

in front of

後 gwaa

behind

内 laaw

inside

上 eam

on top of

Examples:

PP:	宅㇉往 tsa 'r di	to the house	宅㇉從 tsa 'r gwo	from the house
NP:	宅前㇉ tsa tata 'r	(in) front of the house	宅上㇉ tsa eam ar	(on) top of the house

It can be seen from this list that nominal particles invariably mark static locations, while, with the exception of yim, postpositional particles indicate basic movement.

Movement prefixes
More complex paths are marked through the use of verbal prefixes, which appear to the left of derivational prefixes, but to the right of aspectual prefixes.

The following examples show the verb 徂 aĝ "go", and the verb 敀 mwaĝ "be drawn to" derived with the derivational prefix mo- (which generally derives involuntary or semi-involuntary acts). These two verbs are used here with both movement prefixes and aspectual prefixes:

徂	aĝ	go	込徂	stqaĝ	go into	敀	mwaĝ	be drawn to	沿敀	jitmuaĝ	be drawn along
畢徂	skaĝ	have gone	畢込徂	sakstqaĝ	have gone into	屢敀	bismuaĝ	being drawn to	屢沿敀	bisjitmuaĝ	being drawn along

Following are some examples of spacial prefixes. Certain combinations may have semantically specific meanings.

込 st(q)- typically indicates movement into a location. For verbs that do not indicate movement, it can indicate that the action is exhaustive, extensive, or complete. The /ʔ/ is elided on verbs with consonant onsets.

徂	aĝ	go	込徂	stqaĝ	go in
置	sea	put	込置	stsea	put in
測	me	measure	込測	stme	assess

越 hm- shows movement past or beyond. For non-movement verbs, it can indicate temporal position related to the future. This is related to han-, a perfective marker seen below.

飛	hwo	fly	越飛	hmhwo	fly by; fly past
企	ye	plan; calculate	越企	hmye	plan ahead
跑	baaĝ	run	越跑	hmbaaĝ	overtake; overwhelm

沿 jit-: moving along

靠 ors- (ars)-: near; close to

遙 was-: far from

留 ļaa-: stationary; in one location

還 šĝ-: returning to

[edit] [top]Derivational Prefixes

Qgam employs numerous derivational prefixes to create new verbs. Some prefixes are highly productive and may be used with any verb, while others are semi-productive or non-productive, existing primarily or only in predetermined compounds.

A note on pronunciation:
Many of the prefixes violate permissible syllable structure, in that several end with consonants not permissible in the coda as per Qgamic phonotactic rules. When these suffixes are used, the final consonant of the prefix is treated as part of the initial consonant cluster of the following syllable. Thus, a word such as paltka (pal- + tka) is pronounced as pa.ltka [pʌ l̩tkʌ], that is, a simple CV syllable followed by a syllable with a complex initial cluster which begins with a semi-syllabic /l/.

[edit] [top]Semi- or Non-Productive affixes

pal- (悥): verbs of purpose or intent:

徂	aĝ	go	創	palaĝ, plaĝ	embark; undertake
歩	tka	walk	進	paltka	advance; proceed
叩	dam	strike; hit	襲	paldam	assail; assault; raid

yis- (吅): collective agentive verbs. This suffix may derive verbs that require plural subjects as well as verbs that generally but not always require plural subjects:

到	arsja	arrive	匯	yisarsja	converge; assemble	(see ors- above)
憤	reki	anger (vt)	吵	yisreki	argue; quarrel	(see re- below)
集	nwo	collect (vt)	穫	yisnuo	harvest; reap

ĝ- (互): semantically reciprocal action. There is some overlap with yis- above, as they both take plural subjects; however, this prefix is more specialized, as it only represents actions that are performed reciprocally. it also differs from the productive reciprocal prefix __ (see below).

去	arna	leave	別	ĝarna	part ways; split up
許	daam	allow	咊	ĝdaam	reconcile
運	jaĝ	move	互運	ĝjaĝ	agree

han-; hm- (殫): semantically perfect or completed verbs. Semantically related to the spacial prefix hm- above.

燃	ber	burn; ignite	焦	hmber	burn; char; incinerate
見	çam	look; watch	殫見	hançam	recognize; know
終	wea	finish; end	完	hnwea	complete; be done with

biĝ- (沒): negates the actions of verbs, much like English un-. This affix derives from the Middle Kwang negative word bjang:

結	ĝwom	tie	沒結	biĝwom	untie
勸	mdro	encourage	沒勸	biĝmdro	discourage
即	luom	approach	沒即	biĝluom	withdraw

mo- (乍): indicates that the act of the verb is performed semi- or entirely involuntarily:

聴	rna	listen	乍聴	morna	hear
徂	aĝ	go	敀	mwaĝ	be drawn (to)
致浮	rejaar	cast; launch	乍致浮	morejaar	lose; drop	(see re- below)

baš-: denotes actions that are performed repeatedly and/or continuously.

話

speak

喋

bašro

chat; converse

l-: nominalizes verbs, sometimes with significant semantic differences.

持

dzaa

hold

砦

ldzaa

fortress

re(d)-: causative affix.

長	kwaam	long	致長	rekwaam	prolong
怒	ki	angry	致怒	reki	anger; make angry

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