| Probability2 |
|
It is formed by the particle kenì following the verb
in the probability1, as in : |
wúluwi kenì
|
`might go’ |
asi cúluwi kenì
|
`might
eat meat’ |
z luwi
kenì
|
`might
sleep’ |
wúlumlawi kenì
|
`might
not go’ |
asi cúlumlawi kenì
|
`might not eat meat etc. |
|
|
| Conditional
mood |
It expresses a condition for doing an action specified. In
other words, the probability of the occurrence of the action
specified would depend upon the performance or the taking
place of another action or event. In Sema it is expressed
by two different particles viz., cala and aye, the former
occurring at the beginning and the latter at the end of the
subordinate clause, as in : |
cala pano i i
aye niye únanì
|
`I will go if he come’s (lit. if he come if
I go will). |
cala nono ii
aye niye únanì
|
`I
will go if you come’ etc. |
|
|
From
the examples given above, it could be seen that of the two
particles used for indicating the conditional modal, the particle
cala precedes the subordinate clause and the particle aye
follows the subordinate clause. And the entire subordinate
clause in its turn precedes the principal clause. It is, however,
possible to have the subordinate clause following the principal
clause. In such instances, cala which precedes the subordinate
clause is not used and only aye occurs as usual at the end
of the subordinate clause, which in this instance would also
be the end of the sentence, as in : |
niye únanì nono ii
aye
|
`I
will go if you come’ |
|
|
The
use of this type of construction is however, of low frequency
- |
Intersection
of aspects and modals with the tenses |
None
of the modals except the indicative which is unmarked can
combine with the two aspects available in Sema. Both the modals
and the aspects individually combine with the tenses. For
instance, while the habitual aspect can combine only with
past and present tense, the progressive aspect can combine
with all the three tenses, as in : |
li akiphikìlo wúacey
|
`she
used to go to school’ |
|
li akiphikìlo wúacenì |
`she
goes to school regularly’ |
li asi cúay
|
`she
was eating meat’ |
li asi cúanì
|
`she
is eating meat’ |
li asi cúananì
|
`she will be eating meat’ |
li hile ay
|
`she
was here’ |
li hile anì
|
`she
is here’ |
li hile ananì
|
`she
will be here’ |
|
|
| As
far as the modals are concerned, only the potential modal can
combine with tenses, i.e., it shows a two-way opposition between
a past and a non-past potential modal, as in : |
wúlu nanì
|
`can
go’ |
wúlue
|
`could
go’ |
|
|
|
In all instances where the intersection of the tenses with the
aspects and modals take place, they are indicated overtly by
the aspects and modals concerned taking the appropriate tense
markers. |
| 3.3.5.4.
Positional variants : Tense and aspects |
| (a)
Tenses |
The
Sema language has three tenses, viz., past, present
and future. The respective tense morphemes along with
their positional variants are given below:
|
(i) Past tense. - The past tense has altogether eight
positional variants. The are wè, kè, wà,
we, e, wya, y and zero.
|
The
distribution of these positional variants are as under
:
|
wè is the marker for remote past.
|
kè
occurs when the quantum of action of the verb concerned
is specified. It also occurs after the progressive aspectual
marker.
|
wà
occurs when the subject of the sentence is either I
or III person and the quantum of the action of the verb
is unspecified.
|
we
occurs when the subject of the sentence is a II person
and the quantum of the action of the verb is unspecified.
This could occur as an alternant form with wà
when the subject of the sentence is a III person.
|
e
occurs when the action referred to by the verb is in
the same state (stative determinative) e also occcurs
with the potential modal.
|
|
