gaulish verbal system - unfinished draft

Verbs 1: Active Present Indicative

Belloṷesus Īsarnos 1) weak verbs

1.a) -ā- stem verbs 1.b) -ī- stem verbs

2) strong verbs

2.1) thematic

2.1.a) -e/o- stem verbs 2.1.b) -ye/o- stem verbs 2.1.c) -n- stem verbs (infixed nasal)

2.2) athematic

2.2.a) -na- verbs 2.2.b) -nu- verbs

-ā-stem verbs WI (McCone) weak verbs – 1.a AI (Thurneysen) nertāt (WI / AI), nertātus, -oṷs (mu): to strengthen

Active Present Indicative

1sg. nert- -ā- -mi 2sg. nert- -ā- -si 3sg. nert- -ā- -t(i) 1pl. nert- -ā- -mos 2pl. nert- -ā- -tes 3pl. nert- -ā- -nt

berṷāt, berṷātus, -oṷs (mu): to boil koṷdāt, koṷdaus, -oṷs (mu): to hide lināt, linātus, -oṷs (mu): to fill

-ī-stem verbs WII (McCone) weak verbs – 1.6 AII (Thurneysen) arkīt (WII / AII), arkon, -ī (no): to ask


1sg. ark- -ī- -mi 2sg. ark- -ī- -si

3sg. ark- -ī- -t(i) 1pl. ark- -ī- -mos 2pl. ark- -ī- -tes 3pl. ark- -ī- -nt

rādīt, rādos, -ī (mo): to talk skokīt, skoχtos, -ī (mo): to move snādīt, snādimā, -ā (fā): to protect

-e/o- stem verbs S1 (McCone) thematic strong verbs – 2.1.a BI (Thurneysen) anket (S1 / BI), ankon, -ī (no): to arrive


1sg. ank- --- -ū 2sg. ank- -e- -si 3sg. ank- -e- -t(i) 1pl. ank- -o- -mos 2pl. ank- -e- -tes 3pl. ank- -o- -nt

snadet, snadyā, -ās (fā): to carve tepet, tepon, -ī (no): to flee toretet, toretus, -oṷs (mu): to approach

-ye/o- stem verbs S2 (McCone) thematic strong verbs – 2.1.b BII (Thurneysen) garyet (S1 / BI), garman, -os (nn): to call, shout, cry


1sg. gar- -y- -ū 2sg. gar- -ye- -si 3sg. gar- -ye- -t(i) 1pl. gar- -yo- -mos2pl. gar- -ye- -tes 3pl. gar- -yo- -nt

ṷedyet, ṷedyā, -ās (fā): to pray ṷegyet, ṷegon, -ī (no): to weave dugyet, dugyon, -ī (no): to manufacture

-n- stem verbs (infixed nasal)1 S1d (McCone) thematic strong verbs – 2.1.c BIII (Thurneysen) 1 S1d / BIII class verbs are distinguished by having in the present tense a “nasal infix”: a homorganic nasal before the final consonant of the stem. Note that this infix does not occur in any other form of the verb.

bundet (S1d / BIII), boṷdon, -ī (no): to proclaim


1sg. bung- --- -ū 2sg. bung- -e- -si 3sg. bung- -e- -t(i) 1pl. bung- -o- -mos2pl. bung- -e- -tes 3pl. bung- -o- -nt

bonget, boṷgnis, -ēs (fi): to break denget, degyā, -ās (fā): to press robundet, roboṷdon, -ī (no): to warn

-na- verbs S3 (McCone) athematic strong verbs – 2.2.a BIV (Thurneysen) prinat (S3 / BIV), prītis, -ēs (fi): to buy


1sg. pri- -na- -mi 2sg. pri- -na- -si 3sg. pri- -na- -t(i) 1pl. pri-- -na- -mos2pl. pri- -na- -tes 3pl. pri- -na- -nt

ernat, raton, -ī (no): to bestow upon glinat, gliyon, -ī (no): to glue rinat, riyon, -ī (no): to sell

-nu- verbs S3 (McCone) athematic strong verbs – 2.2.b BV (Thurneysen) linut (S3 / BV), liyon, -ī (mu): to flow


