Verb Scale V: nitkatab

9.1 Introduction to nitkatab Verbs

Nitkatab (Scale V) is somewhat of a mixed grab-bag scale, combing a number of different intransitive meanings. It is sometimes called the reflexive stem for historical reasons, though true reflexives only account for a portion of the verbs in this scale. The main functions of nitkatab are:

• Forming reflexives from transitive roots: *glāř “shave” → νίδ̄γαλαρ̄ niḏgalař “shave oneself”
• Forming causative reflexives from stative roots: *lvīs “wear” → νίτλαв̄ας nitlavas “dress oneself (cause oneself to wear)”
• Forming verbs denoting accompaniment: *drīk “go” → νίδδαρακ niddarak “go together, go with”
• Forming so-called autoreflexive verbs, indicating an objectless action performed on one's body, such as νίσταηαλ nistahal “cough” (*shāl), νάττατας nəthatas “sneeze” (*htās), νίττζαλας nitčalas “laugh” (*čhlās); these verbs have no 'base' form in Scales I or II
• Forming expressive verbs with generally unpredictable semantics: *tshřē' “shout” → νίτσαρ̄α nitsařa “shout out [in pain, joy, etc.]”
• Forming verbs indicating misperformance: *mnāw “count” → νιτμανού nitmanū “miscount”

The only functions out of those listed above that are still fully productive are the reflexives from transitive roots. The verbs of accompaniment, verbs of misperformance, and expressive verbs are quasi-productive, including many verbs with fixed and unpredictable semantics, but nevertheless generally admitting of new forms. The group of autoreflexives is a closed class, and the reflexive causatives are purely a relic (since most reflexive causatives are handled by Scale VI in modern Alashian).

In comparative Semitic studies this class is known as the Nt-Stem, due to the presence of both the N-type suffix (as in nuktāb) and the t-type suffix (as in taktēb). However, in some forms the /n/ has assimilated into the /t/, resulting in an aspirated prefix -th-.

9.2 Triconsonantal Roots and nitkatab

9.2.1 The Present Tense

The nitkatab present tense is formed by adding the usual present affixes to the stem *-thaC₁C₂aC₃-. Due to the aspirate at the front of the stem, the prefix vowel is always /ə/.

The forms shown below demonstrate the verb νίτλαв̄ας nitlavas “dress oneself, get dressed”.

9.2.2 The Preterite Tense

The preterite simply consists of the stem *nitC₁aC₂aC₃ plus the regular preterite endings:

9.2.3 The Imperfect Tense

The imperfect is formed by adding the standard imperfect endings to the stem *nitC₁ieC₂eC₃-:

9.2.4 The Perfective Subjunctive Tense

The perfective subjunctive is formed by adding a special set of prefixes to the stem *-thaC₁C₂aC₃, namely *vā- in the first person singular, *venə- in the first person plural, *vetə- in the second person, and *vē- in the third person:

9.2.5 The Imperative

The imperative is formed by adding the usual suffixes to the stem *'əthaC₁C₂aC₃-:

9.2.6 Deverbatives

The infinitive is formed from the pattern *māthaC₁C₂aC₃, and the participle from *məthaC₁C₂iC₃.

9.3 Biconsonantal Roots and nitkatab

Biconsonantal roots are largely regular. The root remains intact in all forms other than the imperfect, where *-ie- replaces the root vowel. The prefixes *nit- and *-tta- are added directly to the root. However, these roots are subject to metathesis if C₁ is a fricative and it comes in direct contact with the prefixed *t, as in some forms of νιφτούκ niftūk “hiccup/hiccough” (root *fūk), shown below:

9.4 Quadriconsonantal Roots and nitkatab

Quadriconsonantal roots cannot appear in Scale V at all. If a reflexive meaning is needed, this can only be achieved with a reflexive pronoun.

9.5 Geminate Roots and nitkatab

Geminate roots in nitkatab behave as triconsonantal roots. Thus, a root such as *gann “hide” produces the Scale V verb νίδ̄γαναν niḏganan “hide oneself, be hiding”, which conjugates as though it were *gnVn.

