Verbs: Overview

Verb classes

In Algonquian languages, verbs are classified for the number (i.e. transitive vs. intransitive) and animacy (i.e. animate vs. inanimate) of their arguments. (Bloomfield, 1946; 94-5). This gives us four main groups, shown in the table below. VAI refers to an intransitive verb with a single animate argument. VTA refers to a transitive verb with two animate arguments. VII refers to a transitive verb with an animate subject and an inanimate object; VTI refers to an intransitive verb with a single inanimate argument.

Algonquian verb classes

	Intransitive	Transitive
Animate	VAI	VTA
Inanimate	VII	VII

Mode

'Mode describes the speaker's attitude toward a situation, including the speaker's belief in its reality, or likelihood.' (Payne, 1997; 244) In each class, there are a variety of different mode's which can be expressed. Most of them can be expressed in different tenses and in the affirmative or negative. Below is a table that summarizes these observations using the first conjugation of VAI with third person agreement.

mode	tense	+/-	teluisi 'name'	gloss
Indicative	present	+	teluisi-t	'her/his name is...'
		-	mu teluisi-wk	'her/his name isn't...'
	past	+	teluisi-ss/ip/isp	'her/his name was...'
		-	mu teluisi-wksɨp	'her/his name wasn't...'
	future	+	tluisi-tew	'her/his name will be...'
		-	ma' tluisi-wk	'her/his name will not be...'
Imperative		+	tluisi-j	'let her/his name be...'
		-	mu tluisi-wj	'let her/him not be named...'
'When...' (Subjunctive)	present	+	teluisi-jl	'When her/his name is...'
		-	mu teluisi-kwl	'When her/his name isn't...'
	past	+	teluisi-tek	'When her/his name was...'
		-	mu teluisi-kwek	'When her/his name wasn't...'
'If...' (Subjunctive)	present	+	tluisi-j	'If her/his name is...'
		-	mu tluisi-wk	'If her/his name isn't...'
	past	+	tluisi-ss	'If her/his name was...'
		-	mu tluisi-wksɨp	'If her/his name wasn't...'
	pluperfect	+	tluisi-sn	'If her/his name had been...'
		-	mu tluisi-wksɨpn	'If her/his name hadn't been...'

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