1sg. li- -nu- -mi 2sg. li- -nu- -si 3sg. li- -nu- -t(i) 1pl. li- -nu- -mos 2pl. li- -nu- -tes 3pl. li- -nu- -nt

gninut, gniyā, -ās (fā): to know tannut, tanniyā, -ās (fā): to spread

tinut, tiniyā, -ās (fā): to fade away

Verbs 2: Preterite Indicative

Belloṷesus Īsarnos 1) weak verbs

1.a) -ā- stem verbs 1.b) -ī- stem verbs

2) strong verbs

2.1) thematic

2.1.a) -e/o- stem verbs 2.1.b) -ye/o- stem verbs 2.1.c) -n- stem verbs (infixed nasal)

2.2) athematic

2.2.a) -na- verbs 2.2.b) -nu- verbs

I Weak preterites (form used with weak verbs) -ā- stem verbs WI (McCone) weak verbs – 1.a AI (Thurneysen) nertāt (WI / AI), nertātus, -oṷs (mu): to strengthen

Active Preterite Indicative

1sg. nert- -ā- -ss- -ū 2sg. nert- -ā- -ss- -es 3sg. nert- -ā- -ss- -et 1pl. nert- -ā- -ss- -omos 2pl. nert- -ā- -ss- -etes 3pl. nert- -ā- -ss- -ont

berṷāt, berṷātus, -oṷs (mu): to boil


1sg. berṷ- -ā- -ss- -ū 2sg. berṷ- -ā- -ss- -es 3sg. berṷ- -ā- -ss- -et 1pl. berṷ- -ā- -ss- -omos 2pl. berṷ- -ā- -ss- -etes

3pl. berṷ- -ā- -ss- -ont

koṷdāt, koṷdaus, -oṷs (mu): to hide


1sg. koṷd- -ā- -ss- -ū 2sg. koṷd- -ā- -ss- -es 3sg. koṷd- -ā- -ss- -et 1pl. koṷd- -ā- -ss- -omos 2pl. koṷd- -ā- -ss- -etes 3pl. koṷd- -ā- -ss- -ont

lināt, linātus, -oṷs (mu): to fill


1sg. lin- -ā- -ss- -ū 2sg. lin- -ā- -ss- -es 3sg. lin- -ā- -ss- -et 1pl. lin- -ā- -ss- -omos 2pl. lin- -ā- -ss- -etes 3pl. lin- -ā- -ss- -ont -ī- stem verbs WII (McCone) weak verbs – 1.6 AII (Thurneysen) arkīt (WII / AII), arkon, -ī (no): to ask


1sg. ark- -ī- -ss- -ū 2sg. ark- -ī- -ss- -es 3sg. ark- -ī- -ss- -et 1pl. ark- -ī- -ss- -omos 2pl. ark- -ī- -ss- -etes 3pl. ark- -ī- -ss- -ont

rādīt, rādos, -ī (mo): to talk


1sg. rād- -ī- -ss- -ū 2sg. rād- -ī- -ss- -es 3sg. rād- -ī- -ss- -et 1pl. rād- -ī- -ss- -omos 2pl. rād- -ī- -ss- -etes 3pl. rād- -ī- -ss- -ont

skokīt, skoχtos, -ī (mo): to move


1sg. skok- -ī- -ss- -ū 2sg. skok- -ī- -ss- -es 3sg. skok- -ī- -ss- -et 1pl. skok- -ī- -ss- -omos 2pl. skok- -ī- -ss- -etes 3pl. skok- -ī- -ss- -ont

snādīt, snādimā, -ā (fā): to protect


1sg. snād- -ī- -ss- -ū 2sg. snād- -ī- -ss- -es 3sg. snād- -ī- -ss- -et 1pl. snād- -ī- -ss- -omos 2pl. snād- -ī- -ss- -etes 3pl. snād- -ī- -ss- -ont II Strong preterites There are two groups of strong preterites: 1 Suffixed preterites - use a suffix before the personal desinences. This suffix can be either -s- or –t-. -s- suffixed strong preterites: verbal stem ends in semivowel. Semivowel: a semivowel (or glide) is a sound, such as English /w/ or /j/, that is phonetically similar to a vowel sound but functions as the syllable boundary rather than as the nucleus of a syllable. -t- suffixed strong preterites: verbal stem ends in a rhotic, lateral or velar consonant. Rhotic consonants: also called tremulants or "R-like" sounds, are liquid consonants that are traditionally represented orthographically by symbols derived from the Greek letter rho, including <R>, <r> in the Latin script and <Р>, <p> in the Cyrillic script. Lateral consonants: laterals are L-like consonants, in which airstream proceeds along the sides of the tongue, but is blocked by the tongue from going through the middle of the mouth.