9.6 Weak Roots in Scale V

9.6.1 C1 = Ř

Root-initial *Ř is regular in nitkatab, as in the root *řagg “celebrate”, which gives the verb νίτρ̄αγαγ nitřagag “celebrate, have a celebration”.

9.6.2 C2 = Ř

Medial *Ř does not trigger any irregularities. Verbs such as νίσταρ̄ατ nistařat “deceive oneself” (*sřāt “trick, deceive”) are regular.

9.6.3 C3 = Ř

Root-final *Ř affects the feminine suffix *-ī in the present tense and imperative, which becomes *-ēyi. The verb νίδ̄γαλαρ̄ niḏgalař “shave oneself” (*glāř “shave”), for instance, has the form ιδ̄γαλαρ̄ήι yiḏgalařēyi “she is shaving herself” instead of regular **yitgalařī. In addition, the last vowel of the participle is lowered to /e/: μάτταγλερ̄ məthagleř “shaving” (not **məthagliř).

9.6.4 C1 = '/H

Roots with initial *' and *H behave identically. When the prefixed *nit- comes in direct contact with C₁, the radical drops and the prefix undergoes aspiration and reduction, becoming *nəth-. Elsewhere, when C₁ comes in direct contact with C₂, the former surfaces as /h/ and acquires an epenthetic /a/ that does not affect stress assignment. Shown below for reference are the present and preterite tenses of νάττατας nəthatas “sneeze” (*htās “sneeze”):

9.6.5 C2 = '/H

Roots with medial *' or *H (such as *shāl “cough”, giving νίσταηαλ nistahal “cough”) are regular in some forms, and show assimilation in some others.

When C₂ is intervocal (in the preterite and imperfect), the verb conjugates regularly: νιστάηαλετ nistahalet “I coughed”, νιστιηηελώ nistiehelā “she was coughing”.

When C₂ is not intervocal and therefore in contact with C₁, it assimilates into C₁, resulting in gemination or aspiration. If aspiration appears, this in turn will cause preceding short vowels to reduce to schwa: ιαττασσαλού yəthəssalū “they are coughing” (not **yəthashalū), μώττασσαλ māthəssal “cough (inf)” (not **māthashal).

9.6.6 C3 = '

Root-final *' has the same erratic behavior as in other scales. In most forms it drops when word-final and is preserved elsewhere, except in the two past tenses, where a special set of endings are used. Shown below is the full conjugation of νίτκαρα nitkara “call oneself” (*khrā' “call, read”), which is also a C₁ aspirate root:

9.6.7 C3 = H

Roots with final *H lose this radical and conjugate as though they were biconsonantal, with inherent vowel *ā. The root *smāh “hear”, for instance, behaves as though it were *sām, giving the verb νιστώμ nistām “hear oneself”. These then follow a regular biconsonantal paradigm.

9.6.8 C1 = Y/W

Initial *Y and *W are regular when serving as the syllable onset, but undergo monophthongization when in coda position (with *ay becoming *ē and *aw becoming *ū), with the new long vowels having no effect on stress. The following tables demonstrate the present tense (irregular) and preterite (regular) of two verbs, νίτιαραχ nityarax “go out, go on a date” (*yrīx “schedule, set a date”) and νίτυασαν nitwasan “be exhausted, be on the verge of falling asleep” (*wsīn “sleep”, also a C₃=N root).

9.6.9 C3 = Y/W

Root-final *Y and *W are kept when intervocalic, but their behavior in coda position is more complex. In the imperfect, coda glides are simply lost; in other forms, they undergo monophthongization, with *ay become *ē, *aw becoming *ū, and *iy/*iw becoming *ī, with no change in stress patterns (except in the participle). Such verbs include νίζδαμη nizdamē “work up a thirst, become dehydrated” (*zmāy “thirsty”, with metathesis) and νίτμανου nitmanū “miscount” (*mnāw “count”); for the sake of space only the conjugation of νίτμανου nitmanū is shown below:

9.6.10 C1/C2/C3 = N

Roots with initial *N (as in *nkīr “recognize”, giving νίτνακαρ nitnakar “recognize oneself”) undergo assimilation when followed immediately by C₂, with C₂ becoming geminated or aspirated. They are otherwise regular, although if aspiration appears, it will be accompanied by vowel reduction: ναττακκαρού nəthəkharū “we recognize ourselves” (not **nəthankarū), νιτνάκαρετ nitnakaret “I recognized myself”.

