Uyghur is a Turkic language spoken mostly in the west of China.
LIM:limitative caseLMT:limitative caseDV:direction voicePRN:pronominaliserSIM:similitude caseEQU:equivalence caseEQV:equivalence caseINTENT:intention stateINDIR:indirect statement moodHEARSAY:hearsay moodSUBJASS:subjective assessment moodOBJASS:objective assessment mood
Uyghur exhibits the agglutination characteristic to the Turkic family and its basic word order is subject-object-verb. It lacks grammatical gender and does not use articles. The language's inventory of 24 consonants and eight vowels features both vowel harmony and consonant harmony. Nouns are marked for ten cases, in general with suffixes and are additionally inflected for number.
This article uses both the Arabic script (official for the language) and Latin script for Uyghur words.
The typical word order in Uyghur is subject–object–verb, as in the sentence "menuyghurche oquymen", lit., "I Uyghur study" Compare this to English, where the sentence would be expressed with subject–verb–object order: "I study Uyghur".
Uyghur is an agglutinative language, meaning that potentially many suffixes (denoting person, number, case, mood, etc.) are usually all attached to one word stem. For example "to your house," the main word, house, occurs first, and the modifying elements are attached directly to the right and written all in one word:
Nouns are not distinguished for gender (e.g. male, female), unlike in such languages as French, Spanish and German. Nouns are usually pluralized (with the suffix +lAr) except when preceded by a numeral: compare "atlar" ("horses") and "ikki at" (two horses). Instead of using articles (like English "a", "the"), Uyghur uses demonstrative pronouns ("this", "that") and no marker or the numeral one (bir) to indicate definiteness and indefiniteness, respectively, "this cat/the cat" vs. بىر مۈشۈك(bir müshük) "a/one cat" or مۈشۈك(müshük) "cat/cats."
Uyghur verbs take, usually at least for tense (present, past) and person (I, you, s/he, they, etc.), for example
Uyghur verbs can also take other suffixes to mark voice (causative, passive), aspect (continuous), mood (e.g. ability), as well as suffixes that change verbs into nouns—sometimes many all together:
Negation usually also appears as a verb suffix, e.g.
Uyghur has vowel and consonant harmony, a system where vowels or consonants in a word come to match or become similar to each other, especially as suffixes and other elements are attached. Many but not all words and grammatical elements in Uyghur behave according to these harmonic principles. If a suffix is written with one or more capital letters (e.g. +DA, +lAr, +GA, etc.), these capital letters indicate that these sounds are harmonic, that is, variable: D= d/t, G= gh/q/g/k; K= k/q; A= a/e; I= i/u/ü or ø/i/u/ü.
There are 32 basic sounds in Modern Uyghur.
Uyghur has 24 consonants (listed here according to the Arabic-script alphabet): b, p, t, j, ch, x, d, r, z, zh, s, sh, gh, f, q, k, g, ng, l, m, n, x, h, w, y (and 25 consonants if the glottal stop ‘ is counted). Most are not pronounced much differently than their English counterparts (e.g. Uyghur j in baj "tax" is pronounced like j in judge; Uyghur ch in üch "three" is pronounced like ch in itch; Uyghur h in he’e "yes" is pronounced like h in hello), except that l has palatal or velar variants. A few sounds are not found in English: q gh and x. The voiceless uvular stop q [q] is pronounced like a back k, with the back of the tongue touching the soft palate, as in aq "white," Qeshqer "Kashgar." The sound gh pronounced as /[ʁ] ~ [ɣ]/ is typically a voiced fricative version of q, also pronounced at the very back of the mouth and sounds like French or German r, as in Roissy or Ruhr. (Near front vowels, gh is often pronounced more front, like French Rue or German Rübe.) Finally, the Uyghur voiceless velar or uvular fricative x pronounced as /[x] ~ [χ]/ is pronounced like ch in Scottish loch, or further back in the mouth, like a back version of German ach.
The four sounds k, g, q and gh are subject to consonant harmony: (1) within a stem (main word), they potentially determine its backness and (2) within a variable suffix, they conform to the backness and voicing of the preceding stem. Consonant harmony is discussed below.
The ژ zh pronounced as /[ʒ]/ (sounds like English garage), is only for foreign and onomatopoeic words like zhurnal ‘magazine, journal’ and pizh-pizh "sizzling." The letter ج j (normally pronounced pronounced as /[dʒ]/ as in baj ‘tax’) is in southern Xinjiang often pronounced pronounced as /[ʒ]/. Initial y pronounced as /[j]/ can also be pronounced pronounced as /[ʒ]/ before i, e.g. yilan pronounced as /[ʒilan]/ ‘snake’.
In Uyghur words of Turkic origin, sh is rare, except as a suffix; similarly, since f was borrowed into Uyghur from Arabic and Persian, it is often replaced by p, especially in colloquial and rural usage: fakultët~pakultët ‘academic department’.
Uyghur has eight vowels. Vowels are rounded (o, u, ü, ö) and unrounded (a, i, e, ë); this distinction is sometimes termed labial vs. non-labial; they are front (ü, ö, e, ë) or back (u, o, a). These distinctions are critical for harmonic purposes, since Uyghur words are subject to vowel harmony. The orthographic vowel i represents both a front [i] and a back [ɨ] and is not subject to vowel harmony.
Uyghur accent (stress or high pitch, which this article will for convenience call stress) is not well understood, yet some general remarks can be made to aid language learning. In Uyghur, stress is mostly determined by the length of syllables. This means that a syllable which is closed (i.e., ends in consonants [CVC or CVCC]) tends to attract stress, while a syllable which is open (i.e. ends in a vowel [CV]) does not. A rule of thumb is: stress the last syllable of the stem, e.g. ayagh "foot," Turpan'gha "to Turfan."
Words without closed syllables are likely to have the final syllable stressed.
Certain suffixes attract and repel stress.
Attract stress: -GAn, -Gu, (A)m, -(I)wat.
Repel stress (to the preceding vowel): -(I)wer.
