The verb in Ao is defined as a
morpheme capable of taking tense/aspect markers or the
imperative markers. The verbs in Ao are not marked for
person-number-gender.
4.1. The
Structure of the Verb :
The structure of a simple verb in Ao may be defined as follows :
(i) Root
(ii) Prefix + Root
(iii) Root + Suffix
(iv) Prefix + Root + Suffix
In the verbs which have a prefix, the prefix may be either the
classificatory prefix /a/ and /me/ or the negative indicative
prefix /ma/ (which becomes /me/ in certain contexts) and the
negative imperative prefix /ta/ which becomes /te/ in certain
contexts). The classificatory prefix /a/ ‘which is very common’
occurs with most verbs and it is difficult to fix a meaning for
it. The prefix /me/, which occurs with a few verbs of action
which require some physical or body force. It may be mentioned
that the classificatory prefix /a/ is dropped in some contexts
(cf. 1.7.). However, the classificatory prefix /me/ is not
dropped.
apu
‘to blow’
acem
‘to drink’
men
‘to laugh’
meyò
‘to wash (clothes etc.)’
mapu
‘not to blow’
macem
‘not to drink’
memen
‘not to laugh’
memeyò
‘not to wash’
tapu
‘don’t blow’
tacem
‘don’t drink’
temen
‘don’t laugh’
temeyò
‘don’t wash’
There are a few verbs in Ao, which do not have any
classificatory prefix :
ck
‘to fall’
yók
‘to send (a person)’
zlu
‘to write’
campí
‘to speak’
When a verb has a suffix, the suffix may beeither an aspect
marker or tense marker or the imperative marker. If there is
an aspect marker and a tense marker as in the case of the durative
constructions the tense marker is added to the auxiliary verb
which follows the aspect marker.
‘to laugh’
‘kiss !’
