over 25,000 forms with any one stem.
The sets of verb forms may most clearly be described in terms of six dimensions. These will be described in order of
the number of contrasting sets in which they are involved.
Dimension 1: Affirmative vs. negative. This is a two-way contrast. The overt representation of the contrast is either the initial prefix /nti—/, or the non-initial prefix /-ta-/.
The former is used with all indicative forms (see Dimension 2), the latter with all non—indicative forms. All 60 sets are committed on this dimension. That is, it is possible to say definitely of any set either that it is affirmative or that it is negative. The meaning difference is affirmation vs. negation.
For each verb form two proposed translations are given. Pick the correct one:
| ntibaboná | 'they see' 'they don't see' |
[they don't see] |
| tumesuura | 'we launder' 'we don‘t launder' |
[we launder] |
| batageenda | 'they having gone' 'they not having gone' |
[they not having gone] |
| ntidukorá | 'we work' 'we don't work' |
[we don't work] |
Dimension 2: Mood. This is a four-way contrast. The overt representation of three of the four categories is found in the tones; the fourth is characterized by a vowel before the subject prefix. All 60 sets are committed on this dimension. The four categories differ with respect to the syntactic positions in which they are used: indicative forms are used in main clauses,
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