Word-internal harmony is relatively weak in Uyghur, but when suffixes are added to a word stem, certain suffix vowels and consonants harmonize with those of the stem. There are three variable vowels in Uyghur, A (a/e), I (i/u/ü), and U (u/ü). There are three harmonically variable consonant types: G (k/g/q/gh), K (k/q) and D (d/t). Uyghur's harmony system has three relevant components: voicing, backness and roundness harmony. Note that -AK will always be either -ek or -aq, and -IK can only be ik, iq, uq, or ük.
| a | a | i | u | q/gh | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| e | e | i | u | k/g | |
| ë | e | i | u | k/g | |
| i | e (a) | i | u | k/g (q/gh) | |
| o | a | u | u | q/gh | |
| ö | e | ü | ü | k/g | |
| u | a | u | u | q/gh | |
| ü | e | ü | ü | k/g |
When a stem ends in unstressed a or e (as part of the archiphoneme A), and it is followed by a consonant (i.e. suffixes), this a/e is usually raised to i. When a monosyllabic stem ends in a/e, and is followed by a consonant, its a/e is usually raised to ë. This is reflected in the orthography. Other vowels do not change.
For example:Here the -a of /ˈtʃo.kɑ/ is raised to /i/ to make the plural, /ˈtʃo.ki.lɑr/. Here is an example of a monosyllabic stem changingːWhile the stem /mɑŋ/ is not an open syllable, as Uyghur syllable structure is onset-mandatory, when the stem takes the suffix -(I)wat- the /ŋ/ of the stem breaks off to form a syllable with the /i/ of the suffix, like soː /me.ŋi.wɑ.ti.du/ (here the [me] is not stressed).
Where the a or e is stressed, the vowel does not raise, for instance with:As the syllable is stressed, it does not raise: /ʔɑ.ˈwɑz/, /ʔɑ.ˈwɑ.zim/. Words like this with a stressed final syllable are known as strong nouns and add a y or r between their stem and first/second person personal suffixes. Monosyllabic words ending in a rounded verb always add y.
Names, unfamiliar place names, and non-nativised loan words do not change. Loan words are frequent sources of stressed open final syllables, such as the Arabic loan /dun.ˈjɑ/, from .
A-raising also takes place across word boundaries, but this is not reflected in writing, see:Which is pronounced /ˈlɑ.ti xɛdʒ/.
Some loan words ending in p and b change that p/b to w when a vowel-initial suffix is added to them. This is not reflected in any orthography other than Cyrillic.
The table below shows some other sound changes in words that are not reflected in writing.
| Orthographic | Pronounced | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|
| -nb- | mb | ||
| -lm- | mm | ||
| -ln- | ll | ||
| -ts- | ss | ||
| -zs- | |||
| -ghq- | when the dative -GA is attached to a stem ending in -gh it is orthographically written as -ghqA and pronounced as -qqa | ||
| -gh | q | only word-final | |
| -q | x | only in some words | |
| VkV | g | ||
| VqV | gh | ||
| ch(t/k) | sh | ||
| -b | p | only word-final | |
| Vr(C/.) | /Vː/ | this lengthens the preceding vowel | |
| i(t/k) | /ɪ̥ʃ/(t/k) | ||
| ë in the initial syllable | i | ||
| o in a syllable before u | u | ||
| ö in a syllable before ü | ü |
In Uyghur there is one set of personal pronouns used for the first- and third person, while there are three in the second person. The use of the three sets in the second person depends on the formality and politeness.
The personal pronouns are inflected for number and case. Follow the links of each of the personal pronouns to see them inflected.
| Singular | Plural | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| First person | men | biz | ||
| Second person | Informal | sen | senler | |
| Polite | siz | siler | ||
| Respectful | sili | - | ||
| Third person | u | ular | ||
The second person personal pronoun mostly used among people is the polite سىز, siz, while the informal سەن, sen is used between very close friends or when parents are addressing their children. The informal سەن, sen is also used when the speaker has a higher social rank than the addressed person.
The respectful سىلى, sili is used for respectfully addressing elders, grandparents or other notable persons of a community. Royalty is also addressed using سىلى, sili and sometimes even customers in stores.
The declension of the pronouns is outlined in the following chart, with some exhibiting irregularities (in bold):
| Number | Singular | Plural | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Person | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | |||
| Inf. | Polite | Resp. | Polite | ||||||
| nominative | men | sen | siz | sili | u | biz | siler | ular | |
| genitive | mëning | sëning | sizning | silining | uning | bizning | silerning | ularning | |
| dative | ma'nga | sa'nga | sizge | silige | uninggha | bizge | silerge | ulargha | |
| accusative | mëni | sëni | sizni | silini | uni | bizni | silerni | ularni | |
| locative | mende | sende | sizde | silide | uningda | bizde | silerde | ularda | |
| ablative | mendin | sendin | sizdin | silidin | uningdin | bizdin | silerdin | ulardin | |
| locative-qualitative | mendiki | sendiki | sizdiki | silidiki | uningdiki | bizdiki | silerdiki | ulardiki | |
| limitative | men'giche | sen'giche | sizgiche | siligiche | uninggiche | bizgiche | silergiche | ulargiche | |
| similitude | mendek | sendek | sizdek | silidek | uningdak | bizdek | silerdek | ulardek | |
| equivalence | menchilik | senchilik | sizchilik | silichilik | uningchilik | bizchilik | silerchilik | ularchilik | |
Uyghur has several demonstrative pronouns with some of them being used for emphasis or as intensifiers, while others have less specific uses. Common for all of the demonstrative pronouns is that their use depends on the distance between the speaker and the thing or person to which is referred.
The demonstrative pronouns are inflected for number and case, but must take the genitive case suffix -ning first before other cases (other than in the genitive and accusative case). In the table below, the demonstrative pronouns can be seen, although only in the singular. Follow the links of each of the demonstrative pronouns to see them inflected.
| Meaning | Form | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Basic | Specific | Familiar | Exact Location | ||
| this | bu | mawu | mushu | meshe | |
| that | u | awu | ashu | eshe | |
| that(distant) | shu | eshu | – | – | |
The most common demonstrative pronouns are بۇ, bu, ئۇ, u and شۇ, shu, the first being translated as this and the remaining two as that. The first is used when referring to an object or person which is visible and close to the speaker, the second is used when referring to an object or person which is away from the speaker and the third is used when referring to a previously mentioned object or person which is not particular close to the speaker in an affirmative statement.
The two first-mentioned demonstrative persons each have an intensified derived form ending in ۋۇ, -wu, ماۋۇ, mawu and ئاۋۇ, awu, respectively. These are used when it is necessary to make it clear that the object or person the demonstrative pronoun is referring to really is the object or person which the speaker means. The two first-mentioned demonstrative persons both also have another derived form, ending in شۇ, -shu, مۇشۇ, mushu and ئاشۇ, ashu, respectively. These are often used for confirming something the speaker is already familiar with.
