Verb Scale VI: staktab and nistuktāb

10.1 Introduction to staktab Verbs

Staktab (Active Scale VI), also known as the “reflexive of causative”, is one of the trickiest Alashian verb classes as far as semantics are concerned. Its most fundamental function is to serve as the reflexive counterpart to 'aktēb, the causative verbal scale, such that a verb like στάκταβ staktab (from *ktāb “write”) literally means “make oneself write”. However, this basic meaning is often subject to large amounts of unpredictable metaphorical and semantic drift; in this case, the verb στάκταβ staktab is more commonly used to mean “not procrastinate, not put off” (whether or not actual writing is involved). In particular Active Scale VI often has an inchoative sense.

It is marked by the prefixed -st- in all forms, and is also known as the St- or Št-stem, the latter for historical reasons.

10.2 Triconsonantal Roots and staktab

10.2.1 The Present Tense

The present tense is formed from the stem *-staC₁C₂aC₃- with prefixes and suffixes. The prefix vowel is /i/ in all forms except the first person singular, where it is /a/. The verb demonstrated below is στάλв̄ας stalvas “deserve” (*lvīs “wear”, literally “make oneself wear [something]”).

10.2.2 The Preterite Tense

The preterite tense is formed from the stem *staC₁C₂aC₃- with regular preterite endings.

10.2.3 The Imperfect Tense

The imperfect tense is formed by adding endings to the stem *staC₁C₂ieC₃-.

10.2.4 The Perfective Subjunctive Tense

The perfective subjunctive is formed by adding a special set of prefixes to the stem *-staC₁C₂aC₃, namely *vā- in the first person singular, *veni- in the first person plural, *veti- in the second person, and *vē- in the third person.

10.2.5 The Imperative

The imperative is formed by adding endings to the stem *'estaC₁C₂aC₃-.

10.2.6 Deverbatives

The infinitive is formed using the pattern *mastaC₁C₂aC₃ and the active participle using the pattern *mustaC₁C₂iC₃.

10.3 Biconsonantal Roots and staktab

Biconsonantal roots in staktab are by and large regular, adding the usual sets of staktab affixes to the intact biconsonantal stem. The inherent root vowel is preserved in all forms except the imperfect (where it is replaced by *ie) and the participle (where it is replaced by *ū). Shown below is the complete conjugation of στατζείν stačīn “ascertain, make sure, confirm for oneself” (*čīn “be certain”).

10.4 Quadriconsonantal Roots and staktab

Quadriconsonantal roots may not appear in Scale VI at all. Other periphrastic expressions must be used instead.

10.5 Geminate Roots and staktab

Geminate roots behave biconsonantally in all forms, though the gemination only surfaces intervocalically. Shown below is the complete conjugation of στάσαβ stasab “come into being, appear, turn up, show up” (*sabb “turn”).

10.6 Introduction to nistuktāb Verbs

Nistuktāb (Passive Scale VI) is the passive counterpart to staktab, though not its passive equivalent; staktab, being reflexive, cannot truly have a passive. Nevertheless, it is often known as the “passive reflexive of causative” given its formation. Much like staktab, the meaning of any given nistuktāb verb is generally hard to predict, but this class often includes the following:

• Passive Causatives (i.e., of 'aktēb), but with the verbal arguments switched around relative to 'ennuktāb. For instance, the active Scale III verb αηακήλ 'ahakēl means “feed” (or “cause to eat”), taking an animate direct object (what is eating) and an oblique object (what is being eaten). The passive Scale III verb εννυηακώλ 'ennuhakāl means “be fed”, and takes an animate subject, as in “he was fed lunch”. The passive Scale VI verb νιστυηακώλ nistuhakāl, on the other hand, means “be fed” with an inanimate subject, as in “lunch was fed to him”.
• Agentless Resultatives: νιστυκτώβ nistuktāb “come to be written down” (*ktāb “write”), νίστυσαβ nistusab “come to pass” (*sabb “turn”), νιστυρ̄σώβ nistuřsāb “come to be thought” (*řsāb “think”), νιστυρ̄ών nistuřān “get increasingly hotter over time” (*řūn).
• Statives derived from non-stative roots, that is, when a root that describe an actual action (e.g., *bār “cross over”, as in Scale I ηάβαρ habar “cross over [something]”) is used to describe a state where no actual action is being performed (e.g., νιστυβώρ nistubār “cross, intersect”, as in “the roads cross”).
• Many verbs of interpersonal interaction with connotations of reluctance or unwillingness to act: νιστυσκώβ nistuskāb “surrender” (*skīb “lie down”), νιστουτζώ nistūčā “quit, resign, abdicate” (*wčā' “leave”), νιστυσ̄φών nistušfān “admit” (*šfān “cover”).

Nistuktāb verbs feature three prefixed elements (*n-, *s-, and *t-) plus the u-ā internal passive vowel sequence. In comparative Semitic literature they are also known as NŠt-Stems.

10.7 Triconsonantal Roots and nistuktāb

10.7.1 The Present Tense

The present tense is formed by adding prefixes and suffixes to the stem *-stuC₁C₂āC₃ (suffixless) or *-stuC₁C₂aC₃- (suffixed). The prefix vowel is always *ā.

10.7.2 The Preterite Tense

The preterite tense is formed by adding suffixes to the stem *nistuC₁C₂āC₃-.

10.7.3 The Imperfect Tense

The imperfect tense is formed by adding suffixes to the stem *nistuC₁C₂uoC₃-.

10.7.4 The Perfective Subjunctive Tense

The perfective subjunctive is formed by adding a special set of prefixes to the stem *-stuC₁C₂aC₃, namely *vā- in the first person singular, *vanā- in the first person plural, *vatā- in the second person, and *vyā- in the third person.

