Verb Forms
Saul Epstein 
Thu, 8 May 1997 18:12:54 -0500

So, my proposal regarding transcription inspired one ringing
endorsement and a short discussion/experiment to determine the
feasibility of "special" characters. I'm going to proceed with using
my revised transcription unless someone complains.

I have no doubt that there is a Vulcan word for ZC's "action/state."
Rob will want to argue this, but I'm tempted to call them verbs. We
could call them processes, I guess.

Anyway, the following forms (and more) are implied by the ZC. I
haven't shown all the possible combinations of tense/aspect, mood,
and negation, because I think it can be seen from this how they all
work. (Some of the combinations possible from a purely morphological
perspective produce some pretty goofy meanings anyway, like "Do I
command you not to spoke?")


	infinitive		prala			"to speak"
	gerund		pralat		"speech"	(pralaat? prala'at?)
	imperative		pralakah		"Speak!"

present habitual?		th'prala		"I speak (often, always)." ??

present imperfect		th'pratsula		"I speak (awhile)."

present perfect		th'praksela		"I speak (now)."
	..,negative		th'priaksela	"I speak not."
	..,interrogative	qath'praksela	"Do I speak?"
	..,permissive	th'prakselama	"I am permitted to speak."
				th'priakselama	"I am not permitted to speak."
				qath'priakselama	"Am I not permitted to speak?"

present progressive	th'prazola		"I am speaking."
past perfect		th'prapela		"I spoke."
future subjunctive 1	th'pradjala		"I will speak."
future subjunctive 2	th'pradjula		"I might speak."


Does this look right? Are there possible expressions missing that
anyone thinks should be included? I for one have always been partial
to past imperfect...

--
from Saul R. Epstein
Terran, Late 20th-Early 21st Century
liberty <at> uit <dot> net
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