Tilennan verb conjugation

Tilennan verb conjugation is one of the most complex aspects of the Tilennan language. It makes a distinction between different modal aspects, voices, persons, numbers, modes, tenses and temporal aspects.

Construction
A typical Tilennan verb consists out of 4 segments. Every verb has a semantic root that can be modified to carry modal aspects, these are followed by the voice marker, next up is the person, number and mode marker and we end with a tense and temporal aspects suffix. It is not common for verbs to carry a temporal aspect as well as an modal aspect even though it is possible.

I.e. xae - s - io - sei (Because it might have been taken)

xae = xa with the aspect of doubt and means to take

s = the passive voice marker

io = subjunctive 3rd person singular

sei = historia recenta with the aspect of completion

Verb Types and Conjugation Groups
Verbs fall into one of three categories: transitive, intransitive or copula. This has an impact on which cases are used in the different voices for subject, object, complement and agent.

Transitive verbs feature a subject and a direct object in the active form. Intransitive verbs feature solely a subject and copulas have a subject and a mandatory complement. Some verbs can behave as different types depending on the context, but if the active form determines which type it is.

There are also different conjugation groups for verbs. Transitive and intransitive generally use the -rí, -ró or -sí conjugation while the -shí conjugation is reserved for copula verbs, but not all copulas are conjugated with -shí.

Root and Modal Aspect
Every verb has a total of 6 different roots which carry a distinct modal aspect: Realis, Potentialis, Volition, Doubt, Irrealis and Conditional.

Realis
The realis is the most basic modal aspect. It is used for stating facts, describing scenes and explaining actions and generally everything that certainly has happened or will chappen in the real world.

xilae xare = I take an apple

saeròse = he saw

lesaume = you will go

Potentialis
The potentialis describes everything that can happen or is possible, it is also used for likely events. Note that this mode can't be seen as a replacement of the adverb possibly as this word carries a sense of doubt that is covered by another modal aspect, the potentialis has a meaning closer to probably and likely. Similarly it also isn't an equivalent of the modal verbs can and could, while there is overlap in function there are also major differernces.

xilae echare = I can take an apple / I probably take an apple

èsaeròse = he was able to see / He likely saw

èlesaume = you will be able to go / you will probably go

Volition
The volition aspect is used for necessary actions or actions that one wants to do. This volition or necessity always has to come from the subject itself in the indicative mode and therefore can't be someone else's will or need. When this aspect is used in combination with and optative it turns into an obligation or wish, this is a more polite form than the imperative. Some common expressions use this combination.

xilae déchare = I want to take an apple / I have to take the apple

lona desaeron = I hope he sees the sea / I want him to see the sea

delesaume = You will want to go / You will have to go

Doubt
The aspect of doubt is used for every action that is uncertain, which means we don't know of if it really happened or is really true.

xilae xaere = I might take an apple

lona siaeròse = He maybe saw the see

laesaume = You will possibly go

Irrealis
The irrealis marks every action that hasn't really happened. It is often used for hypotheses replacing the connector if, but strictly for things that you don't expect to happen, regrets, reproaches for things that one didn't do and wishes. It shows up a lot in combination with the conditional.

xilae echaere = If I take an apple (but I won't) / If I only would take an apple (but I won't)

lona èsiaeròse= If he only saw the sea (but he won't)/ He could have seen the sea (but he didn't)

èlaesaume = If you would just go (but you won't)

Conditional
The conditional let's you know an action will only be performed if certain a condition has been met and often follows up on adverbial clauses of condition and the irrealis. The conditional is not used as a replacement of the cause consequence relation.