10.7.5 The Imperative

No imperative exists for nistuktāb.

10.7.6 Deverbatives

The infinitive is formed from the pattern *māstuC₁C₂āC₃, and the participle with *mūstaC₁C₂aC₃.

10.8 Biconsonantal Roots and nistuktāb

Biconsonantal verbs lose their internal vowel, replacing it with /ɑː/ in the present, preterite, perfective subjunctive, and infinitive, /uo/ in the imperfect, and /uː/ in the passive participle. Demonstrated with νιστυβώρ nistubār “cross, intersect (intr)” (*bār “cross over”):

10.9 Quadriconsonantal Roots and nistuktāb

Quadriconsonantal roots may not appear in Scale VI at all. Other periphrastic expressions must be used instead.

10.10 Geminate Roots and nistuktāb

Geminate roots behave biconsonantally in all forms, though the gemination only surfaces intervocalically. Shown below is the complete conjugation of νίστυσαβ nistusab “come to pass” (*sabb “turn”).

10.11 Weak Roots in Scale VI

10.11.1 C1 = Ř

Root-initial *Ř, as in νιστυρ̄σώβ nistuřsāb “come to be thought, be widely thought” (*řsāb “think”), is regular.

10.11.2 C2 = Ř

Root-medial *Ř, as in νίστυβρ̄ώθ nistubřāṯ “be diversified, have varying results, come to be mixed” (*břāṯ “mix”), is regular.

10.11.3 C3 = Ř

Root-final *Ř affects the feminine suffix *-ī in the present tense and imperative, which becomes *-ēyi. The passive verb νιστυφτώρ̄ nistuftāř “open up, become attainable (opportunities, goals, etc)” (*ftāř “open”), for instance, has the form ιωστυφταρ̄ήι yāstuftařēyi “it (f) is opening up/becoming attainable” instead of regular **yāstuftařī. In addition, the last vowel of the active participle is lowered to /e/.

10.11.4 C1 = '/H

Root-initial *' and *H behave identically, surfacing as /h/ in all forms for both staktab and nistuktāb, followed by an epenthetic /a/ to prevent an illegal consonant cluster. The root *'kāl “eat”, for instance, gives the verbs στάηακαλ stahakal “feed oneself, nourish oneself” (not **sta'kal) and νιστυηακώλ nistuhakāl “be fed [to]” (not **nistu'kāl).

10.11.5 C2 = '/H

Root-internal *' and *H always assimilate into C₁, resulting in gemination or aspiration. If aspiration appears, any preceding short vowel will in turn reduce to schwa, as in the Scale VI derivatives of *k'āb “hurt, be painful”, στάκκαβ stəkhab “hurt oneself” (not **stak'ab) and νιστακκώβ nistəkhāb “start to hurt, become increasingly painful” (not **nistuk'āb).

10.11.6 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. Examples include the active verb στάλδα stalda “pull oneself up” (*ldā' “rise, go up”) and the passive verb νιστυβρώ nistubrā “come to be clear, become increasingly clear” (*brī' “clear”), the first of which is demonstrated below.

10.11.7 C3 = H

Roots with final *H lose this radical and conjugate as though they were biconsonantal, with inherent vowel *ā. The root *zgāh “mad, crazy”, for instance, behaves as though it were *zāg, giving the verb σταζώγ stazāg “drive oneself mad”. These then follow a regular biconsonantal paradigm.

10.11.8 C1 = Y/W

Root-initial *Y and *W undergo monophthongization in all forms, according to the patterns *ay → *ē, *aw → *ū, uy → *ū, *uw → *ū. This new long vowel does not affect stress. Shown below is the present and preterite conjugation of στούκκαδ stūkhad “burn oneself” (*wkhād “burn”) ¹ .

10.11.9 C3 = Y/W

The behavior of root-final *Y and *W in Scale VI varies depending on their environment. Intervocalically, they are completely regular. In coda position, they monophthongize if after a short vowel (*ay → *ē, *aw → *ū, *iy → *ī, *iw → *ī) or simply drop if after a long vowel or diphthong. They also drop in most forms of the imperfect. Monophthongization does not impact stress. Two examples are the active verbs στάμνου stamnū “account, take records” (*mnāw “count”) and στάρτζη starčē “covet” (*rčhīy “like, enjoy, be pleased by”, originally “want”), the latter shown in full below.

10.11.10 C1/C2/C3 = N

Root-initial *N, as in στάφφας staffas “breathe heavily, hyperventilate” (*nfās “breathe”), always undergoes assimilation into the following C₂, resulting in gemination or aspiration. If aspiration appears, any immediately preceding short vowel will reduce to schwa.

Root-internal *N, as in νιστυγνώβ nistugnāb “be impressive, amazing (coll.)” (*gnāb “steal”), is 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 verb νιστυσ̄φών nistušfān “admit”:

10.11.11 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 *khbāl “agree”, giving the verb στάκβαλ stəkbal “convince oneself”.

10.11.12 C2 = PH/TH/KH/TSH/ČH

Root-internal aspirates will always surface in their unaspirated form and do not have any additional effects. These roots are for all intents and purposes regular.

10.11.13 C3 = PH/TH/KH/TSH/ČH

C₃ aspirates have the same sorts of effects as in other scales. They cause preceding short vowels to reduce to schwa and trigger a special set of endings in the past tenses, which include an epenthetic vowel in some forms. Aspiration only surfaces when the consonant is intervocal. Shown below is the full conjugation of the verb νιστυσλώτ nistuslāt “be defeated, vanquished (poet.)” (*slāth “prevail over”):