jeff_l
(Jeff_L)
#1
428 7 Verbal morphology
7.3.2.16 'be lost' (y/b)
This is a transitive verb with invariable (but semantically empty) 3MaSg
subject, and expresses the lost person or object as a direct object. The 3MaSg
subject prefix is inaudible before the perfectives (which begin with ae) and
before the short imperfective (which begins with i), but an audible 3MaSgS i-
occurs with long imperfectives. A dative or locative PP may be added to
specify the person adversely affected by the loss, generally the owner. The
sense may be 'X get lost to/on Y' (equivalent to Ύ lost X'), or Ύ not get/find
X'.
With human object, and no dative or locative, the usual sense is 'X be
lost', most often as a euphemistic 'X die'.
In the PerfP -aeba-, the stem-final α is truncated before a dative
pronominal clitic beginning in -\ha-.
(434) a. 0-aeba-\daY-l t-erse
3MaSgS-be.lost.PerfP-\in-1 Sg Fe-sheep
Ά sheep was lost on me.' (= Ί lost one of my sheep.)
b. di-ha-\d-\tsen 0-aebα
here-\Comit-\3MaP10 3MaSg-be.lost.PerfP
'in the place where they were lost (=died)'
c. 0 -a2b-\ha-hi-\tt
3MaSgS-be.lost.PerfP-\Dat-lSg-\3MaSgO
'Ilost it.' = Ί didn't get it'.
d. ad-\ha-s-\t 0-iba
Fut-\Dat-3Sg-\3MaSgO 3MaSgS-be.lost.ShImpf
'He will lose it.' = 'He won't get it.'
The basic stems are shown in (435).
(435) 'be lost'
PerfP -aeba-
Imprt -Iba-
LoImpfP -t-iba-
VblN Iba
This is the only -vCi> or -uCu- verb (cf. §7.3.1.3-4, §7.3.2.12-14) with this
vocalism in either the perfectives or imperfectives.
The Hortative suffix takes the form -het with h. Positive: iba-het-\kaey
'may you-Sg be lost!'. Negative: waerAkaey i-t-iba-het 'may you not be lost!'.
