Verbs
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Verbs in Kìtsompɔ
Verbs follow the pattern subject marker + tense marker + stem. The subject can be left out, since the marker already shows it. Tense markers:
Present: -ni-
Recent past: -kà-
Remote past: -ghɛ̀-
Future: -wó-
For example, with yɛsona “eat”:
xaniyɛsona “I eat”
xakàyɛsona “I ate (just now)”
xaghɛ̀yɛsona “I ate (long ago)”
xawóyɛsona “I will eat”
Subject markers, which all carry a Low tone:
Persons: xa- I, ù- you, pɔ̀- we, ndzɨ̀- you (pl.).
Class 1 (a person): à- for gender unspecified, kpò- “he” and hə̀- “she” (from the pronouns kpo and hə).
Other classes: 2 bà-, 3 wù-, 4 yì-, 5 lì-, 6 mà-, 7 kì-, 8 bì-, 9 yà-, 10 sì-, 14 bù-, 15 kù- (the infinitive, e.g.
kùwá“to wash”).
Negation uses the existing particle bi after the stem: ǹnitsabi “I don’t know”. If a stem starts with a vowel, the tense marker drops its vowel: ǹ + ni + aba → ǹnaba.