Kwama
Verbs table
| gloss | layer | 1 sg imprf | 2 sg imprf | 3 sg m imprf | 3 sg f imprf | 1 pl imprf | 2 pl imprf | 3 pl imprf | 1 sg pst | 2 sg pst | 3 sg m pst | 3 sg f pst | 1 pl pst | 2 pl pst | 3 pl pst | 1 sg pst neg | 2 sg pst neg | 3 sg m pst neg | 3 sg f pst neg | 1 pl pst neg | 2 pl pst neg | 3 pl pst neg |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| eat | lexeme | ganšiša | agašiša | ašiša | abašiša | anašiša | amašiša | anašiša | manša | makša | maša | mabša | manša | mamša | manša | hilgaša | hilgiša | hilaša | hilbəša | hilləša | hilmiša | hilliša |
| eat | prefix 1 | ga | a | a | a | a | a | a | ma | ma | ma | ma | ma | ma | ma | hil | hil | hil | hil | hil | hil | hil |
| eat | prefix 2 | n | ga | zero | ba | na | ma | na | n | k | zero | b | n | m | n | ga | gi | a | bə | lə | mi | li |
| sleep | lexeme | anʔiʔiš | akʔiʔiš | aʔiʔiš | abʔiʔiš | anʔiʔiš | amʔiʔiš | anʔiʔiš | ||||||||||||||
| sleep | prefix 1 | a | a | a | a | a | a | a | ma | ma | ma | ma | ma | ma | ma | hil | hil | hil | hil | hil | hil | hil |
| sleep | prefix 2 | n | k | zero | b | n | m | n | n | k | zero | b | n | m | n | ga | gi | a | bə | lə | mi | li |
Kwama notes
- Leyaw's (2005) description is preliminary, and so a complete picture of the inflectional system cannot be given here. What is shown here illustrates the range of subject marking patterns in the different TAM paradigms.
- In addition, there appear to be lexically specified differences, at least in the imperfect. Note the distinction between the 1sg forms here. Also, Leyaw gives the imperfect paradigm of 'eat' in two different versions in different places in the description; the one not shown here has what appear to be prefixed subject pronouns. Likewise, there are relative forms which show prefixed or suffed subject markers apparently determined by the verb lexeme (§3.14), but it is not clear how this relates to the variation seen in the imperfect.
References
Leyew, Zelealem. 2005. Gwama, a Little-known Endangered Language of Ethiopia: A Sketch of its Grammar and Lexicon. Ms, Addis Ababa University. Online at: http://www.uni-koeln.de/gbs/.