The Present Stem

To-Do

• Add mai-type verbs

Ablaut in Present Stems

Present stem is formed from a verb stem with either a zero- or lengthened-grade ablaut:

• zero-grade: causative, derivative, formative (b) verbs;
• lengthened-grade: basic verbs, a-verbs, u-verbs, and formative (a) verbs.

Exception

Long verbs make their present tense stem with short-grade ablaut, see below.

Reminder

Derivative and causative conjugations have only zero-grade stem (→@@).

Long conjugations have no lengthened-grade stem.

Thematic and Athematic Presents

Forms built on the present stem follow either a thematic or an athematic conjugation.

• thematic conjugation: derivative and causative verbs.
• athematic conjugation: all other verbs.

Late Tarquesta

Thematic conjugation eventually spread into the rest of secondary verbs, except u-verbs: fára > fárea, talata > taltea, síria > sírea, istya > istea.

Tense Endings

Tense endings are added after a theme vowel in thematic conjugations, or directly to stem in athematic conjugations.

• present tense endings: -ya in derivative, causative verbs, and formative verbs; -a in other verbs;
• imperfect tense ending: -ane in all conjugations;

Overview of Regular Forms

Examples (lengthened-grade ablaut stems and thematic vowels are highlighted):

	verb stem	present tense stem	imperfect tense stem
basic	cen-	cén-a	cén-ane
vocalic u	lir-u-	lír-u-a	lír-u-ane > líruáne
long	talat-	talat-a	talat-ane > talatáne
formative (a)	sir-y-	sír-y-ya > síria	sír-y-ane > síriáne
formative (b)	is-t-	ís-t-ya > istya	ís-t-ane > istane
vocalic a	far-a-	fár-a	fár-ane
derivative	tengu-a-	tengu-a-ya > tenguea	tengu-a-ane > tenguáne
causative (a)	tul-ya-	tul-y-a-ya > tulyea	tul-y-a-ane > tulyáne
causative (b)	tul-ta-	tul-t-a-ya > tultea	tul-t-a-ane > tultáne

Particular Formations

Verbs Defective in Present

Verbs ending in -e(ng)a are defective and use their aorist tense form for present: te(ng)a- > tea shows, is showing.