(lae...,) xilae déchaere = (if...,) then I take an apple

(lae...,) lona desiaeròse = (if...,) then he saw the sea / then he would sea the sea

(lae...,) delaesaume = (if...,) then you will go

Forming the roots
To form the different roots we make a distinction between the real modal aspects and the unreal. The realis, potentialis and volition make up the real ones and doubt, irrealis and conditional the unreal aspects. The real aspects take the short base and the unreal the long base. To turn the standard short base into the long base the last vowel gets lengthened, the table below shows how the vowels change:

If the base is left unchanged, it either marks the realis or doubt, when è- is added as a prefix it turns into the potentialis or irrealis and when dé- is added it becomes the volition or conditional. Here is it shown with the example xarí:

Irregular root changes
Some verbs don't follow the standard rule and have irregular roots:

laure (to be):

nará (to do; to make):

aglí (to die; to kill; to part)

wòró (to have to):

tùró (to may):

auró (to eat):

aesí (to love):

lesí (to go):

xorí (to know):

farí (to say; to speak):

naurí (to read):

keirí (to buy):

Voice
Voices mark the relation of the subject, object and other functions to the verb. There are 6 voices in Tilennan, but the locative and instrumental have become purely literary voices at this point and are extremely rare in daily communication.

Active
Active is the most standard voice and has a very direct relationship between functions and the verb:

Transitive: Subject performs action, Direct Object undergoes action

maen xilae xaro = the man takes the apple

Intransitive: Subject performs action and indirectly undergoes it

lòpae lesoròse = the dog ran

Copula: Subject is in the state of the Complement

rada dio osho = the animal becomes beautiful

The table below shows the the case each function takes in the active voice:

For intransitive verbs you have the option between the ergative and absolutive for the subject, this depends on the intent of the action, a volontary action uses the ergative, while an involontary action uses the absolutive. If no distinction can be made, you use the absolutive.

While complements technically have a case they get marked with the number, person and voice marker of the verb instead.

Passive
The passive can be seen as an inverse active where the subject and object of the active swap places. Object becomes Subject and Subject becomes Agent. Copulas do not exist in the passive voice. The Agent is required for the passive voice, otherwise the generalis is used.

Transitive: Subject undergoes action, Agent performs action

xilae mei xaso = an apple is taken by the man

Intransitive: No subject, Agent performs and indirectly undergoes action

lòpei lesosòse = there was being run by the dog

Copula: -

The table below shows the the case each function takes in the passive voice:

Reflexive
The reflexive has as Subject and Direct Object the same person or thing and therefore omits the Direct Object. As this voices requires an Subject and an Direct Object, neither intransitive or copulas can take this voice. The reflexive is also used for reciprocal verbs.

Transitive: Subject performs and directly undergoes the action

lànauche = I like myself

Intransitive: -

Copula: -

The table below shows the the case each function takes in the reflexive voice:

The reflexive voice also features the Absolutive - Ergative split and depends on the intent of the action.

Generalis
The generalis has no Subject and implies that in general an action is occurring or a state is present. A generalis is preferred over an passive without Agent, as this use of the passive feels incomplete.

Transitive: No subject, Direct Object undergoes action

xilae aumó = An apple is being eaten

Intransitive: No subject, No Direct Object

baumo = There is being talked

Copula: No subject, the Complement is generally applicable

pòlo ongo: People are becoming dumb

The table below shows the the case each function takes in the generalis voice:

Locative
A locative has as Subject the location an action or state takes place. The Subject of the active sentence moves to the Agent.

Transitive: Subject is the location, Direct Object undergoes the action, Agent performs the action

tomae xilae dei autó = The house an apple is being eaten in by me

Intransitive: Subject is location, Agent performs and indirectly undergoes action

tuna mei ito = The store is being stood in by the man

Copula: Subject is location, Agent is in the state of the Complement

qaura ucho lanei òko: The market fish is becoming bad at

The table below shows the the case each function takes in the locative voice:

Instrumentalis
An instrumental has as Subject the tool used to perform the action or state. The Subject of the active sentence moves to the Agent.

