Verb

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Verb

Here Verbs and Auxiliary Verbs are treated.

VERB

Vabu anee tombo, aniania ye oju kiri ke mieari ye ( mieye)

In the Kalabari language, verbs are conjugated differently. In most cases, the root word never changes in all the six(6) levels of conjugation. Using the verb "to run" = mangi , let us illustrate this:

I run = A mangiari

She runs = A mangiari

He runs = O mangiari

We run = Wa mangiari

You run = I mangiari

They run = In mangiari

Special forms of Tenses (conjugation)

Still using the verb "to run" let us see the various ways the Kalabaris express the various tenses of verbs:

English Kal. root word +suffix (in red)

Infinitive form (kunoma yanaa b'ra ): to run------ mangi

Imperative form (bereton b'ra )

affirmative (miee ) : run! ----- mangii

negativeve (miema) : don't run! ----- mangima

Present simple forms

affirmative ( ani mie mie b'ra) : run / runs ----- mangi mangim

negativeve ( ani mie miea b'ra) : does not run----mangi mangia

Present continuous forms

affirmative (ani mieari b'ra) : running ----- mangiari

negative (ani mieaa b'ra) : not running ----- mangia

Present perfect forms

affirmative (moku ani miete b'ra): has /have run --- mangitee

negative (moku ani mieaa b'ra): has not /have not run --- mu ...mangia.

Past simple forms

affirmative ( b'rote saki ani miete b'ra): ran----- mangim

negative (b'rote saki ani mieaa b'ra): did not run---- mangia

Past continuous forms

affirmative (b'rote saki ani mie b'ra): was / were running----- mangiari ogbo

negative (b'rote saki ani mieaa b'ra): was / were running----- mangia

Past perfect forms

affirmative ( b'rote sote b'ra): had run ----- mangite so

negative ( mu b'rote soa b'ra): had not run ----- mangia

Futuristic forms

affirmative (turoko ani miebari b'ra): shall, will run ----- mangiba

negative (turoko ani mie n'ibia b'ra): shall not, will not run ----- mangibiya

NB:

The negative tenses of -

present continuous, past simple,

past continuous, past perfect

in the Kalabari are the same

Homework: Now try to conjugate the followings using the example above.

to give = piri

to go (from a place) = so

to go (to a plce) = mu

to dance = seki

to shout = oloku

to laugh = deri

to jump = dosi

more verbs will be encountered in the other site

Auxiliary Verbs

(to be) present tense

I am; You are; He / She is;

We are ; You are; They are

In the Kalabari language, there are 2 ways to express these:

1. when "to be" is followed by an article + noun+ pronoun, etc

2. when "to be" is followed by a gerund ( -ing verb) + adverb + adj.

1st type:

I am = Yeri e.g I am a boy = Yeri (gboru) owibo tubo.

You are = Iyeri e.g You are a good child = Iyeri ibi tubo

He is = Ori e.g He is a Nigerian = Ori Naijirabe bo

She is = Ari e.g She is Boma = Ari Boma

We are = Wamini

You are = Omini

They are = Ini

2nd type:

I am = A e.g I am eating = A ye fiari

You are = I

He is = O e.g He is very careful = O ye bala dim.

She is = A e.g She is asleep = A monote

We are = Wa

You are = O

They are = In e.g They are here.= In bote

PLEASE SEE MORE PATTERNS OF USAGE OF THE PRONOUN FORMS OF THESE IN ADVANCED STUDY 1

Advanced Study 1

(to be) past tense

I was; You were; He / She was;

We were ; You were; They were

In the Kalabari language, there are 2 ways to express these:

1. when "to be" is followed by an article + noun+ pronoun, etc

2. when "to be" is followed by and/ or ends with a gerund

3. when "to be" is followed by a gerund ( -ing verb) + adverb + adj.

1st type:

I was = Tari tari Yeri

You were = Tari tari Iyeri

He was = Tari tari Ori

She was = Tari tari ari

We were = Tari tari Wamini

You were = Tari tari Omini

They were = Tari tari Ini

NB: In the place of tari tari (which stand for was, were) you can put :

a. burote saki bu b. bieinbe enebaka

2nd type (when used as an answer or a question):

For all the levels, was and were become "simem"

e.g I was sleeping = A mono simem

Were you sleeping? = I mono sime ( the last m in simem dropped)

She was washing the plate = A pani me sikiri simem.

(to have) present tense

I have; You have; He / She has;

We have ; You have; They have

I have = A

You have = I

He has = O

She has = A

We have = Wa

You have = O

They have = In

NB: In the kalabari language, has and have are assimilated into the main verb.

e.g I have eaten the food = fiye me A fite (i.e the food I eaten)

He has run away = O mangiso te

more...

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