Dairwueh: The Third Person Verb

The Dairwueh verb, for most tense-aspect combinations have two third person forms, labelled quite clearly 3rd person I and 3rd person II. Since the II-form does not distinguish number, the following indexing is practical: 3_sg, 3_pl, 3_II. The use of the 3_II form requires some elucidation.

Generally, 3_II is formed with the least actual morphology out of the third person forms. If the verb, inflected for tense, ends in a bimoraic syllable, that is that is also the 3_II form. However, if the last syllable is monomoraic, it gains a second mora in some way.

It is used in the following circumstances:

• with non-explicit subjects
• with impersonal constructions
• non-topical subjects
• relative subclauses (where the subject is relativized), and other subclauses where the subject is not present in that particular subclause)
• on verbs that are not the primary predicate of the clause
• sometimes with indefinite subjects

Non-explicit subjects include 'pseudopassives', i.e. just not having a subject.

hāg - (people) do.PRESENT-3_II (that)
(from hag, 'to do')

erŋe sawnī - thing-PL.ACC buy-PAST.3_II, things were bought, the things got sold

It does not include pronoun dropping though.

In relative subclauses, it is possible for the subject to be present outside of the clause but not within it. In such cases, this too blocks the regular third person marking in the subclause. Non-primary predicates tend to mark meanings along the lines of certain English adverbs. These might have an impersonal subject or the same subject as the main verb, but are marked the same regardless whether impersonal or not.

Indefinite subjects are more likely to have this form the less topical they are.