-aato
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Ye'kwana
| ALIV | -aato |
|---|---|
| Brazilian standard | -aato |
| New Tribes | -aato |
Alternative forms
Etymology
Seemingly from -a (nonpast suffix) + -to (plural verb suffix); however, compare -ato (“recent past imperfective non-third-person plural suffix”), apparently formed from the same morphemes but without the unexpected vowel lengthening. According to Cáceres, it is unclear if this suffix in fact presents a long vowel, or if it rather has a geminated consonant after the vowel, and more study is needed to determine if perhaps it is not formed with -to but a different plural suffix specific to the nonpast tense.
Pronunciation
Suffix
-aato
- Forms the plural of the nonpast tense.
Usage notes
This suffix can cause syllable reduction. The suffix takes the form -kaato when the preceding syllable is reducible and has an onset of k, -yaato when the preceding syllable ends in i, and -aato in other contexts.
References
- Cáceres, Natalia (2011) Grammaire Fonctionnelle-Typologique du Ye’kwana[1], Lyon, pages 223–224