Verbs are very simple in Taneraic: for example, there are no irregularities, no tenses and no agreement to worry about. The most important thing to remember is that verbs are divided into transitive (i.e., they take a direct object) and intransitive (i.e., they take an indirect object).
TRANSITIVE VERBS
Transitive verbs end in –di when the direct object, which may be qualified by an adjective, which may itself be qualified by an adverb, directly follows:
Vapevadi nuni jouna.
I like[d] that/the film.
Ni busediadi dareyan?
Are you an actor?
Rah yohamodi nuri sarat.
He did not drink any coffee.
Transitive verbs end in –da when the direct object appears before the verb (often to place the topic closer to the beginning of the sentence, in which case a comma is often employed as a stylistic device):
Nuni jouna, vapevada.
I like[d] that/the film.
Ni dareyan busediada?
Are you an actor? (Taneraic uses ha for emphasis: Ni ha dareyan busediada? An actor, are you?)
Rah sarata puno yohamoda.
No coffee did he drink. (Again, note how Taneraic uses puno for emphasis.)
Some verbs are intransitive in English but transitive in Taneraic: qainatti, to look at. Some transitive verbs can take an indirect object in addition: Avi yojicyadiyo. He gave it to me./He gave me it.
INTRANSITIVE VERBS
Real intransitive verbs take no object: qanbanda, to laugh sezoqda, to cry.
Adverbs often appear after the –da desinence: Yosebouda osi. He arrived first.
The –da desinence is used for verbs taking an indirect object:
Tovuni yosavada./Yosavada tovuni.
He speaks to the child.
(Word order may change to show emphasis — the topic is usally placed at the head of the sentence.)
Other intransitive verbs may be transitive: cf.,
Yoqainda.
He sees.
Yoqaindiyo.
He sees it.
Some intransitives are actually transitive verbs as the complement or in the relative position:
Nun asenda e toussa nuyole vaqainda.
That is the dog I saw.
VERBS WITH VAS, DAS & MAS
By themselves, vas, das and mas have the following meanings:
vas, to be (in terms of existence); there is or are
das, to have (in terms of relationships, ownership of pets, or temporary conditions, such as a headache)
mas, to make (in terms of to cause, as in a fuss); to take (in terms of to cause, as in making a photograph)
When vas is attached to a following verb, the meaning is habituative: cf.,
Vaibandi regiat.
I ate the meat. (i.e., at that particular moment)
Vavas aibandi regiat.
I eat meat. (i.e., this is my penchant)
Sometimes the habituation is so obvious that vas is optional:
[vas] oubouda iher tou, know someone
When das is attached to a following verb, the meaning is benefactive: cf.,
jalanda, be pleasant
das jalandi, give pleasure to
Sometimes das is attached to a following verb in an idiosyncratic way:
das jabedi, be aged
das jagandi, to consult (a dictionary)
When mas is attached to a following verb, the meaning is causative: cf.,
rapanda, be orderly
mas rapandi, [put into] order
Mas indicates that someone is doing something for someone else (sometimes expressed in the passive in English and sometimes not expressed at all):
sqoudi, open (door, etc.) > mas sqoudi, open (door, etc.) for
yoroudi, build (oneself) > mas yoroudi, build (= have built for oneself)
Sometimes mas is optional:
[mas] nouvasdi, hand something in or over
THE PASSIVE MOOD
The passive mood, when verbs are transitive, is expressed by –ga, followed by a noun in the instrumental case, or –gi, followed directly by the noun (a direct object, always a person), where English uses “by”:
Yoyauyarga.
He was struck.
Yoyauyarga qabrongunu.
He was struck by a bus.
Yoyaugargi nuni tou.
He was struck by that man.
Sometimes an– is used, especially in intransitive cases (English can use the passive), where the topic is emphasising the verb rather than the pronoun:
Anauyardiyo qabrongunu.
He was struck by a bus. (literally, “one struck him with a bus”)
Sometimes a statement in the affirmative is preferred:
Bou aibandiyo.