The examples below illustrate the use of بۇ, bu and its derived forms.
Nouns in Uyghur have no grammatical gender or definite marking, although the number 'one' bir can be used to mark indefiniteness. Plurals are marked by -lAr, with the vowel following the rules of vowel harmony. The plural is not used after numbers.
Uyghur has ten cases, all of which except the nominative are marked by suffixation after possible plural or possessive suffixes.[1] Case always comes after plurals and possessive suffixes. Note that the locative-qualitative, limitative, equivalence, and similitude cases are sometimes not considered to be cases.
| nominative | -∅ | kün | hawa | chëlek | kitab | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| genitive | -ning | künning | hawining | chëlekning | kitabning | |
| dative | -GA | kün'ge | hawigha | chëlekke | kitabqa | |
| accusative | -ni | künni | hawini | chëlekni | kitabni | |
| locative | -DA | künde | hawida | chëlekte | kitabta | |
| ablative | -Din | kündin | hawidin | chëlektin | kitabtin | |
| locative-qualitative | -Diki | kündiki | hawidiki | chëlektiki | kitabtiki | |
| limitative | -Giche | kün'giche | hawighiche | chëlekkiche | kitabqiche | |
| similitude | -Dek | kündek | hawidek | chëlektek | kitabtek | |
| equivalence | -che/chilik | künchilik | hawichilik | chëlekchilik | kitabchilik |
The nominative indicates the subject; that which is predicated in the sentence. It can also indicate the target of address, and names for qualified objects. For example:It can also function as a predicate, for example:
The genitive indicates the thing that possesses, and is primarily a qualifier but can function as a predicate, for example:The genitive can also be pronominalised, allowing the noun it indicates as possessed to be dropped. The use of the suffix -ki after it for this is optional, unless the word it is qualifying is not in the nominative case. For example:Not using -ki here is fine as Kasim's dictionary would also be in the nominative, but:As here Tursun's article would also take the accusative case, -ki must be used.
Some nouns in the nominative act like genitive nouns, and require the nouns they qualify to take a possessive suffix. These are known as nouns in the nature of the possessive case, and produce closely bound noun phrases that are usually used in the place of one word. Qualifiers (i.e. adjectives) that come before the phrases qualify the entire phrase, not just the head word. For example:
Dative nouns are usually subordinate to verbs or verbal phrases and act as adverbial modifiers. They can also be adjectival modifiers. For example, the dative case can indicate the target of an action (usually preceded by "to" in English):It can also indicate:
Accusative-case nouns are subordinate to transitive verbs and indicate the object of their action, for example:Sometimes nouns in the nominative case are the subject of transitive verbs, these are known as nouns in the nature of the accusative case and generalise the nature of the object, making its relation with the verb closer, and creating an object-verb phrase used in place of a simple verb. For example:
These nouns function as qualifiers (for mostly verbs, but sometimes adjectives) and signify the action's temporal or physical location. They indicate:
When subordinate to an adjective, they indicate the place or field of an activity.When used as a predicate, they indicate the location or source of the subject.
Ablative nouns are subordinate to verbs and sometimes adjectives and adverbs, and they mostly act as adverbial modifiers. It is usually associated with the pronoun "from" in English
When acting as an adverbial modifier, they can indicate:
Ablative nouns subordinate to adjectives indicate unequal comparison. Some adjectives also sometimes require the ablative case for noun modifiers, for example:
These nouns function as qualifiers (for almost any part of speech) and signify the word's temporal or physical location. The difference between this and the locative case is that the qualifier is not specific, but general/universal. For example:When context is clear, it is possible to drop the noun that the locative-qualitative case noun is qualifying and use this non-dropped noun pronominally, which also takes the cases of the dropped noun.
These nouns are subordinate to verbs and function as adverbial modifiers, and sometimes as the predicate.
When they modify verbs, they indicate the final point reached as a limit of an action, for example:When a limitative case noun acts as a predicate, it indicates the final limit of the subject.
Nouns in the similitude case can act as qualifiers or adverbial modifiers, in both cases they liken the quality/action to their base noun. For example:
Nouns in the equivalence case can act as qualifiers or adverbial modifiers, in both cases they liken the quality/action to their base noun, with respect to the level/amount/measurement. For example:
Uyghur, like Uzbek, has possessive suffixes that indicate person.
| Possessornumber | Singular | Plural | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | -(I)m | -(i)miz | |
| 2nd Informal | -(I)ng | -(I)nglar | |
| 2nd Polite | -(i)ngiz | n/a | |
| 2nd Respectful | -liri | ||
| 3rd | -(s)i | ||
Uyghur has a wide variety of affixes which form words from others. This section will go over noun-formation affixes.