Velar consonants: velars are consonants articulated with the back part of the tongue (the dorsum) against the soft palate, the back part of the roof of the mouth (known also as the velum). Palatalised velars (like English /k/ in keen or cube) are sometimes referred to as palatovelars. Many languages also have labialized velars, such as [kʷ], in which the articulation is accompanied by rounding of the lips. There are also labial-velar consonants, which are doubly articulated at the velum and at the lips, such as [k͡p]. This distinction disappears with the approximant [w] since labialization involves adding of a labial approximant articulation to a sound, and this ambiguous situation is often called labiovelar. Personal desinences are the same in both stem formations. 2 Suffixless preterites - no suffix before the personal desinences. Thre are three different classes: Reduplicating preterites: double the consonant sound or sounds at the beginning of the syllable, with the vowel -e- between the two segments. If the vowel of the stem was -e-, it would change in the preterite to -o-. Reduplicating preterites of present -na- and -nu- stems (S3 / BIV and S3 / BV): the reduplicating vowel is -i-. Verbs whose present stems: - began in a single consonant, - whose medial vowel was -e- and - had a final velar or dental consonant. In these verbs, the stem vowel changed to -ā- to form the preterite. -e/o- stem verbs S1 (McCone) thematic strong verbs – 2.1.a BI (Thurneysen) anket (S1 / BI), ankon, -ī (no): to arrive suffixed -t- preterite


1sg. anχ- -t- -a 2sg. anχ- -t- -as 3sg. anχ- -t- -e 1pl. anχ- -t- -ame 2pl. anχ- -t- -ate 3pl. anχ- -t- -ar snadet, snadyā, -ās (fā): to carve suffixless preterite


1sg. snad- -a 2sg. snad- -as

3sg. snad- -e 1pl. snad- -ame 2pl. snad- -ate 3pl. snad- -ar

tepet, tepon, -ī (no): to flee toretet, toretus, -oṷs (mu): to approach

-ye/o- stem verbs S2 (McCone) thematic strong verbs – 2.1.b BII (Thurneysen) garyet (S2 / BII), garman, -os (nn): to call, shout, cry suffixed -t- preterite


1sg. gar- -t- -a 2sg. gar- -t- -as 3sg. gar- -t- -e 1pl. gar- -t- -ame2pl. gar- -t- -ate 3pl. gar- -t- -ar

ṷedyet, ṷedyā, -ās (fā): to pray ṷegyet, ṷegon, -ī (no): to weave dugyet, dugyon, -ī (no): to manufacture

-n- stem verbs (infixed nasal) S1d (McCone) thematic strong verbs – 2.1.c BIII (Thurneysen) bundet (S1d / BIII), boṷdon, -ī (no): to proclaim


1sg. bung- --- -ū 2sg. bung- -e- -si 3sg. bung- -e- -t(i) 1pl. bung- -o- -mos2pl. bung- -e- -tes 3pl. bung- -o- -nt

bonget, boṷgnis, -ēs (fi): to break denget, degyā, -ās (fā): to press robundet, roboṷdon, -ī (no): to warn

-na- verbs S3 (McCone) athematic strong verbs – 2.2.a BIV (Thurneysen) prinat (S3 / BIV), prītis, -ēs (fi): to buy


1sg. pi- -pr- -a 2sg. pi- -pr- -as 3sg. pi- -pr- -e 1pl. pi- -pr- -ame 2pl. pi- -pr- -ate 3pl. pi- -pr- -ar

ernat, raton, -ī (no): to bestow upon glinat, gliyon, -ī (no): to glue rinat, riyon, -ī (no): to sell

-nu- verbs S3 (McCone) athematic strong verbs – 2.2.b BV (Thurneysen) linut (S3 / BV), liyon, -ī (mu): to flow