He was eaten by a lion. (literally, “a lion ate him”)
MOODS
In Taneraic, mood, other than the passive mood (see above) is shown through the use of modals and aspectuals. The three main modals are svai, otai and annai, and the three main aspectuals are sunos, ledos and vegos.
SVAI indicates want and translates “would [like]” or “should” in English:
Svai vapaurandi salaxya ye Elasia.
I want/would like to study ancient Greek culture.
The interrogative is ni svai:
Ni svai bupaurandi salaxa ye Elasia?
Would you like to study ancient Greek culture?
The negative is svai rah:
Svai rah vapaurandi salaxa ye Elasia.
I wouldn’t like to study ancient Greek culture.
OTAI indicates duty and translates “should”, “ought to”, “had better” or “must” in English (sometimes unexpressed in English):
Vasyidi nun yole otai buraida.
I know what to do. (literally, “I know what one should do”)
The interrogative is ni otai:
Ni otai vaqabda spahi ni otai habrida?
Should I go or should I stay?
The negative is otai rah:
Otai rah aniscyoviarda os tovuno.
You/One should not smoke in front of children.
ANNAI indicates permission and translates “may”, “can” or “could” in English:
Svai vapaurandi salaxya ye Elasia.
I want/would like to study ancient Greek culture.
The interrogative is ni annai:
Ni annai abui vadesgeudi nuri hamo?
Could/May I get you a drink?
The negative is annai rah:
Annai rah buiscyoviarda ganien.
You may not smoke here.
SUNOS indicates possibility and translates “may” (meaning perhaps) or “it seems” in English:
Sunos yoyauyarga qabrongunu.
He may have been struck by a bus.
Sunos annai rah buiscyoviarda ganien.
It seems you may not smoke here.
LEDOS indicates hope and translates “may” or “I hope that” in English:
Ledos yoyauyarga qabrongunu.
May he be/have been struck by a bus.
Ledos annai viscyoviarda ganien.
I hope I can smoke here.
VEGOS indicates possibility and translates “perhaps” or “maybe” in English:
Vegos yoyauyarga qabrongunu.
Perhaps he was struck by a bus.
Vegos annai rah buiscyoviarda ganien.
Perhaps you cannot smoke here.
TENSES
Taneraic does not have tenses. Sometimes there is no indication:
Vaibandi regiat.
I eat/am eating/ate/have eaten/will eat the meat.
Sometimes context indicates time:
Vaqabda buhai jounabon pasaiveto.
I went to the cinema yesterday.
Vaqabda buhai jounabon uzaiveto.
I will go to the cinema tomorrow.
Helper words (auxiliaries) often do the work of tenses:
Bes vaibanda.
I have (already) eaten.
Yar vaqaindiyo.
I had (already) seen it.
When yar is used with the third person, it often indicates that the person is deceased:
Bette Davis yar sediada e qeisoubi dareyan.
Bette Davis was a great actor.
Mepa vaqabda gan.
I am (in the process of) going there.
Vavas uza boubdi naipauranajon oher Amerikia.
I will go to university in America.*
* As “will” here indicates intention, this is better translated by
Vamoudicyan boubdi naipauranajon oher Amerikia.
Vavas yur boubdi naipauranajon oher Amerikia.
I will have gone to university in America.
EQUIVALENT OF THE GERUND
A gerund is a verb form that functions as a noun, always ending in “-ing” in English. Taneraic does not have a special gerund form, so either use a verb or a noun (often, the radix only), followed by the genitive inflexion, the particle e, or as the sense dictates:
Pejebitti desvot aima abu.
Settling the dispute among yourselves (literally, “settle the dispute”).
or
Pejebit desvota aima abu.
Settling the dispute among yourselves (literally, “settlement of the dispute”).
Sediadi dareyan heibreqada.
Being an actor is hard (literally, “to be an actor”).
or
Sediada e dareyan heibreqada.
Being an actor is hard (literally, “the being of an actor”).
Abrabda oher vas raulada veqapainosati.
Having an opportunity to work abroad (literally, “to be opportune to”).
or
Abrabat oher vas raulada veqapainosati.
Having an opportunity to work abroad (literally, “the opportunity to”).