Transitive: Subject is the tool, Direct Object undergoes the action, Agent performs the action

beshae xilae dei auló = My hand an apple is being eaten with by me

Intransitive: Subject is tool, Agent performs and indirectly undergoes action

bazjae xí baelaló = Stones are being thrown with by us

Copula: Subject is tool, Agent is in the state of the Complement

bàjae ucho lanei òso: Time fish is becoming bad with

The table below shows the the case each function takes in the locative voice:

Voice markers
The following table shows how the different voices are markers for the different conjugation groups:

Mode
Mode is a pretty loose term to describe form a verb takes when it serves different purposes in a sentence. There are in total 6 modes: Indicative, Subjunctive, Optative, Infinitive, Imperative and Gerundive.

Indicative
The indicative is the most basic mode of a verb, it is used in the main clause.

Maen lòpae èsaero = The man can see the dog

Subjunctive
The subjunctive is used in the adverbial clause of a sentence. It doesn't need to be introduced by a connector, but this is advised when nuance is important. A subjunctive on its own has the meaning of when... or because... .

tèpàrio, wa lese = because it rains, I don't go

Optative
The optative is used to express personal opinion, it usually follows verbs like I think..., you feel.., he says.... When the optative is used on its own, you can imagine an I think in front of the verb. When an optative is combined with the modal aspect of volition it implies wish and obligation. An optative in the adverbial clause remains an optative the verb it follows remains subjunctive.

faro, déleson = He says that he needs to go

Infinitive
The infinitive has a limited use in tilennan. It only features in elliptical sentences and questions.

càkirí lé cudá = Dancing with the stars

Imperative
The imperative is used for direct commands, often seen as rude and therefore doesn't have a 4th person conjugation.

àlesaudé! = Go away!

Gerundive
The gerundive is a way to substantize verbs. A Tilennan sentence can only feature one verb, so when a second one is necessary it gets put in the gerundive.

lésorèla lànaure = I like to run

Number & Person
While there are 4 persons: 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th and 4 numbers: Sg, Du, Pl and Ni, the Dualis and Nihilis only take the 3rd person, which leaves 10 different endings and verb can have for person and number for each mode. Gerundives however are declined like nouns or adjectives on -a

Number
Singular is used for exactly 1 person, object or unit of mass

Dualis is used for exactly 2 persons or objects, but not one of each

Plural is used for 3 or more people or objects or for collectives

Nihilis is used for exactly 0 people or objects or unknown number that could be 0

Person
1st Person is the speaker

2nd Person is the one listening to the speaker

3rd Person is someone else

4th Person is the polite version of the 2nd person

There are no conjugations for 1st, 2nd and 4th person Dualis and Nihilis

Conjugation for -rí
Infinitive:

Indicative:

Subjunctive:

Optative:

Imperative:

Gerundive:

Conjugation for -ró
Infinitive:

Indicative:

Subjunctive:

Optative:

Imperative:

Gerundive:

Conjugation for -sí
Infinitive:

Indicative:

Subjunctive:

Optative:

Imperative:

Gerundive:

Conjugation for -shí
Infinitive:

Indicative:

Subjunctive:

Optative:

Imperative:

Gerundive:

Conjugation for laure
Infinitive:

Indicative:

Subjunctive:

Optative:

Imperative:

Gerundive:

Conjugation for nará
Infinitive:

Indicative:

Subjunctive:

Optative:

Imperative:

Gerundive:

Conjugation for aglí
Infinitive:

Indicative:

Subjunctive:

Optative:

Imperative:

Gerundive:

Tense
Tense marks when in time an action takes, took or will take place. Tilennan has 7 distinct tenses, presens, historia, historia recenta, historia prenatalis, futurum, futurum proximum, furturum postmortuum:

Present
The present marks actions that currently take place, it is also used for facts and states that are currently true.

lesore = I run

Historia
The Historia is used for everything that happened in the past and doesn't continue into the present.

lesorèse = I ran

Historia Recenta
The Historia Recenta is used for action that just happened recently, but once again don't continue into the present.

lesorèsí = I recently ran

Historia Prenatalis
The Historia Prenatalis is used for past events that happened before the birth of the speaker. This tense is often used to talk about history and to tell myths.

lesoròsú = He ran (before I was born)

Futurum
The Futurum is the future tense and is used for everything that will happen in the future and hasn't started yet. A futurum in optative has a sense of intent.

