The probability indicate
the possibility that the subject may perform the action
mentioned by the verb. It is marked by adding tahay to
the verb. The tense forms can precede or follow it when tahay
is added directly to the verb base. Otherwise, the tense
precedes tahay.
netum vatahay
‘we may come’
latum arjutahay
‘they may ask’
melitum damtahaylo
‘we (Hon.) might go’
la phojitahay
‘it may happen’
latum dam?ettahay
‘they might have gone’
na vavedettahay
‘you (sg.) might not have come’
nelitum co?ik?edettahay
‘we (Hon.) might not have eaten’
latum cocelotahay
‘they might not eat’
Possibility
The possibility
indicates that it is possible for the subject to perform the
action mentioned by the verb. It is expressed by adding -tame
to the verb or by adding the verb un ‘able to,
can’ to the verb root.
ne vatame
‘I can come’
na
damtame
‘you can go’
la cotame
‘(sub) can eat it/
it is eatable’
lacho ahan cojitame
‘(sub) can eat this vegetable (fut.)’
lacho ahan colotame
‘(sub) could eat this vegetable (past.)’
ne la klem?un
‘I am able to do it’
na la
klem?unma
‘can you do it?’
ne la klem?uji
‘I shall be able to do it’
The tense form precedes
tame whereas it follows un.
Occasional Occurrence
It indicates that the
subject performs the action mentioned by the verb only sometimes
and not always. The occasional occurrence of the action
mentioned by the verb is expressed by duplicating the verb root.
When the verb is in the negative mood, either the verb root or
the negative form can be duplicated.
vekna