| Suffix | Description | Example | Translation | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| -chi | Indicates those engaged in the action or occupation indicated by the noun. | tömür-chi | blacksmith | |
| Indicates those who belong to a school of thought, organisation, etc. indicated by the noun. | marksizm-chi | Marxist | ||
| -dash | Indicates people who possess an identity or commonality with things indicated by the noun. | sinip-dash | schoolmate | |
| -lIK | Indicates the occupation in which a noun indicating a person engaged in work is engaged in. | tömürchi-lik | blacksmithing | |
| Indicates a place with many plants/substances if the noun indicates a plant/substance. | qarighay-lik | pine forest | ||
| Indicates a characteristic unique to a certain kind of person when attached to a person-indicating noun. | bali-liq | childishness | ||
| Indicates a thing useful for the thing expressed by the noun. | kün-lük | umbrella | ||
| Indicates a person who was born/grew up in a place, when attached to a place noun. | Qeshqer-lik | a Kashgarite | ||
| -chiliK | Indicates a relationship based on the concept expressed by the base noun. | shirik-chilik | partnership | |
| -che | Indicates the language/script of a nationality when attached to a nationality noun. | Türk-che | Turkish (language) | |
| Common diminutive. | kitab-che | booklet | ||
| -xana | Indicates places where the base noun is kept/are associated with the base noun. | kitab-xana | bookshop | |
| -shunas | Indicates experts who carry out research on the base noun. | til-shunas | linguist | |
| -zar | Indicates a place where many plants of the base noun type are grown. | gül-zar | flowerbed | |
| -dan | Indicates vessels into which the base noun is put. | su-dan | water bottle | |
| -name | Indicates letters/documents/books about the base noun, or matters concerning it. | jeng-name | war story | |
| -iye | Indicates the territory inhabited by a nation. | Türk-iye | Turkey (country) | |
| -istan | Indicates the territory inhabited by a nation, or a place where many of the base noun exist. | gül-istan | flowerbed or garden | |
| -w/baz | Indicates a person devoted to the base noun. | qimar-waz | gambler | |
| -xor | A person who eats/drink the base noun (potentially to excess). | chay-xor | tea addict | |
| -kar | Experts who produce the base noun. | paxti-kar | cotton grower | |
| One who assumes the object indicated by the base noun. | gunah-kar | sinner | ||
| The owner of the base noun. | telep-kar | demanding person | ||
| -dar | The person who possesses the base noun. | zëmin-dar | landlord | |
| -pez | Person who cooks food expressed by the base noun. | samsi-pez | Samsa chef | |
| -k/ger | Person whose job it is produce something from or engage in the base noun. | mis-ker | coppersmith | |
| -kesh | Someone who is engaged in an activity connected with or bears the base noun. | mëhnet-kesh | labourer | |
| -w/ben | Someone who looks after or manages the base noun. | derwazi-wen | doorkeeper | |
| -purush | Someone who sells the base noun. | kitab-purush | bookseller | |
| -xan | Someone who reads the base noun. | Dua-xan | prayer reader | |
| -gah | The place of activity connected to the base noun. | jeng-gah | battlefield | |
| hem- | A person who shares in the whole of the base noun. | hem-tawaq | fellow diner | |
| -DUrUK | An article related to the base noun. | boyun-turuq | horse/ox yoke | |
| -darchiliq | The state of people in a relationship expressed by the base noun. | qoshni-darchiliq | neighbourliness | |
| -gerchilik | A characteristic specific to people indicated by the base noun. | adem-gerchilik | humaneness | |
| -izm | A belief, way, or principle related to the base noun. | dëmokrat-izm | democracy | |
| -chU/AK | Nouns that indicate a small thing related to the base noun. | yem-chük | fish bait. |
| Suffix | Description | Example | Translation | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| -lIK | Indicates the name of the quality indicated by the adjective. | sezgür-lük | sensitivity | |
| -chiliK | indicates the quality + state/situation/universality indicated by the adjective. | qurghaq-chiliq | dryness |
| Suffix | Description | Example | Translation | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| -GU/A | Indicates the means of the action expressed by the verb. | külke | smile/laughter | |
| -GUchi | Indicates someone engaged in the action expressed by the verb. | yaz-guchi | writer | |
| -(I)sh | Indicates the name of the action expressed by the verb. | ögin-ish | study | |
| -mAK | Indicates the result/means of the action expressed by the verb. | tëpish-maq | riddle | |
| -GUch | Indicates the means of the action expressed by the verb. | siz-guch | ruler, straight edge | |
| -mA | Indicates the result/means of the action expressed by the verb. | qolyaz-ma | draft, manuscript | |
| -(I)m | Indicates the result of the action expressed by the verb. | böl-üm | chapter, part | |
| -G[i/ü]n | Indicates the result of the action expressed by the verb. | kel-kün | flood | |
| -(A/U)K | Indicates the result/means/place of the action expressed by the verb. | sina-q | experiment/test | |
| -(i/ü)n | Indicates the result of the action expressed by the verb. | yëgh-in | rainfall | |
| -(I)ndi | Indicates the result of the action expressed by the verb. | yigh-indi | collection | |
| -duq | Indicates the result of the action expressed by the verb. | qal-duq | dregs/remainder | |
| -mIsh | Indicates the result/object of the action expressed by the verb. | öt-müsh | the past | |
| -GEK | Indicates an object possessing a feature inclined towards the action of the verb. | chaq-qaq | nettke | |
| -(i)nchA | Indicates the means of the action expressed by the verb. | sël-incha | cushion | |
| -mchi | Indicates the subject of the action expressed by the verb. | bashla-mchi | guide, pioneer | |
| -GUlUK | Indicates the abstract object of the action expressed by the verb. | kör-gülük | suffering |
Adjectives in Uyghur can often be used as adverbial modifiers, and indicate the quality of an object or action.
Most adjectives can have their degree modified, and these are known as "gradable" adjectives. However, it is impossible to strengthen or weaken some adjectives (i.e.), which are known as "non-gradable" adjectives.
There are a variety of ways to indicate degree when it comes to gradable adjectives.
| Name | Affix | Description | Example | Translation | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Positive degree | none | The original form of the adjective, indicates the normal degree of the quality expressed by the adjective. | kichik | small | |
| Decreasing degree | -rAK | Indicates a slight weakening of the quality and can indicate a softer tone. | kichik-rek | a bit small | |
| Emphatic degree | first syllable+p- | Indicates a strengthening of the quality, or the speaker's feeling. Less productive than the decreasing degree.Formed using a prefix that takes the first syllable and adds p to its constituent vowel. | kip-kichik | extremely small | |
| Endearing degree | -GinA | Expresses that the speaker is indicating the quality with a tone of endearment/fondness/intensification.Very unproductive. | kichik-kine | delightfully small |
This is known as "the repeated form" and emphasises that the quality is unique to a large number of things of the same type, or that the action possessing the quality indicated by the adjective is repeated many times.
Some adjectives can be directly turned into nouns, for example:They can also function as nouns when the noun is dropped, indicating objects with the quality they have.
