Grammar

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Jonne
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Grammar

Postby Jonne » 2006-01-20, 13:50

I'll collect every grammar topic here (from the lessons)

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Second lesson: Verb 'to be'
Third lesson: Infinitive, gradation (1), vowel changes
Fourth lesson: Gradation (2), Negative verb
Fifth lesson: Gradation (3), Imperative, Accusative
Sixth lesson: Gradation (4), Locative, Conjugation of -ut verbs

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Verb "to be"

You conjugate verbs in persons and tenses.
Now learn the present tense of "to be".

Leat - To be

I am - (Mun) lean
You are - (Don) Leat
S/he/It is - Son lea

Personal pronouns are often ignored, since you can see the actor from the verb.

Mun lean or lean
Don lean or leat
Son lea or lea


Biila lea stuoris - Car is big
Máret lea olgun - Máret is outside
Mun lean stuoris - I am big

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The infinitive

The infinitive marker in Sámi is always -t. The verbs we have learnt so far end with at or it.

gullat - to hear
boahtit - to come
mannat - to go
eallit - to live
vuodjit - to drive

when we drop the infinitive marker away, we'll get the stem of the verb. Now it's easy to conjugate the verb in present singular.

gullat - to hear
the stem is gula-

I hear - Mun gula-n
You hear - Don gula-t
S/he hears - Son gullá

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Gradation = consonant changes

When adding suffixes to a word, or conjugating a verb, sometimes we have to change some consonant(s) a bit. For example:

Mannat - to go
I go: manan
You go: manat
S/he goes: manná

You see the weak state in first and second persons and the strong state in third.

I.e the infinitive and the 3rd person of singular or plural are always in strong state.

Gradation occurs in
- verbs with two syllables (gul-lat)
- some subtantives

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Vowel changes in verbs

*only in verbs with two syllables!*

with -it verbs (verbs ending with -it) i changes to á.
eallit: ealán, ealát, eallá.

with -at verbs the a changes to á in third person.
gullat: gulan, gulat, gullá

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More about gradation

More gradation changes

strong/weak/example
rr / r / borrat - boran
ht / đ / boahtit - boađán
hk / g / juhkat - jugan
lg / lgg / vuolgit - vuolggán
st / stt / astat - asttan

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Negative verb

To do this, you need to know two things:
the negative verb (similar to english don't, doesn't and finnish ei and its conjugations) and the negative form of the verb.

Let's take the verb 'to hear' - 'gullat'
The negative form of this verb in 'gulla'

The negative verb is "in" for "I", "it" for "you" and "ii" for "s/he".

I don't hear - In gula
You don't hear - It gula
S/he doesn't hear - Ii gula


This is how you can negate a verb:
1. delete the -t from infinitive
2. change the stem into weak state
3. the i of the second syllable changes to e

Negative form of the verb "leat" is "leat"
I am not - In leat
You are not - It leat
S/he is not - Ii leat

Personal pronouns are often ignored because you can see the actor from the verb.

gulan - i hear
boađát - you come
in bora - I don't eat

You can also use "dat" instead of "son"

ii dat boađe - S/he isn't coming

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More about gradation

Consonants inside a word are called "body consonants"
There can be two same body consonants:
borrat
Or consonant groups with different consonants.
Please learn the pronunciation of following consonant groups:

Strong-Weak-Example
-ib- -ibb- láibi > láibbi
-id- -idd- nieida > nieidda
-lg- -lgg- vuolgit > vuolggán
-rf- -rff- márfi > márffi

Strong: first part is long. There can be a schwa between the two parts.

láibi [laajj-pii] OR [laaj^-pii]
nieida [niejj-ta] OR [niej^-ta]
márfi [maar^-fii]

Weak: No schwa here. The second part is long and has two syllables.

láibi > láibbi [laajp-pii]
nieida > nieidda [niejt-ta]
márfi > márffi [maarf-fii]

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Imperative

Imperative is the form of the verb you use to command people. Come! Do that! Stop! In Sámi it's usually the same as the negative verb form.

In bora = I don't eat
Bora! = Eat!

In boađe = I don't come
Boađe! = Come!

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Accusative

Accusative case is used usually with the object of a sentence.

You are eating meat.
I sent an email.

Here are the nominative and accusative forms of some verbs:

gáffe - gáfe [ff > f]
deadja - deaja [dj > j]
vuodja - vuoja [dj > j]
mielki - mielkki [lk > lkk]
láibi - láibbi [ib > ibb]
márfi - márffi [rf > rff]
nieida - nieidda [id > idd]
vuostá - vuosttá [st > stt]
Iŋgá - Iŋggá [ŋg > ŋgg]
Máhtte - Máhte [htt > ht]

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Gradation

Strong->weak
it -> itt
lp -> lpp
lk -> lkk

áiti [aaj^hti] -> áitti [aajhttii]
stoalpu [stoal^hpu] -> stoalppu [stoalhpuu]
mielki [miel^hki] -> mielkki [mielhkii]

Strong: note the schwa-vowel. There's a weak h-sound before k,p and t.

Weak: There's a strong h-sound before k,p and t.

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Locative

This case is similar to English preposition "in".
It's marked by adding an -s into the end of a word.
Remember the gradation!!

Biila - a car (accusative biilla)
Biillas - in a car

láibi - a bread (accusative láibbi]
láibbis - in a bread

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Conjugation of -ut verbs

You already know how to conjugate verbs ending with -at or -it. Now we'll learn the conjugation of -ut verbs.

orrut - to live in somewhere

mun oru-n - i live
don oru-t - you live
son orru - s/he lives

Infinitive: orrut
Negative verb: in oro
Imperative: oro!

Infinitive: doalvut
Negative verb: in doalvvo
Imperative: doalvvo!

Note that the u of 2nd syllable changes to o

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