Tsamai
Facts
- Language: Tsamai
- Alternate names: Bago S’aamakk-Ulo, Cule, Kuile, Kule, S’amai, Tamaha, Tsamakko, Ts’amakko, Tsamako, Ts’amay
- Language code: tsb
- Language family:
Afro-Asiatic, Cushitic, East Cushitic, Lowland East Cushitic, Southern Lowland East Cushitic, Transversal Lowland East Cushitic, Dullay
- Number of speakers: 18000
- Vulnerability: Threatened [Read more...]
- Script: Unwritten.
More information:
Introduction
Tsamai is an Afroasiatic language spoken in Ethiopia. Tsamai is a member of the Dullay dialect continuum. Cule and
evidently Dume (pseudo-pygmies) were apparently varieties.
The Tsamai Verb
1. Verb Stem
The basic verb, e.g., ʔug ("drink"), is modified with suffixes for tense, mood,
and agreement. Some verbs have parallel forms in Unmarked A (ʔug) and
Unmarked B (žíʔ).
Person and Number
- Distinguishes 1st, 2nd, 3rd person, singular vs. plural.
- 3rd person may mark gender: masculine/feminine.
- Examples: 1Sg
ʔúg-na, 3Pl ʔúg-nánki.
Tense and Mood
- Main Future: simple future action.
- Jussive: commands or exhortation.
- Imperative: direct commands, forms differ for singular/plural.
- Subordinate Future: used in dependent clauses.
- Imperfective: ongoing or habitual action.
Negation
Negative forms are distinct, with suffixes for non-past, past, and jussive negatives.
Consecutive/Marked Paradigms
Some forms, e.g., Consecutive A + B, appear in narratives or dependent constructions, reflecting tense/aspect agreement.
Key Feature
Tsamai verbs fuse person, number, tense, and mood in suffixes,
sometimes distinguishing gender or plural nuances, making the verbal system rich and systematic.
Ts'amakko verbs ʔug “drink” and ʒíʔ — Conjugation tables
Unmarked A + B
| Person | ʔug (A) | žíʔ (B) |
|---|
| 1Sg | ʔúg-í | žíʔ-i |
| 2Sg | ʔúg-dí | žíʔ-ti |
| 3SgM | ʔúg-í | žíʔ-i |
| 3SgF | ʔúg-dí | žíʔ-ti |
| 1Pl | ʔúg-ní | žíʔ-ni |
| 2Pl | ʔúg-nku | žíʔ-anku |
| 3Pl | ʔúg-nki | žíʔ-onki |
Marked Imperfective
| Person | ʔug | žíʔ |
|---|
| 1Sg | ʔúg-a | žíʔ-a |
| 2Sg | ʔúg-ay | žíʔ-ay |
| 3SgM | ʔúg-a | žíʔ-a |
| 3SgF | ʔúg-ay | žíʔ-ay |
| 1Pl | ʔúg-ánki | žíʔ-anki |
| 2Pl | ʔúg-ánku | žíʔ-anku |
| 3Pl | ʔúg-ánki | žíʔ-anki |
Main Future
| Person | ʔug | ʒíʔ |
