Ok. I did a thing about Nisi verbs, and a thing about stuff related to Aţána’s verbs, but y’all know absolutely nothing about Aţána’s verbs. It seems like an oversight. 

So, the most interesting thing about Aţána’s verbs is that they have two different conjugation schemes; two different infinitives, two past tenses, two present tenses, and two future tenses. Basically, they differentiate perfective/imperfective forms. 

Since the person/number things aren’t that fabulously interesting, I’m only doing the infinitives and the 1s/1p form of the verb so that you can get a look at how it might work. The “dictionary form” is the imperfective infinitive. 

Example verb: adaţ

Adaţ = to give [imperfect infinitive]

Adá = I give/I am giving [1s present imperfect]

Adáļa = we give/we are giving [1p present imperfect]

Adéx = I gave/I was giving [1s past imperfect]

Adéşi = we gave/we were giving* [1p past imperfect]

Adába = I will give/I will be giving [1s future imperfect]

Adalú = to have given [perfect infinitive]

Adú = I have given [1s perfect]

Adúhé = we have given [1p perfect]

Adup = I had given [1s past perfect]

Adupó = we had given [1p past perfect]

Aduó = I will have given [1s future perfect]

Adúhó = we will have given [1p future perfect]

There are a handful of moods as well, mostly formed by adding different postpositions to one stem or the other. That is very nearly enough for a post on its own though. 

Aţána’s verbs are really, really good at becoming nouns and adjectives and such. That’s not all that unusual, but it’s still pretty neat! It also makes it very easy to derive large groups of words very quickly, or to produce new words on the fly. All of these changes are productive. You can use nearly all of them on nearly every verb, and it will make sense to someone who hears it. 

Using the verb “genaţ”, to walk, as an example: 

The gerund noun is the –ing form in English. Genaţ becomes genadia; “walking”

Aţána also has a form meaning “a tool used for verbing”. Genaţ becomes genávvú, “a walking tool” (i.e. a walking stick or cane).

The agent for is the –er/-or/-ress form in English. Genaţ becomes genátó, “walker”.

Those three are the most common. There are a few others;

To make the “location of”, genaţ becomes genaţár, as in “a walking place”, like a trail or sidewalk.

The –able form, in English. Genaţ becomes genantan, “walkable”.

The nominal form; genaţ becomes genata, “a walk”.

The adjectival form; genaţ becomes genait, “walking (thing)”

 There is a reverse of that last, as well; in English, we use the –ify suffix. In Aţána, that is done simply by adding –(h)iaţ to the absolutive case. Any final long vowels are shortened, and the –h- isn’t used if appended to a fifth or sixth declension noun or an adjective. Fourth declension nouns drop their final –a.

 Heb = green, hebiaţ = to greenify

Jia = drinkable water, jihiaţ = to make into drinkable water

Dovó = friend, dovohiaţ = to befriend; “to friendify”

Feel free to point out awkward constructions or to ask me questions :)

Behold! More conlang. This is the language spoken by the ágenas, those eastern dudes. The glosses are a little odd, but I promise they’re easier to read this way. They are for me, anyways. 

“If I had any books, I would give them to you, but I do not. I used to have books. I gave them to a friend.”

Hin rókiņņí yexá bán, són adá mek, kai ye yexá. Rókiņņí yexéx dúh. Dovón adéx.

If book[accusative plural] have[1s present imperfect] [subjunctive], 2s[dative] give[1s present imperfect] [conditional], but [negative] have[1s present imperfect]. Book[accusative plural] have[1s past imperfect] [habitual]. Friend[dative] give[1s past imperfect].

“I would love to see the Sikaf Palace, and examine its beautiful fountains and gardens. Do you know any Sikaf who might show it to us?”

Loiná bán golaţ Árkolm Sikáfisa, ya bulubus ya hánus jahebeņņa golaţ. Sikáfeh danan elawó meón dem évábwa bán?

Love[1s present imperfect] [subjunctive] see[infinitive] palace[accusative] Sikaf[genitive plural], and fountain[accusative plural] and beautiful[accusative plural] garden[accusative plural] see[infinitive]. Sikaf[partitive] know[2s present imperfect] which[ergative plural] 1p[dative] 3s[accusative] show[3p future imperfect] [subjunctive]?

As always, feel free to ask me any old thing about this…  or any old thing about any old other thing. Just send something to my ask box