From ConPlanet

Contents 1 Verbs 1.1 Verb arity 1.2 Negatives 1.3 Verb states

Verbs

Verbs in sala represent an action to be done or a state to be applied to something. It always precedes a noun or set of nouns like an adjective.

Verb arity

A verb can take so many arguments (objects) and depending on the types of those arguments, the verb means different things. So using the verb tukapi (to follow/to imitate) as an example:

• tukapi + loc = to follow
• tukapi + inst = to imitate

Negatives

Negative verbs in sala cause a change in stress and a change in the default letter order. In normal verbs, the stress falls on the penultimate syllable and is changed to the ultimate syllable in the negative. In verbs that end with an n, r, or l the stress is on the last syllable, the n becomes [J], and the stress remains on the syllable with the nasal. The order changes from verb + s + V + V/C to verb + h + V + s + V/C.

Examples:

• Sála to be -> salása -> salahás
• Kitlán to look -> kitlánsa -> kitlánhas

Verb states

Verb states are made from suffixes attached to the end of a verb to make it into something else. Each suffix starts with s, is followed by a vowel representing the tense, and ends with another vowel or consonant representing the state change. If it is followed by another vowel, the rule is that the second vowel dictates what the tense is rather than the first and the changes take place relative to the position of the main vowel.

• tenses
  • i - 1 - future tense
  • a - 2 - present tense
  • u - 3 - past tense
• aspect
  • -t continuous
  • -p perfective
  • -Ø single/habitual
• mood
  • -k imperative
  • -Ø indicative/subjunctive
• voice
  • -s passive
  • -Ø active
• verbal shift
  • shift up - adjective
  • shift down - noun

These last ones are a little complicated, so here's an example:

green - secondary vowel shift

red - main vowel

• sala - to be
• salasa - is/are/am
• salasua - a being
• salasia - extant/existing