Verbs

Unlike in most languages , verbs are not declined by the form of pronoun or gender.

The root of a regular verb can be derived by removing -uka of the infinitive.

 Verb Root
kaļiquka (to play) kaļiq
páduka (to sing) pád
óduka (to run) ód
 

Unlike in most languages ,verbs are not declined by the form of pronoun or gender.

Regular verbs fall in two categories - class 1 and class 2. Verb root can be derived by removing -uka or -iquka of the infinitive.

 Verb Root
class 1 páduka (to sing) pád
class 2 kaļiquka (to play) kaļ
 

Auxiliary verb forms used with other verbs.

iriquka – to sit

Simple Present

iriqum

Present Continuous

iriquka á

Past Continuous

iriquka áyirunnu

Past Historical

iriqum

ákuka – to be

Simple Present

á, áņë

Simple Past   

áyirunnu

Future Continuous

áyiriqum

Future subjuctive (expressing possibility
-may, might in English)

áyiriqum

Undákuka – to be there

 Past Participle

uņdë

The Emphatic á: Using á for emphasis

á (or áņë), the simple present tense of the auxiliary very 'ákuka' is used with the word aθë (or e)  to place emphasis on a word or part of a sentence.

Consider the following neutral sentence.

avan eňňum ňálu maņiqë enθeŋkilum kazhiqan véņdi aduθθuļļa hóttalil pókum.  (eňňum - everyday,  ňálu maņiqë - at four o' clock, enθeŋkilum - something,  kazhiqan véņdi - to eat, aduθθuļļa - nearby)

At four o' clock everyday, he goes to the nearby restaurant to eat something.

The sentence above, could be modified in several ways. For example, you might want to say 'He goes at 4 o clock and not at 5 o clock' or 'He goes to the nearby restaurant and not somewhere else'.

Placing á after a word places emphasis on the word or part of sentence preceding it. In such constructions, the verb has to be modified by adding aθë to it. In speech, there is often a stress on or a rise in tone at the emphasized part. Listen to the following sentences.

avan á eňňum ňálu maņiqë enθeŋkilum kazhiqan véņdi aduθθuļļa hóttalil pókuňňaθë.  (He goes - no one else goes , no one else is interested in going)

avan eňňum ňálu maņiqë á enθeŋkilum kazhiqan véņdi aduθθuļļa hóttalil pókuňňaθë.  (He goes at four o' clock and not at five o' clock)

avan eňňum ňálu maņiqë enθeŋkilum kazhiqan véņdi á aduθθuļļa hóttalil pókuňňaθë.  (He goes to the restaurant to eat and not to talk to his friends who visit the restaurant at the same time)

avan eňňum ňálu maņiqë enθeŋkilum kazhiqan véņdi aduθθuļļa hóttalil á pókuňňaθë. (He goes to the nearby restaurant and not somewhere else).

The simple present (or present continuous) form always assumes the present continuous form root + uňňu.

pókuňňu when followed by aθë liaisons to form pókuňňaθë.             ( pókuňňu + aθë ---> pókuňňaθë )

If e is used instead of aθë, it liaisons with pókuňňu to form pókuňňe.   ( pókuňňu +  e ---> pókuňňe )

Reported Speech

Reported speech or indirect speech is used to express something

ennu is the equivalent of the word ‘that’ in

He said that he would go. The part of the sentence ‘He said’ is called the main clause and the part following the word ‘that’  - ‘he would go’ is called the subordinate clause

Though English now avoids use of ‘that’ in sentences like this, it is used in many languages (French , Spanish – que, Hindi – ki, German dass).

 

The regular syntax in Malayalam is

Main clause + subordinate clause + ennu

Or

Main clause(without the verb) + subordinate clause + ennu + verb in main clause

 

avan jonine kandu ennu paranju.

avan paranju jonine kandu ennu.

 

He said he had seen John.

Unlike in English, the verb tense does not change in reported speech.

In most other languages like Hindi, English, French and Spanish the syntax is main clause+ ‘that’ + subordinate clause.

 

                                                                                                                                                

                        

 

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