Ngakarimojong: Quality Verbs

In Ngakarimojong, there are two ways of constructing adverbs and adjectives. In this lesson, I will focus on the more unique of these two methods: quality verbs. Rather than constituting a separate class of words, as adjectives do in English, quality verbs are conjugated like any other verb.

There are three classes of quality verbs:

Class I

• No suffixes
• Contains verbs formed by the reduplication of the root

Ededeng (To be fierce) 

Adedeng: I am fierce

Idedeng: You are fierce

Ededeng: He/she/it is fierce

Ikidedeng: We are fierce

Idedeng: You (pl.) are fierce

Ededeng: They are fierce

e.g.

Ikirereng iwon anerai emwana akolong: We are lucky because the sun is shining.

Egogong inges akilo daadang: She is stronger than everyone.

Class II

• The suffix ak/ok/iak/iok is added in the plural

Edit (To be small)

Adit: I am small

Idit: You are small

Edit: He/she/it is small

Ikidisyak: We are small

Idisyak: You (pl.) are small

Edisyak: They are small

e.g.

Edisyak ngamesekin nguna elosete narii: The small sheep are going int the kraal.

Eroko ngikilyok ngulu abu torem ngaatuk kang: The men who raided my cows are bad.

Class III

• All verbs ending in -na or -no
• -na/-no become -ka/-ko in the plural

Eryono (To be black) 

Eryono: I am black

Iryono: You are black

Iryono: He/she/it is black

Ikiryoko: We are black

Iryoko: You (pl.) are black

Iryoko: They are black

e.g.

Epatana akiswom Ngakarimojong kerai itemyo iyong: Learning Ngakarimojong is easy if you try.

Ebangaana aate ngina abu tocakun nangolol: The stupid cow fell in the river.