1sg. li- -nu- -mi 2sg. li- -nu- -si 3sg. li- -nu- -t(i) 1pl. li- -nu- -mos 2pl. li- -nu- -tes 3pl. li- -nu- -nt

gninut, gniyā, -ās (fā): to know tannut, tanniyā, -ās (fā): to spread tinut, tiniyā, -ās (fā): to fade away

Formation of denominative verbs

By far the commonest method of forming verbs from nouns and adjectives is by adding the suffix -sagyo- (sagyetro [DBII], v. n. sagitis, -ēs [fi]), the resulting verb being inflected as a deponent of the BII class. This method was used in he Old Irish era by the glossators to render any given Latin denominative by a corresponding Irish formation. The suffix is not limited to any particular shade of meaning. In the examples which follow the denominative verb is given in the 3sg. From adjectives: - lubros 'weak, ill': lubrosagyetro, 'weakens' and 'is weak, ill'; - ūros 'fresh, green': ūrosagyetro 'uiret';

WORK IN PROGRESS

- biṷos 'living': biṷosagyetro 'vivifies'; - ṷosulanđđus 'clear': ṷosulanđđusagyetro 'clarifies, makes clear'; - sēmis 'thin': sēmisagyetro 'attenuates'; - alyos 'other': alyosagyetro 'alters'; - adamryos 'wonderful': adamryosagyetro 'wonders at'. From nouns: - ṷogaron 'sound': ṷogarosagyetro 'sounds'; - kṷritus 'shape': kṷritusagyetro 'shapes'; - sedon 'sitting': sedosagyetro 'sets'; - goṷā 'lie, falsehood': goṷosagyetro 'lies, falsifies'; - enknā 'necessity': konenknosagyetro 'necessitates'; - anman 'name': anmanosagyetro 'names'; - aremantyū 'honouring': aremantyonosagyetro 'honours'. - mriχtos 'motley': mriχtosagyetro 'varies, diversifies'. This formation is common to all the Insular Celtic languages. In earlier forms the Britannic dialects have h, a development of intervocalic s, before -ag-; e.g. O.Bret. lemhaam (< -hagam) gl. acuo, from sliχsmos 'pointed'; OW scamnhegint gl. leuant, from skamnos 'light'; here, therefore, the full form of the suffix is -sag-. The Irish form could also have contained s, since doubtful s before an unstressed vowel completely disappears. Hence it is doubtful if these verbs can be compared with Lat. remigare, mitigare, etc. On the other hand they are closely connected with the Irish nouns of agency in -(a)ige. Simple denominatives of the AI and AII conjugations, formed without any further suffix, are also fairly numerous: a. Transitive AI verbs from adjectives, the largest class; e.g.: - māros 'great': mārāt 'magnifies'; - suṷiros 'free, noble': suṷirāt 'frees'; - marṷos 'dead': marṷāt 'kills'; - glanos 'pure': glanāt 'purifies'; - birros 'short': birrāt 'shears'; - kertos 'right': konkertāt 'corrects'; - deponent, komlānos 'complete': komlānātro 'fulfils'. b. AI verbs from nouns; e.g.: - nerton 'strength': nertāt 'strengthens'; - rasnā 'part': rasnāt 'divides'; - kṷennon and ṷerkṷennon 'end': ṷerkṷennāt 'terminates'; - deponent, kṷēslā 'sense': ṷokṷēslātro 'takes heed of'. c. AII verbs from nouns; e.g.: - rādos 'speech': rādīt 'speaks'; - kṷennon 'end': kṷennīt; - durnos 'fist': durnīt 'strikes with fists';

- stlondos 'indication': stlondīt 'indicates, names'; - dālis 'share': ṷodālīt 'divides, pours out'; - rīmā 'number': adrīmīt 'counts', torīmīt 'enumerates'; - sketlon 'tidings': tosketlīt 'explores'; - toybos 'side': adtoybīt, attoybīt 'adheres'; - selṷā 'possession': toadselṷīt 'assigns'; - deponent, koros 'throw': -korītro 'throws, puts'. From an adjective: soybos 'false': -soybīt 'falsities, deceives', which may be modelled on adtosoybīt. Adṷīrīt 'substantiates' is probably derived, not from ṷīros 'true', but from the noun ṷīron 'oath establishing the truth'.

gaulish verbal system - unfinished draft

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