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14_Past tense in Asaxi (The Simple Past)

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Grammatical Concept

Asaxi marks the past tense (actions or states that occurred prior to the present moment) using a verbal prefix zè. Unlike the Aspect (which is determined by the verb root or the ů suffix), the Tense is strictly morphological.

The Past Tense marker attaches to the very front of the verbal complex (the Verbalized Noun or the Root Verb).

Interaction with Aspect:

  • Because ů verbs are Durative (Dynamic States/Activities), zèshěsonů translates to Imperfective Past (“he was reading” / “he used to read”) or Simple Past (“he read”).
  • Because Root verbs (like xoxo) are Instantaneous (Achievements), zèxoxo translates to Perfective Past (“he left”).

Rules

1. The Prefix Forms

The marker alternates based on the initial phoneme of the verb stem to avoid hiatus.

  • Before Consonants (C): Use zè-
    • Example: shěsonů (read) → zashěsonů (read/did read).
    • Example: xoxo (depart) → zaxoxo (departed).
  • Before Vowels (V): Use zèx-
    • Example: ijo (see) → zaxijo (saw).
    • Example: ů (be/act) → zèbů (was/acted).

2. Scope of Attachment

When using the Universal Verbalizer (-n-ů), the noun root and the suffix are considered a single verbal unit. The past tense prefix attaches to the start of the noun root, not the suffix.

  • Correct: zè-[shěsonů]
  • Incorrect: shěso-zè-nů

Syntactic Structure

The prefix is integral to the verb and does not change the word order of the sentence.

Standard (SOV): [to Subject] + [Object] + [zè-(Verb)]

  • Example: To wo shěso zèshěsonů. (I read the book). Minimal (Predicate Only): [zè-(Verb)]
  • Example: Zèshěsonů. (He/She/I read). Stative Past (Was): [to Subject] + [Complement] + [zèb-ů]
  • Example: To John [doctor] zèbů. (John was a doctor).

14.5_Verbal Negation & Polarity (Non-Present)

Grammatical Concept

Polarity Migration: While polarity particles (High Binding Particles like ná and xă) function as suffixes in the standard Present Tense, they migrate to a pre-verbal position in marked tenses (such as the Past Tense).

When a Tense Prefix is present, the polarity particle acts as an infix, slotting between the Tense Marker and the Verb Root. This applies to simple negation (ná), emphatic affirmation (xă), and emphatic negation (náxă).

Rules

1. Structural Migration

  • Present Tense (Unmarked): [Root] + [Polarity]
    • Example: gănů + ná → gănůná (Does not exit).
  • Past Tense (Marked): [Tense] + [Polarity] + [Root]
    • Example: zè + ná + gănů → zènágănů (Did not exit).

2. Hiatus Avoidance

If the Verb Root begins with a vowel, the epenthetic consonant -x- is inserted between the Polarity Particle and the Root.

  • Condition: [Particle] or [Tense] ends in Vowel + Root starts with Vowel.
  • Solution: Insert x.

Syntactic Structure

Formula: [zè] + [Polarity Particle] + (x) + [Verb Root]

Examples

1. Consonant-Initial Root (gănů - to exit)

  • Positive: zègănů (Exited).
  • Negative: zènágănů (Did not exit).
  • Emphatic: zèxăgănů (Did indeed exit).
  • Neg. Emphatic: zènáxăgănů (Absolutely did not exit).

2. Vowel-Initial Root (ijo - to see)

  • Positive: zèxijo (Saw) — (Standard Tense Hiatus rule).
  • Negative: zènâxijo (Did not see) — (ná + x + ijo).
  • Emphatic: zèxăxijo (Did indeed see) — (xă + x + ijo).

3. Universal Verbalizer Root (ů - to be/do)

  • Negative: zènábů (Was not / Did not perform).