| Suffix | Description | Example | Translation | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| -lIK | Implies the existence/abundance of the base noun. | su-luq | juicy, watered | |
| Indicates a characteristic specific to the base noun. | marksizm-liq | Marxist | ||
| Indicates a characteristic related to the time expressed by a time noun. | etigen-lik (uyqu) | midday (nap) | ||
| Indicates a characteristic giving rise to the base noun. | qayghu-luq (jewer) | sad (news) | ||
| Indicates the notion of "at the level of the district/region expressed by the noun" | ölki-lik (hökümet) | provincial (government) | ||
| Indicates a special feature characterised by riding on the base noun (animal/vehicle) | at-liq | on horseback | ||
| -siz | Implies a lack of/extremely small amount of the base noun. | su-siz | dry | |
| -chan | Indicates a characteristic that tends towards an action related to the base noun. | söz-chan | talkative | |
| Implies that the base noun (if clothing) is being worn. | könglek-chan | in a shirt | ||
| -chi | Indicates a characteristic that tends towards the base noun. | chataq-chi | trouble-making | |
| -chil | Indicates a characteristic that tends towards the base noun. | inqilab-chil | pro-revolutionary | |
| -siman | Indicates a similarity to the base noun. | adem-siman | humanoid | |
| -iy/wi | Indicates a trait characterised by the base noun. | din-iy | religious | |
| -peres | Indicates the characteristic of pursuing or worshipping the base noun. | emel-peres | power-hungry | |
| -perwer | Indicates the characteristic of loving the base noun. | weten-perwer | patriotic | |
| bi- | Implies the absence of the base noun. | bi-haya | shameless | |
| na- | Implies the absence of the base noun. | na-ümid | hopeless | |
| bet- | Indicates poor quality/vulgar according to the base noun. | bet-tem | tasteless |
| Suffix | Description | Example | Translation | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| -(I)K | Implies that the quality has been produced as a result of the verb. | sun-uq | broken | |
| -mA | Implies that the quality has been produced as a result of the verb or is appropriate to its action. | pükli-me | folding | |
| -GEK | Indicates a characteristic tending towards the action of the verb. | urush-qaq | combative | |
| -chAK | Indicates a characteristic tending towards the action of the verb. | maxtan-chaq | boastful | |
| -(A)ngGU | Indicates a characteristic tending towards the action of the verb. | chëchil-ang'ghu | disorderly | |
| -GUr | Indicates a characteristic tending towards the action of the verb. | uch-qur | fast | |
| -lIK | Indicates a characteristic applicable or related to the action of the verb.Only attached to verbal nouns ending in -sh | yë-yish-lik | delicious | |
| -GIn | Indicates a characteristic that has/will carry out the action of the verb. | tut-qun | arrested | |
| -Ki | When used with adverbs of time or position, this implies the time or position of the adverb. | bügün-ki | today's |
Like most Turkic languages, copulas are important to verbs, and some are words that have become fixed in a single form ("incomplete copulas", some of which are suffixes), although "complete copulas", which are entirely separate words, do exist.
In the present tense, it is not essential to use a copula, for example:
| Hearsay | Subjective assessment | Objective assessment | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tense | Present | Past | Present/Past | Present | Past | Present | Past | Present/Past | |
| 1sg | -men | idim | ikenmen | -dekmen | ikenmishmen | -durmen | bolghiydim | bolsam kërek | |
| 1pl | -miz | iduq | ikenmiz | -dekmiz | ikenmishmiz | -durmiz | bolghiyduq | bolsaq kërek | |
| 2sg informal | -sen | iding | ikensen | -deksen | ikenmishsen | -dursen | bolghiyding | bolsang kërek | |
| 2sg polite | -siz | idingiz | ikensiz | -deksiz | ikenmishsiz | -dursiz | bolghiydingiz | bolsingiz kërek | |
| 2sg respectful | -la | idile | ikenla | -dekla | ikenmishla | -durla | bolghiydile | bolsila kërek | |
| 2pl | -siler | idinglar | ikensiler | -deksiler | ikenmishsiler | -dursiler | bolghiydinglar | bolsanglar kërek | |
| 3sg/pl | -Dur | idi | iken | -deng | ikenmish | -dur | bolghiydi | bolsa kërek | |
The negative copula, emes, does not inflect for person or tense. For example:
Verbs in Uyghur inflect in a variety of ways, such as for tense, aspect, and mood.
There are two infinitival suffixes in Uyghur, -(I)sh and -mAK. -(I)sh is used in most situations where the infinitive and gerund is used in English, primarily when discussing an action as a noun, as such -(I)sh is often accompanied by the accusative -ni. For example:
While some tenses inflect for person, some such as the future-present tense simply go between the stem and the following personal suffixes.
| 1st | -men | -miz | |
| 2nd Informal | -sen | -siler | |
| 2nd Polite | -siz | -la | |
| 3rd | -du | ||
| 1st | -DIm | -Duq | |
| 2nd Informal | -DIng | -DInglar | |
| 2nd Polite | -Dingiz | -Dila | |
| 3rd | -Di | ||
Tömür describes Uyghur as having four states and three tenses, with all of the states being able to take past and present tenses, thus producing nine state-tenses for verbs. Some of these have multiple variants.
The archiphoneme Y here is y after vowels, i after consonants, and yi if the verb is "yu". The archiphoneme K is much like G but is always voiceless.
| Imperfect | Continuous | Intention | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tense | Simple Past | Present | Past | Present | Past | Present | Past | Present | Past | ||
| Construction | -D+type 2 | -GAn(+type 1) | -GAnid+type 2 | -Y+type 1 | -Att+type 2 | -Arid+type 2 | -mAKtA+type 1 | -mAKtA+ id+type 2 | -mAKchi(+type 1) | -mAKchid+type 2 | |
| 1sg | -DIm | -GAnmen | -GAnidim | -Ymen | -Attim | -Aridim | -mAKtimen | -mAKta idim | -mAKchimen | -mAKchidim | |
| 1pl | -duq | -GAnmiz | -GAniduq | -Ymiz | -Attuq | -Ariduq | -mAKtimiz | -mAKta iduq | -mAKchimiz | -mAKchiduq | |
| 2sg informal | -DIng | -GAnsen | -GAniding | -Ysen | -Atting | -Ariding | -mAKtisen | -mAKta iding | -mAKchisen | -mAKchiding | |
| 2sg polite | -DIngiz | -GAnsiz | -GAnidingiz | -Ysiz | -Attingiz | -Aridingiz | -mAKtisiz | -mAKta idingiz | -mAKchisiz | -mAKchidingiz | |
| 2pl informal | -DInglar | -GAnsiler | -GAnidinglar | -Ysiler | -Attinglar | -Aridinglar | -mAKtisiler | -mAKta idinglar | -mAKchisiler | -mAKchidinglar | |
| 2pl polite | -DingizlAr | -GAnidile | -Yla | -Attila | -Aridile | -mAKchila | |||||
| 3sg/3pl | -Di | -GAndu | -GAnidi | -Ydu | -Atti | -Aridi | -mAKta | -mAKta idi | -mAKchi | -mAKchidi | |
The simple past tense always indicates that the action or state expressed by the verb took place before the time of speaking, no matter the mood of the verb.It can also be used in some special senses to indicate that the action will take place immediately, show an absolute determination to carry out the action, or indicate the sense of hypothesis.
The present perfect tense indicates the current existence of the state which the action has brought about. It differs from the simple past tense in requiring the action to be completed to a degree that it has changed the state of the object.
The past perfect tense indicates the existence of the state which the action has brought about before another related matter, or at a specific point in the past.