|---|
| 1Sg | ʔúg-na | ʒíʔ-na |
| 2Sg | ʔúg-nay | ʒíʔ-nay |
| 3SgM | ʔúg-na | ʒíʔ-na |
| 3SgF | ʔúg-nay | ʒíʔ-nay |
| 1Pl | ʔúg-nánki | ʒíʔ-nánki |
| 2Pl | ʔúg-nánku | ʒíʔ-nánku |
| 3Pl | ʔúg-nánki | ʒíʔ-nánki |
Jussive
| Person | ʔug | ʒíʔ |
|---|
| 1Sg | ʔug-á | ʒíʔ-á |
| 2Sg | — | — |
| 3SgM | — | — |
| 3SgF | ʔug-á | ʒíʔ-á |
| 1Pl | ʔug-ítá | ʒíʔ-ítá |
| 2Pl | ʔug-ná | ʒíʔ-ná |
| 3Pl | ʔug-é | ʒíʔ-é |
Imperative A + B
| Person | Imperative A (ʔug) | Imperative A (ʒíʔ) | Imperative B (ʔug) | Imperative B (ʒíʔ) |
|---|
| 2Sg | ʔúg- | ʒíʔ-te | — | ʒíʔ-á |
| 3Pl | ʔug-á | ʒíʔ-e | — | ʒíʔ-íná |
Future Negative
| Person | ʔug | ʒíʔ |
|---|
| 1Sg | ʔug-ní | ʒíʔ-ní |
| 2Sg | ʔug-íntí | ʒíʔ-íntí |
| 3SgM | ʔug-ní | ʒíʔ-ní |
| 3SgF | ʔug-íntí | ʒíʔ-íntí |
| 1Pl | ʔug-ínní | ʒíʔ-ínní |
| 2Pl | ʔug-ínté | ʒíʔ-ínté |
| 3Pl | ʔug-né | ʒíʔ-né |
Subordinate Future
| Person | ʔug | ʒíʔ |
|---|
| 1Sg | ʔúg-ní | ʒíʔ-ní |
| 2Sg | ʔúg-íntí | ʒíʔ-íntí |
| 3SgM | ʔúg-ní | ʒíʔ-ní |
| 3SgF | ʔúg-íntí | ʒíʔ-íntí |
| 1Pl | ʔúg-nínní | ʒíʔ-nínní |
| 2Pl | ʔúg-ínté | ʒíʔ-ínté |
| 3Pl | ʔúg-né | ʒíʔ-né |
Consecutive A + B
| Person | Consec. A (ʔug) | Consec. B (ʒíʔ) |
|---|
| 1Sg | ʔúg-á | ʒíʔ-ó |
| 2Sg | ʔúg-áy | ʒíʔ-óy |
| 3SgM | ʔúg-ú | ʒíʔ-ó |
| 3SgF | ʔúg-í | ʒíʔ-óy |
| 1Pl | ʔúg-ánki | ʒíʔ-ónki |
| 2Pl | ʔúg-ánku | ʒíʔ-ónku |
| 3Pl | ʔúg-ínki | ʒíʔ-ónki |
Non-Past Negative
| Person | ʔug | ʒíʔ |
|---|
| 1Sg | ʔúg-í | ʒíʔ-í |
| 2Sg | ʔúg-tí | ʒíʔ-tí |
| 3SgM | ʔúg-í | ʒíʔ-í |
| 3SgF | ʔúg-tí | ʒíʔ-tí |
| 1Pl | ʔúg-ní | ʒíʔ-ní |
| 2Pl | ʔúg-té | ʒíʔ-té |
| 3Pl | ʔúg-é | ʒíʔ-é |
Past Negative
| Person | ʔug | ʒíʔ |
|---|
| 1Sg | ʔúgg-á | ʒíʔ-á |
| 2Sg | ʔúgg-á | ʒíʔ-á |
| 3SgM | ʔúgg-á | ʒíʔ-á |
| 3SgF | ʔúgg-á | ʒíʔ-á |
| 1Pl | ʔúgg-ánkí | ʒíʔ-ánkí |
| 2Pl | ʔúgg-ánkú | ʒíʔ-ánkú |
| 3Pl | ʔúgg-ánkú | ʒíʔ-ánkú |
Jussive Negative
| Person | ʔug | ʒíʔ |
|---|
| 1Sg | (ínnu) ʔúg-ú | (ínnu) ʒíʔ-ú |
| 2Sg | (ínnu) ʔúg-ú | (ínnu) ʒíʔ-ú |
| 3SgM | (ínnu) ʔúg-ú | (ínnu) ʒíʔ-ú |
| 3SgF | (ínnu) ʔúg-ú | (ínnu) ʒíʔ-ú |
| 1Pl | (ínnu) ʔúg-únkí | (ínnu) ʒíʔ-únkí |
| 2Pl | (ínnu) ʔúg-únkú | (ínnu) ʒíʔ-únkú |
| 3Pl | (ínnu) ʔúg-únkí | (ínnu) ʒíʔ-únkí |
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