Inflexional System of Island Carib

Abstract

0.1. At least in theory, any word in the language barring only interjections may be verbalized by appropriate affixation. Verbs are either auxiliary or synthetic; the former having no lexical meaning of their own, and always-with one exception-being finite. Synthetic verbs are non-thematic or thematic. The latter are characterized by a thematic prefix, a(eor iin some cases where the first root-vowel is /e/ or /i/), and a thematic suffix, -C (any consonant phoneme, the commonest being: -b, -c, -d, -g, -h, -r),-either, both, or neither of which may be detachable. Thematic verbs are the only ones to have infinitive and participial forms. Some examples will make this clear. From the root-words: qhg yes, agreed, willing; faia seafaring; risi rich, (from Fr. riche); so ardent; sq every, all; and from the denominal adjectives: gagu having eyes, magu without eyes, from the noun agu eye(s); gaia angry, from the nominal base -iq anger; may be formed such non-thematic verbs as: aha-t-i he is willing, m-aha-t-u she is unwilling; faia-ha-di-bu thou hast travelled (by sea); risi-ha-r-u she has become rich; so-ba-i masc.-it will be roasting/stinging (ardent); su-ha-di-bu thou hast finished; g-agu-gi-l-i he still has eyes, g-agu-ha-li he has got (acquired) eyes, m-agu-gi-l-i he has not yet got eyes, m-4gu-ha-l-i he has no more eyes; ga-ih-ha-di-na I have got angry. Moreover, from these same roots are formed the thematic stems: aha-r-, a-faia-r-, afaia-ha(detachable -h always occurs as -ha), a-risi-d-, a-so-r-, a-so-ha-, a-su-r-, a-g-agu-d-, a-ga-ia-d-; actualized as: ahara to agree, -aharuagreeing, agreement; afaiara to travel (by sea), -afaiarutravelling or travel (by sea); afaiaha to navigate, -afaiahanavigating or navigation; arisida to get rich, -arisidugetting rich; asora to roast, -asororoasting; asoha to sting, -asohastinging; asura to finish, -asurufinishing; agagudua to awake (intr.), -agaguduawakening; agai4da to get angry, -agai4dugetting angry. Some thematic verbs also have passive forms, such as: asorua to be roasted, -asoruubeing roasted. When, as in this case, the thematic affixes are detachable, the free root may also have a passive form, so: soua roasted (passive). Not all roots forming non-thematic verbs can take thematic affixes; so, for example: kaba what will (be)? from ka what? who? harabai masc.-it will be hot, from hara hot, from -ara heat; mitaratu she is not thus, from mitara not thus, from itara thus; luaguhali masc.-it has come to be upon/ about him, from luagu upon/about him, from uagu upon/about; gauniti masc.-it is worth while, from gauni having purpose/ direction, (cf. gaunigi heedful, attentive), from -uni (-i) for, to, toward; which have no thematic derivatives. On the other hand, many verbs have thematic affixes which are non-detachable; so: aiga to eat, -aigieating, (the participial form may have -i or -o in place of -u for the sake of vocalic harmony), aigua to be eaten; erega to say/tell, -erQgusaying/telling,