The present imperfect tense indicates the present existence the state of an action that regularly/always occurs, or will occur later. This includes actions such as:
The present imperfect tense indicates the existence the state of an action that regularly/always occurs, or will occur later, at some point in the past or before a related matter. This includes actions such as:
The present continuous tense indicates the present existence of a continuously ongoing or fixed state of an action.
The present continuous tense indicates the existence of a continuously ongoing or fixed state of an action at a previous time or before a certain matter.
The present intention tense indicates the present existence of an action that has been intended or agreed upon.
The present intention tense indicates the existence of an action that has been intended or agreed upon, before a certain matter.
These verb endings can differ between regions, the forms given in the table are those used in Kashgar.
The direct statement mood indicates that the subject matter is something the speaker knows first-hand. It is the most common mood.
The indirect statement mood indicates that the subject matter is something the speaker knows indirectly (has learned of recently from facts/information given by others). Most often translated with the English word "apparently".
| Imperfect | Continuous | Intention | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tense | Simple Past | Present | Past | Present | Past | Present | Past | Present | Past | |
| Construction | -Ip(ti)+type 1 | -Iptiken+type 1 | -GAniken+type 1 | -Ydiken+type 1 | -Ydiken+type 1 | -Ip tUrUpti+type 1 | -(I)watidiken+type 1 | -mAKchiken+type 1 | -mAKchiken+type 1 | |
| 1sg | -Iptimen | -Iptikenmen | -GAnikenmen | -Ydikenmen | -Ydikenmen | -Ip tUrUptimen | -(I)watidikenmen | -mAKchikenmen | -mAKchikenmen | |
| 1pl | -Iptimiz | -Iptikenmiz | -GAnikenmiz | -Ydikenmiz | -Ydikenmiz | -Ip tUrUptimiz | -(I)watidikenmiz | -mAKchikenmiz | -mAKchikenmiz | |
| 2sg informal | -Ipsen | -Iptikensen | -GAnikensen | -Ydikensen | -Ydikensen | -Ip tUrUptisen | -(I)watidikensen | -mAKchikensen | -mAKchikensen | |
| 2sg polite | -Ipsiz | -Iptikensiz | -GAnikensiz | -Ydikensiz | -Ydikensiz | -Ip tUrUptisiz | -(I)watidikensiz | -mAKchikensiz | -mAKchikensiz | |
| 2pl informal | -Ipsiler | -Iptikensiler | -GAnikensiler | -Ydikensiler | -Ydikensiler | -Ip tUrUptisiler | -(I)watidikensiler | -mAKchikensiler | -mAKchikensiler | |
| 2pl polite | -Iptila | -Iptikenla | -GAnikenla | -Ydikenla | -Ydikenla | -Ip tUrUptila | -(I)watidikenla | -mAKchikenla | -mAKchikenla | |
| 3sg/3pl | -Iptu | -Iptiken | -GAniken | -Ydiken | -Ydiken | -Ip tUrUptu | -(I)watidiken | -mAKchiken | -mAKchiken(duq) | |
The hearsay mood indicates that the subject matter is something the speaker has heard of from others. Mostly translated with "they say that", "SUBJ has heard that", or "supposedly".It can also be used for:
| Perfect | Imperfect | Continuous | Intention | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tense | Simple Past | Present | Past | Present | Past | Present | Past | Present | Past | ||
| Construction | -Iptimish+type 1 | -Iptudek+type 1 | -GAnmish+type 1 | -GAnikenmish+type 1 | -GUdek+type 1 | -Ydikenmish+type 1 | -(I)watarmish+type 1 | -(I)watidikenmish+type 1 | -mAKchidek+type 1 | -mAKchiken+type 1+mish | |
| 1sg | -Iptimishmen | -Iptudekmen | -GAnmishmen | -GAnikenmishmen | -GUdekmen | -Ydikenmishmen | -(I)watarmishmen | -(I)watidikenmishmen | -mAKchidekmen | -mAKchikenmenmish | |
| 1pl | -Iptimishmiz | -Iptudekmiz | -GAnmishmiz | -GAnikenmishmiz | -GUdekmiz | -Ydikenmishmiz | -(I)watarmishmiz | -(I)watidikenmishmiz | -mAKchidekmiz | -mAKchikenmizmish | |
| 2sg informal | -Iptimishsen | -Iptudeksen | -GAnmishsen | -GAnikenmishsen | -GUdeksen | -Ydikenmishsen | -(I)watarmishsen | -(I)watidikenmishsen | -mAKchideksen | -mAKchikensenmish | |
| 2sg polite | -Iptimishsiz | -Iptudeksiz | -GAnmishsiz | -GAnikenmishsiz | -GUdeksiz | -Ydikenmishsiz | -(I)watarmishsiz | -(I)watidikenmishsiz | -mAKchideksiz | -mAKchikensizmish | |
| 2pl informal | -Iptimishsiler | -Iptudeksiler | -GAnmishsiler | -GAnikenmishsiler | -GUdeksiler | -Ydikenmishsiler | -(I)watarmishsiler | -(I)watidikenmishsiler | -mAKchideksiler | -mAKchikensilermish | |
| 2pl polite | -Iptimishla | -Iptudekla | -GAnmishla | -GAnikenmishla | -GUdekla | -Ydikenmishla | -(I)watarmishla | -(I)watidikenmishla | -mAKchidekla | -mAKchikenlamish | |
| 3sg/3pl | -Iptimish | -Iptudek | -GAnmish | -GAnikenmish | -GUdek | -Ydikenmish | -(I)watarmish | -(I)watidikenmish | -mAKchideng | -mAKchikenmish | |
The subjective assessment mood indicates that the subject matter is something that has been assessed in a subjective manner. Usually translated with "think", "guess", or "believe".
