-aato
See also: aato and Aato
Maquiritari
Alternative forms
- (allomorphs) -kaato, -yaato
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
- IPA(key): [-aːto]
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 Fonctionelle-Typologique du Ye’kwana, Lyon, page 223–224