lesorème = I will run

lesorenge = I think I will run / I'm going to run

Futurum Proximum
The Futurum Proximum is used to talk about the near future, but once again hasn't started yet.

lesorèmí = I will run soon

Futurum Postmortuum
The Futurum Postmortuum is used to talk about events that will happen after your death or things that will happen and never stop. It is also often used to talk about the afterlife or methaphorically in philosophy to talk about enlightenment.

lesoràmú = He will run (after my death)

Temporal Aspect
Temporal is used to more precisely explain in what timeframe an action took place. You can specify for simple, completion, progression, habit and repetition.

Simple
A simple action has states an action that happens, but is nor ongoing or completed. It's mostly used for specific instances.

bazja baelaròse = He threw the rock

Completion
Completion means that the action has finished. A historia completion means that the action has finished in the past, a present completion that an action has stopped in the present. A future completion is used for action that will start and finish in the future. A historia recenta completion means that the action has been started in the past but is finished recently and an futurum proximum means that an action that started in the present will end in the furture.

bazja baelaròsé = He had thrown the rock

bazja baelaròsei = He has just thrown the rock

bazja baelaròjé = He has thrown the rock

bazja baelaròmei = He will have stopped throwing the rock

bazja baelaròmé = He will have thrown the rock

Progression
Progression means an action is going on. A Historia progression means the action was going on but not anymore, a present progression means that the action is currently going on and a future progression that the action will be going on in the future, but isn't already.

bazja baelaròsàvé = He was throwing the rock

bazja baelaròvé = He is throwing the rock

bazja baelaròmàvé = He will be throwing rocks

Habit
The Habit states that an action is performed regularly be the subject.

bazja baelaròsène = He used to throw rocks

bazja baelaròne = He throws the rock (regularly)

bazja baelaròmène = He will be throwing rocks (regularly)

Repetition
Repitition is different from habit in that the action, while performed more than once is not done regularly but just repeated and generally doesn't last that long.

bazja baelaròsau = He threw stone after stone

bazja baelaròjau = He throws stone after stone

bazja baelaròmau = He will throw stone after stone

Temporal aspect and tense markers
The following table shows the combined markers for tense and temporal aspect. Genreally past tenses can be recognized by the -s- and future tenses by the -m-. When a verb ens is an -n, the n and s become the cluster ns and the n and m merge to an ng:

=Specific verb constructions= All forms of the example model xarí

Double verb constructions
A Tilennan phrase can only feature one fully conjugated verb this means that the secondary verb gets put in the gerundive instead and is treated as a noun.

lesorèla kauro = I learn to run (lit. I learn the running)

Modal verbs
Tilennan features some modal verbs like wòró (have to), tùro (may; be allowed to), puró (want; plan on) and ikaeró (can; be able to).

wòró, puró and volition
The difference between wòró and the volition modal aspect is that wòró is used for someone else's will instead of the speaker's. While the optative volition construction also treats part of this, this construction is more of a polite obligation.

Puró is different in that it shows the intent to perform the action rather than just the will to do it. It is similar to the optative futurum construction, but the intent of puró is stronger and the action is less certain in the future.

délesoro = He wants to run / He needs to run

délesoron = I want him to run / I hope he runs

lesoròdé! = He must run!

lesorèla wòró = He has to run

lesorèla puró = He wants to run / He plans on running

lesorònge = He is going to run

tùró, ikaeró and potentialis
Túro focusses specifically on the permission to do an action and not the ability and is therefore distinct from the potentialis. It has no meaning in the sense of doubt.

The line between ikaeró and the potentialis is blurrier. Ikaeró was normally used to state the ability to do an action, but over time this uses got shifted to the potentialis, meaning the use of the verb íkaeró is in decline. It can still be used to clear up confusion or in very specific situations where the use is cemented.

èlesoro = He can run / He probably runs

lesorèla tùró = He is allowed to run / He may run

lesorèla ikaeró = He can run / He is able to run