| Imperfect | Continuous | Intention | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tense | Simple Past | Present | Past | Present | Past | Present | Past | Present | Past | |
| Construction | -GAn(di)+type 1 | -GAn(type 1)ghu deymen | -GAn bolghiy+type 2 | -type 1+ghu deymen | -idighan bolghiy+type2 | -(I)watqan(di)+type 1 | -(I)watqan bolghiy+type 2 | -mAKchi+type 1+ghu deymen | -mAKchi bolghiyd+type 2 | |
| 1sg | -GAndimen | -GAnghu deymen | -GAn bolghiydim | -menghu deymen | -idighan bolghiydim | -(I)watqandimen | -(I)watqan bolghiydim | -mAKchimenghu deymen | -mAKchi bolghiydim | |
| 1pl | -GAndimiz | -GAnghu deymen | -GAn bolghiyduq | -mizghu deymen | -idighan bolghiyduq | -(I)watqandimiz | -(I)watqan bolghiyduq | -mAKchimizghu deymen | -mAKchi bolghiyduq | |
| 2sg informal | -GAnsen | -GAnghu deymen | -GAn bolghiyding | -senghu deymen | -idighan bolghiyding | -(I)watqansen | -(I)watqan bolghiyding | -mAKchisenghu deymen | -mAKchi bolghiyding | |
| 2sg polite | -GAnsiz | -GAnghu deymen | -GAn bolghiydingiz | -sizghu deymen | -idighan bolghiydingiz | -(I)watqansiz | -(I)watqan bolghiydingiz | -mAKchisizghu deymen | -mAKchi bolghiydingiz | |
| 2pl informal | -GAnsiler | -GAnghu deymen | -GAn bolghiydile | -silerghu deymen | -idighan bolghiydile | -(I)watqansiler | -(I)watqan bolghiydile | -mAKchisilerghu deymen | -mAKchi bolghiydile | |
| 2pl polite | -ishqanla | -GAnghu deymen | -GAn bolghiydinglar | -laghu deymen | -idighan bolghiydinglar | -(I)watqanla | -(I)watqan bolghiydinglar | -mAKchilaghu deymen | -mAKchi bolghiydinglar | |
| 3sg/3pl | -GAndu | -GAnghu deymen | -GAn bolghiydi | -idghu deymen | -idighan bolghiydi | -(I)watqandu | -(I)watqan bolghiydi | -mAKchighu deymen | -mAKchi bolghiydi | |
The objective assessment mood indicates that the subject matter is something that has been assessed according to certain facts, and it is usually translated with "looks as", "seems", "must have", etc. It does not inflect for tense, only for state.
| Tense | Simple Past | Present/Past | Present/Past | Present/Past | Present/Past | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Construction | -GAn oxshay+type 1 | -GAn oxshay+type 1 | -idighan oxshay+type 1 | -(I)watqan oxshay+type 1 | -mAKchi oxshay+type 1 | |
| 1sg | -GAn oxshaymen | -GAn oxshaymen | -idighan oxshaymen | -(I)watqan oxshaymen | -mAKchi oxshaymen | |
| 1pl | -GAn oxshaymiz | -GAn oxshaymiz | -idighan oxshaymiz | -(I)watqan oxshaymiz | -mAKchi oxshaymiz | |
| 2sg informal | -GAn oxshaysen | -GAn oxshaysen | -idighan oxshaysen | -(I)watqan oxshaysen | -mAKchi oxshaysen | |
| 2sg polite | -GAn oxshaysiz | -GAn oxshaysiz | -idighan oxshaysiz | -(I)watqan oxshaysiz | -mAKchi oxshaysiz | |
| 2pl informal | -GAn oxshaysiler | -GAn oxshaysiler | -idighan oxshaysiler | -(I)watqan oxshaysiler | -mAKchi oxshaysiler | |
| 2pl polite | -GAn oxshayla | -GAn oxshayla | -idighan oxshayla | -(I)watqan oxshayla | -mAKchi oxshayla | |
| 3sg/3pl | -GAn oxshaydu | -GAn oxshaydu | -idighan oxshaydu | -(I)watqan oxshaydu | -mAKchi oxshaydu |
The imperative mood, and all following moods, do not inflect based on state-tense.
The objective assessment mood indicates that the subject matter of the sentence is spoken in a matter that denotes:
It may also indicate that the listener is being requested to wait until the subject matter has finished/ceased. The suffix -Gin can also be attached to the end of the verb to give an affectionate mood to the command/request.
| 1sg | -(A)y | |
|---|---|---|
| 1pl | -(A)yli | |
| 2sg informal | ∅ | |
| 2sg polite | -(I)ng | |
| 2pl informal | -(I)nglar | |
| 2pl polite | -(I)shsilA | |
| 3sg/3pl | -sun |
The hypothesis-objection mood can indicate either a hypothetical mood to the subject matter of the sentence, like below:or it can indicate that the subject matter is spoken in opposition to another, as below:
| 1sg | -sAm | |
|---|---|---|
| 1pl | -sAK | |
| 2sg informal | -sAng | |
| 2sg polite | -singiz | |
| 2pl informal | -sAnglar | |
| 2pl polite | -(I)shsilA | |
| 3sg/3pl | -sA |
This is formed by attaching the -iken auxiliary to the verb's hypothesis-objection mood form. The auxiliary may sometimes be omitted.
It indicates that the subject matter of the sentence is spoken in the manner of a petition, desire, or polite request.
| 1sg | -sAmiken | |
|---|---|---|
| 1pl | -sAKiken | |
| 2sg informal | -sAngiken | |
| 2sg polite | -singiziken | |
| 2pl informal | -sAnglariken | |
| 2pl polite | -(I)shsiliken | |
| 3sg/3pl | -siken |
This is formed by attaching the past tense direct judgement copula to the verb's hypothesis-objection mood form. The copula may sometimes be omitted.
| 1sg | -sAmidim | |
|---|---|---|
| 1pl | -sAKiduq | |
| 2sg informal | -sAngiding | |
| 2sg polite | -singizidingiz | |
| 2pl informal | -sAnglaridile | |
| 2pl polite | -(I)shsilAidinglar | |
| 3sg/3pl | -sAidi |
| 1sg | -sAmchu | -sAm boptiken | -sAm bolghaniken | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1pl | -sAKchu | -sAK boptiken | -sAK bolghaniken | |
| 2sg informal | -sAngchu | -sAng boptiken | -sAng bolghaniken | |
| 2sg polite | -singizchu | -singiz boptiken | -singiz bolghaniken | |
| 2pl informal | -sAnglarchu | -sAnglar boptiken | -sAnglar bolghaniken | |
| 2pl polite | -(I)shsilAchu | -(I)shsilA boptiken | -(I)shsilA bolghaniken | |
| 3sg/3pl | -sAchu | -sA boptiken | -sA bolghaniken |
| 1sg | -(A)ychu | |
|---|---|---|
| 1pl | -(A)ylichu | |
| 2sg informal | -chu | |
| 2sg polite | -(I)ngchu | |
| 2pl informal | -(I)nglarchu | |
| 2pl polite | -(I)shsilAchu | |
| 3sg/3pl | -sunchu |
The underlying structure of this is -ma+GAy+past tense direct judgement copula, but both a's are raised to i.
| 1sg | -miGiydim | |
|---|---|---|
| 1pl | -miGiyduq | |
| 2sg informal | -miGiyding | |
| 2sg polite | -miGiydingiz | |
| 2pl informal | -miGiydinglar | |
| 2pl polite | -miGiydila | |
| 3sg/3pl | -miGiydi |
| 1sg | -sAm bolidu | |
|---|---|---|
| 1pl | -sAK bolidu | |
| 2sg informal | -sAng bolidu | |
| 2sg polite | -singiz bolidu | |
| 2pl informal | -sAnglar bolidu | |
| 2pl polite | -(I)shsilA bolidu | |
| 3sg/3pl | -sA bolidu |
There are a variety of ways to indicate aspect with respect to verbs in Uyghur, including the use of infixes and auxiliary verbs.
