(5) sanati = “immediately after.”
tsosanati woa = Go as soon as you have eaten.
(6) si or sa = “after.”
tsosi woa = Go when you have eaten.
(7) leha or chakla denote concession.
Ana otsi ntsoleha woka = Though I have not eaten I will go.
[Directional Prefixes.] Certain prefixes are added to verbs of motion
to indicate direction.
(1) chung = “up”; chungwoka = I will go up.
(2) cho = “down”; chowoka = I will go down.
(3) thre or thro = “in”; threyia = come in. throwoa = go in.
(4) chi = “out”; chiyia = go out.
[Conditional Clauses.] A conditional clause is usually expressed
participially by means of the postposition -na added to the verbal
stem. Another method is to add -wo to the verbal root of the protasis
and -katola to the verbal root of the apodosis.
Otsi hello liwo ana tsokatola [226]
= If rice were here I would eat.
[Purpose.] Purpose is usually expressed by adding the postposition -lo,
“to,” to the verbal root. It may also be expressed by the prefix e-,
either with or without the postposition -lo, or by the suffix kiatto.
Ana tsolo rōcho. }
Ana etsolo rocho. } I came to eat.
Ana etso rocho. }
Ana tsokiatto rocho. }
[Negative.] With the imperative the prohibitive prefix tī- is used.
Titsoa = Do not eat.
In the other tenses n (or sometimes for euphony m) is prefixed to the
verb.
Ana ntso = I do not eat.
[Interrogatives.] The following suffixes are added to the verbal root
plus the termination -a.
(1) -ke.
Nno tsoake = Do you eat?
(2) -nūng.
Nno tsoanung = Do you eat?
(3) -la, with a reduplicated verbal root.
Nna tsotsoala = Do you eat?
(4) -ela, with a reduplicated verbal root. This form is only used when
speaking of past time. The termination -a of the verbal root is elided
and disappears.
Nno tsotsoela = Did you eat?
(5) For double questions -lo is suffixed to the affirmative verb and
-la (or -ela) to the negative verb.
Nno tsoalo ntsoala = Do you eat or not?
(6) -ne is used in asking permission.
Ana tsoane = May I eat?
[Voice.] There is no passive form of the verb.
I have eaten up my rice = ana atsi tsochaka.
My rice has been eaten up = atsi tsochaka.
The latter appears to be really a case in which the subject is
understood.
[Verbal Synonyms.] As in other Naga languages, different verbs are used
for variations of the same act. Dr. Witter gives the following list as
an example.
Ephyopala = to wash in general.
Etsiala = ,, ,, clothes.
Süala = ,, ,, dishes.
Myuala = ,, ,, face.
Phiala = ,, ,, feet.
Ntsakala = ,, ,, hands.
[Adverbs.] The following are typical examples. Many are composite words
formed from a noun or pronoun and a postposition.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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