Roots with medial *N (such as νίτκανας nitkanas “gather (intr.)”, from *knās “gather (tr.)”) are regular.

Root-final *N is irregular only in the two past tenses, where assimilation takes place in a number of forms. With the root *šfān “cover” we get the metathesized verb νίσ̄ταφαν ništafan “cover oneself”:

9.6.11 C1 = PH/TH/KH/TSH/ČH

Roots with initial aspirates are largely unproblematic. Since C₁ is always in a cluster, it will always surface in an unaspirated state. The only difference between this and the regular paradigms is that any short vowel immediately preceding C₁ will reduce to /ə/. One such root is *čhlās “laugh”, giving the verb νίττζαλας nitčalas “laugh”.

9.6.12 C2 = PH/TH/KH/TSH/ČH

Root-internal aspirates will sometimes surface aspirated and sometimes unaspirated. When intervocalic, the surface realization is always aspirated, resulting in the reduction of the preceding vowel. In other positions, the surface realization is unaspirated, and the conjugation is completely regular. Shown below for reference are the present and preterite tenses of νίθτακκαλ niṯtəkhal “weigh oneself” (*ṯkhāl “weigh” with metathesis).

9.6.13 C3 = PH/TH/KH/TSH/ČH

The most irregular aspirate subclass in Scale V is, naturally, the C₃ aspirates, although this irregularity mostly mirrors that of other scales. The aspiration will only surface when intervocal, short vowels immediately preceding C₃ will reduce to schwa, and the preterite and imperfect use the special set of aspirated endings. Note, however, the special C₃ metathesis that takes place in some forms of the past tenses, whereby the usual stems *nitC₁aC₂aC₃- (preterite) and *nitC₁ieC₂eC₃- (imperfect) become *nitC₁aC₂C₃ə- and *nitC₁ieC₂C₃e- The chart below demonstrates the conjugation of the verb νίτραχατζ nitraxəč “bathe, wash oneself”, from the root *rxāčh “wash”.

9.6.14 C1 = F/V/Ṯ/Ḏ/S/Z/Š/X/Ǧ

As in Scale IV, roots with an initial fricative consonant (excluding /h/) undergo metathesis in forms where C₁ comes in direct contact with the prefixed *t of nitkatab. This has already been seen on a number of verbs: νιφτούκ niftūk “hiccup” (*fūk), νίσταρ̄ατ nistařat “deceive oneself” (*sřāt), νίσταηαλ nistahal “cough” (*shāl), νιστώμ nistām “hear oneself” (*smāh), νίθτακκαλ niṯtəkhal “weigh oneself” (*ṯkhāl), and so on.

9.6.15 T-Assimilation

The prefixed *t of nitkatab is prone to the same sorts of assimilatory phenomena as seen in Scale IV when it comes in direct contact with C₁.

When C₁ is *T or *D, the prefix will assimilate completely in these forms, resulting in a geminated (never aspirated!) consonant: *drīk “go” → νίδδαρακ niddarak “accompany, go with, go together” (not *nitdarak).

When C₁ is *B or *G, the prefix will voice to *d and then lenite to *ḏ: *gann “hide” → νίδ̄γαναν niḏganan “hide oneself” (not **nitganan).

When C₁ is a voiced fricative *V/*Ḏ/*Z/*Ǧ, the prefixed *t will first voice to *d and then undergo the usual fricative metathesis: *zmāy “thirsty” → νίζδαμη nizdamē “work up a thirst, become dehydrated” (not **nitzamay).