The addition of the converb suffix -(I)p to the main verb, then followed by an auxiliary inflected verb, can indicate aspect, in a form known as the aspectual complement. Auxiliary verbs can also be used to indicate direction with verbs like bar-, kel-, ket-, (to go, to come, to leave) in a form known as the directional complement. For example:Here the main verb is saqla- (to wait), with tur- being the auxiliary (meaning to continue; keep on, in its auxiliary form). The negative form of -(I)p is -mAy, but the suffix -mAstin can also be used, although it is considerably more informal and limited to the past tense. Example:-(I)p, as a converb suffix, can be used in many other ways, such as to link verbs or even entire clauses and sentences. When this is done only the final verb is inflected for person and tense. For example: The tense and person of all the verbs are indicated by the inflection of the final verb.
Aspect infixes derive from aspect auxiliary verbs merging with verbs in the adverbial form and undergoing sound change.
| Infix | Description | Example | Translation | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| -(I)wat- | Indicates continuity. | oyna-wat-idu | "they are playing" | |
| -(y)Ala- | Indicates ability or possibility. | yaz-ala-y-men | "I can write" | |
| -(i)wer- | Indicates non-restriction. | |||
| -(I)wet- | Indicates intensification and incisiveness. | ich-iwët-eyli | "let's drink!" (n.b. -eyli indicates optative/"let's" here) | |
| -(I)wal- | Indicates the aspect of being directed towards the subject. |
Verbs themselves can be word stems unto themselves, or be formed through compounding or verb-derivation suffixes.
Some examples of root verbs include:
They cannot be broken down into any further morphemes.
A variety of verb-formation suffixes can be attached to various words (ranging from nouns and adjectives to other verbs) to form verbs. Many of these suffixes use harmonic rules/archiphonemes earlier described.
| Suffix | Attached to | Description | Example | Translation | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| -lA | certain nouns | Indicates the sense of causing/having an object turn into/take on qualities possessed by the base noun. | gül-le | to flourishlit. "to become like a flower" | |
| nouns indicating measuring implements | Indicates the sense of measuring with said implement. | jing-la | to weigh with scales | ||
| certain adjectives | Indicates the sense of causing/having an object take on qualities indicated by the base adjective. | yaxshi-la | to improvelit. "to make good" | ||
| -lAsh | certain nouns | Indicates the sense of producing the object expressed by the noun, or generally occurring on the basis of that object. | parang-lash | to chatlit. "to make talk" | |
| certain adjectives | Indicates the sense of acquiring the qualities expressed by the adjective. | eghir-lash | to become heavy | ||
| -lAn | certain nouns | Indicates the sense of acquiring/possessing the noun, or displaying it. | ghezep-len | to become angry | |
| adjectives indicating absence or lack | Indicates feeling/displaying the quality expressed by the adjective. | ümidsiz-len | to be pessimistic | ||
| -A | specific nouns and certain adjectives | Bringing/causing an object/quality to exist/appear. | tüz-e | to arrange/tidylit. "to bring straightness into existence" | |
| -sirA | certain nouns | Expresses that the object indicated by the noun decreases or is needed. | qan-sira | to bleedlit. "to decrease in blood" | |
| -(A)y | certain nouns and certain adjectives | Indicates acquiring the quality/object expressed by the base word. | qara-y | to blacken/darken | |
| -(A)r | certain adjectives | Indicates acquiring the quality expressed by the base word. | qisqa-r | to become short | |
| -i | certain adjectives | Indicates acquiring/possessing the quality expressed by the base word. | tinch-i | to quieten downlit. "to acquire/possess peace" | |
| -dA | specific nouns | Varied meanings. | iz-de | to search (iz = trace) | |
| -(i)shtUr | certain verb stems | Indicates doing the verb with minimal effort, or revising it. | tüze-shtür | to tidy up, straighten out |
These are verbs made up of two words that have merged into one inseparable word, phonetically and semantically, and express a singular lexical meaning. For example:
There are three groups of participles.
| Perfect participle | -GAn | |
|---|---|---|
| Continuous participle | -(I)watqan | |
| -(I)p AUX-GAn | Auxiliary verbs being yat, tur, oltur, and yür | |
| -GAn | Only with the verbs yat, tur, oltur, and yür | |
| Imperfect participle | -Ydighan | |
| -(A)r | ||
| -mAs | negative form |
The Perfect Participle displays the action expressed by itself as a quality that has come into existence (i.e. has been completed).
The Continuous Participle displays as a quality the continuous state or action expressed by itself.
The Imperfect Participle displays the action expressed by itself as a quality which is habitually expressed or will be expressed later, i.e. which has not been completed.
There are seven types of gerund (also called verbal nouns).
| -sh gerund | -(I)sh | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| -maq gerund | -mAK | ||
| -ghu gerund | -GU | ||
| perfect gerund | -GAn-POSS | POSS indicating a possessive suffix | |
| -GAnliK | |||
| continuous gerund | -continuous participle-POSS | ||
| -continuous participle-liK | |||
| imperfect gerund | -imperfect participle-POSS | ||
| -imperfect participle-liK | |||
| agent gerund | -GUchi |
The -sh gerund expresses as an obiect an action that is neutral with respect to state. It functions as a noun in the sentence. There are also many special cases this gerund can be used in.
There are seven types of adverbial.
| formation | notes | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Limitation and contrast | -GUche | ||
| Purpose and elapsed time | -Gili | ||
| Causative adverbial | -GAchA | ||
| Concurrence adverbial | -GAch | ||
| Extension/prolongation | -GAnsëri | ||
| Associative adverbial 1 | -A/y | ||
| Associative adverbial 2 | -(I)p |