Verbal particles are words which precise the meaning of the verb, expressing mood, simultaneity, the speaker's attitude etc. If there are more verbal particles in a clause, they are agglutinated together in the sequence corresponding to the semantics (the difference between eg. "I like to start" and "I start to like"). An exception to this are the particles-deictic pronouns zô and oznö, which always stand alone.
The building blocks of a verbal article usually have two forms:
the full form is used at the end of the verbal particle before a vowel in the following word (or if the building block stands alone before a consonant)
the short form is used in the agglutination process and at the end of a particle before a consonant in the following word
The verbal particles are usually fronted (placed before the subject).
Modal and mood marking
full form | short form | |
|---|---|---|
luk | lu | to want |
žef | že | to be allowed |
ten | te | to know, be able |
ran | ra | to must, need |
kaf | ka | to start |
coš | co | to miss, question mood |
vech | ve | negative |
zvek | zve | irrealis mood |
dzik | dzi | to like, to be happy |
zek | ze | to be sorry |
nap | na | force, in big measure |
rul | ru | repetition |
sus | su | composition |
hek | he | decomposition |
put | pu | completeness |
džnech | džne | incompleteness |
chwi | chwi | in small measure, weakly |
tow | to | rarity |
swe | swe | reversion |
sti | sti | quickly, rapidly |
hve | hve | slowly |
zô | -* | non-present |
oznö | -* | present |
rup | ru | imperative |
*Zô and oznö are always used as a stand-alone verbal particle.
Mevne šälgow. - A man studies.
Ra mevne šälgow. - A man must study.
Ka mevne šälgow. - A man starts to study.
Lu mevne šälgow. - A man wants to study.
Ve mevne šälgow. - A man does not study.
Vera mevne šälgow. - A man does not need to study.
Luvöra mevne šälgow. - A man wants to not need to study.
Na mevne šälgow. - A man starts to study with vehemence.
Sus zičédmü azmelne. - I put together (create) a machine.
Heg zičédmü azmelme. - I put apart (destroy) a machine.
Puhök zičédmü azmelme. - I have put apart the machine (already).
Džnehek zičédmü azmelme. - I have been puting apart the machine (and am not ready yet).
Chwi ámälil röčöšö. - The little girl was crying a little.
Tow ámälil röčöšö. - The little girl was rarely crying.
Rul ámälil röčöšö. - The little girl was crying repeatedly.
Stinap abnakow. - I run fast and with force (meaning I run as fast as I could).
Swede ruvaka abnakow. - I wanted to run up the tower, but decided not to.
As the examples show, more particles can be used together and the modes are resolved in sequence.
The dz(ik) and the ze(k) express the position of the speaker, not the subject:
Zek úrü negreše chtot ášes limü rargne. - The rabbit sadly died after the attack of the bear. Úrü is the definite form of mür, rabbit, zeg expresses that the speaker is sorry about it, negre means kill, die, -še is a static intransitive suffix, meaning the rabbit was the experiencer of the dying. Limü is the anaphora for the rabbit in the 2nd clause, chtot expresses that the attack happened earlier and the dynamic transitive suffix -ne expresses, that the object (limü = the rabbit) changed through the attack.
Simultaneity and anteriority
To express simultaneity, Medzor uses the prefix či(k) and for anteriority, the prefix chto(t):
Chtokaf ewmá vödvo elsi esklochö. - The man fell asleep before his wife returned.
Čik ewmá čivödvö elsi esklochö. - The man was sleeping when his wife returned.
Note that the two clauses in the above exaples form a coordinate sentence. The second clause starts right after the verb of the first clause and needs not be introduced by any other marker.
The cht- prefix can be used to express events in the past when the time of the occurrence is given ("ago").
Chtot eželň uftöska eňša. - He saw the house two days ago.
The concept of simultaneity in Medzor has to be distinguished from the concept of "present". Simultaneity speaks about the relation of two actions, whereas present is the actual personal context of the speaker's time (that's why, to express present vs. not-present, deictic pronouns are used as verbal particles).
Spacial particles
There are particles which describe the spacial relations of the verb:
büs / bü | circularity, round-movement |
det / de | up, over |
gžö | down, under |
mrot / mro | straight |
rbe | away |
Bü därek reňro baňal. - The boy run around the town.
De därek uvaro baňal. - The boy run up the tower.
Gžö därek ruvaro baňal. - The boy run down the tower.
Mro därek meváro baňal. - The boy run straight into the man.
Imperative
As shown in the table with modal particles, imperative is formed by using the rub/ru verbal particle.
Ru darmne! Do it!
Rup éskow! Let's go!
Ruvepu vacht näšne! Don't say it loud!
Yes/No Questions
Yes/No questions are formed by using the interrogative verbal particle co(š):
Co šerow? Do you work?
Coluk örnmü čédne? Can you (are you willing to) help me?
This particle is also used in question of selection, but only once:
Co šerow šalkowbes? Do you work or do you study?