Triconsonantal Verbs

Tense

Formation

Examples

aorist

Add an -a to the verb stem

*kalab- à kalba (“falls”)

continuative-present

Change variable vowel to [u], add an -i to the verb stem.

*kalab- à kalubi (“falling”)

past

Double the last consonant, add an -a to the verb stem (alternatively, just use aorist with past tense auxiliary)

 *kalab- à kallaba (“fell/fallen”)

*kalab- à mî kalba (“fell/fallen”)

Continuative-past

Past tense auxiliary with continuative-present form.

*kalab- à mî kalubi (“was falling”)

future

Aorist form with future auxiliary

 *kalab- à rô kalba(“will fall”)

Continuative-future

Continuative-present form with future auxiliary.

*kalab- à rô kalubi (“will be falling”)

Plural

Add -m to the end of the appropriate tense.

ukallaba (“he has fallen”) à yukallabam (“they have fallen”)