The
construction of infinitives in Hmar is very interesting.
Here the main verb /huom/ occurs as the last constituent
and the subordinate verb, which is practically embedded,
precedes it. For
Examples:
/thípùi
ká d:n
nùom/
‘I like to drink tea’
(tea)(I)
(drink) (lkie to)
/fútb:l
an ìnhnèl nùom/
‘they like to play football’
(football)
(they)(play)(like to)
/á
fè: nùom/
‘she wants to go’
(she)
(go) (wants to)
/hlásák
à núom/
‘she likes to sing’
(sing
song) (she) (likes to)
In
other words, the infinitives just in the simple present
tense verb form precedes the main verb and the main
verb takes some marker to indicate that the expression
of some other verb is embedded in it.
3.3.9.2
Alternative
Forms of Infinitive Mood
/tùm/
is also suffixed to replace /nùom/ to indicate intention
to do the action. This is just an alternant.
/hlásák
á tùm/ or,
(song sing)(he/she)(intends to)
/hlá á sàk tùm/
(song)(he/she)(sing)(intends to)
‘he/she intends to sing’
But
the meaning changes altogether in the following:
/à
hlásák tùm/
‘the
song which he/she
(he/she)(song
sing) (intends to)
intends
to sing’
/á
fè: tùmná/
‘the
place where she/he
(he/she)(go)(intends
to-place)
intends
to go’
3.3.10
Morpho-phonemic
change in Verb stems
Some
verb stems in Hmar obtain oblique forms when post positions
to represent different tenses, moods, aspects etc. follow
them. At least 3 verb stems show this kind of behavior.
It has not been possible to capture the rules for this
change. They are so diverse that it is better to present
all the possible variations of these three verb stems
below:
pùi
ká d
:n
nùom/ 
h/
h/
h/
