Saliba

Language

Saliba

Family

Sálivan

Ethnologue

slc

ISO

slc

glottolog_id

sali1298

Verbs table

gloss	layer	stem phonology	semantics	1 sg	2	3 sg m	3 sg f	1 pl	3 pl
come	lexeme	V-initial	agentive	chohma	cohma		johma	tohma	johma
come	prefix	V-initial	agentive	ch	c	zero	j	t	j
come	suffix	V-initial	agentive	zero	zero	zero	zero	zero	zero
go	lexeme	V-initial	agentive	j?dachama	j?dagama		j?daxama	j?datama	j?dajama
go	prefix	V-initial	agentive	ada			axa
go	suffix	V-initial	agentive	ch	g	zero	x	t	j
keep	lexeme	C-intitial	agentive	beedehã	beecuehã		beexehã	beetehã	beejehã
keep	prefix	C-intitial	agentive	zero	zero	zero	zero	zero	zero
keep	suffix	C-intitial	agentive	d	cu	zero	x	t	j
carry	lexeme	C-intitial	agentive	cocochã	cocogã		cocoxã	cocotã	cococjã
carry	prefix	C-intitial	agentive	zero	zero	zero	zero	zero	zero
carry	suffix	C-intitial	agentive	ch	g	zero	x	t	j

Verbs intrans table

gloss	layer	stem phonology	semantics	1 sg	2 sg	3 sg m	3 sg f	1 pl	2 pl	3 pl
be cold	lexeme		patientive
be cold	prefix		patientive	zero	zero	zero	zero	zero	zero	zero
be cold	suffix		patientive	ha	gi	di	xa	hadi	gido	di
come	lexeme	V-initial	agentive	coma	koma
come	prefix	V-initial	agentive	c	k	zero	x	t	k	h
come	suffix	V-initial	agentive	zero	zero	zero	zero	zero	do	zero
say	lexeme	V-initial	agentive	ada			axa
say	prefix	V-initial	agentive	ada			axa
say	suffix	V-initial	agentive	d	k	zero	x	t	kdo	h
walk	lexeme	C-intitial	agentive	guda
walk	prefix	C-intitial	agentive	zero	zero	zero	zero	zero	zero	zero
walk	suffix	C-intitial	agentive	d	k	zero	x	t	kdo	h
work	lexeme	C-intitial	agentive	maɲuca	maɲuga
work	prefix	C-intitial	agentive	zero	zero	zero	zero	zero	zero	zero
work	suffix	C-intitial	agentive	c	g	zero	x	t	gdo	h

Saliba notes

• The forms shown are intransitive verbs; transitive verbs take a marker for the actor series for the subject (the three classes shown here obtain there too) and a marker from the patientive series for the object.
• The use of prefixed vs suffixed subject markers is predictable on the basis of the stem-initial segment, except in the case of 'say', which is V-initial but unexpectedly takes suffixes. Estrada Ramírez (1996: 116) notes that the root (-a-) is homophonous with that of 'sleep', which takes the expected prefixal markers.
• Estrada Ramírez (1996: 116) mentions that the 1sg and 2nd person (singular and plural) suffixes have two allomorphs, -c vs -d and -k vs -g, but does not discuss under what conditions they occur. Judging by her examples, it is lexically conditioned, and the distribution shown here is what can be gleaned from them. It is not clear whether there are other possibilities.
• The same opposition between prefixed and suffixed person-number markers obtains with inalienably possessed nouns too. However, there is not enough information to consruct a complete paradigm with any confidence.

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References

Estrada Ramírez, Hortensia. 1996. La lengua sáliba:  clases nominales y sistema de concordancia. Santafé de Bogotá : Colcultura - Inst. Colombiano de Cultura.