Verbs in Aldéril are marked for aspect, mood and voice. The basic form of the finite verb/verbal clause is (optional items in parenthesis):
(appl) + v + amv
where,
- appl: a valancy increasign prefix for applicatives
- v: the verb stem
- amv: the suffix indicating aspect, mood, and voice
Aspect
Aldéril has two aspects. The perfect aspect is marked as part of the verbal suffix, often indicated by the vowel /i/. It indicates that the action of the verb is complete or viewed as a whole. Most often, this is the form used to talk about events in the past.
The imperfect aspect is marked as part of the verbal suffix, often indicated by the presence of a nasal + stop cluster. It indicates that the action of the verb is in the process of happening. Most often, this is the form used to talk about events in the present or future. It is also used to refer to an action that is just beginning (the inceptive) or to a verbal action considered in general.
Mood
Indicative
Indicative mood is used for simple declarative sentences. It is used with verbs that are describe action that has actually occurred or will actually occur. When used for action occuring in the future, it indicates certainty that the event described will occur, although this usage is more marked than the subjunctive.
Subjunctive
Subjunctive mood is used for sentences about which the reality of the verbal action is in doubt. It is the most common way fo indicatign future action. It is also the most common way of forming imperatives and jussives.
Valency and Voice
All verbs are transitive by default, that is they take a subject and one object. The subject of the verb must always be higher on the animacy hierarchy than the object. In order to accommodate this rule, there are several valency changing operations that allow a speaker to re-order the arguments of the verb.
In addition to the default active voice, the inverse voice takes two arguments. To remove an argument and have only a single subject with no object, the passive and anti-passive may be used. To remove all verbal arguments, the impersonal voice may be used. Finally, in cases where an oblique noun (i.e. the object of a preposition) needs to be promoted to a main argument, there are several applicative constructions, depending on the role of the noun being promoted.
Active
The active voice is the default voice for verbs, containing a subject that performs the action and an object that is acted upon. In the active voice, both the subject and the object must be definite.
Inverse
The inverse voice switches the roles of the subject and the object but otherwise follows the same rules as the active voice. The transformation can be modeled:
A1 V P2 → A2 V-INV P1
The inverse voice is indicated by the sound /p/ in the perfect and /l/ in the imperfect.
Antipassive
The antipassive voice demotes the object of the sentence, either allowing for an indefinite object or removing the object of the verb altogether. Many intransitive sentences in English would instead be expressed with an antipassive construction in Aldéril, especially when the subject is an animate actor. The transformation can be modeled:
A1 V P2 → A/S1 V (P1)
The antipassive is indicated by the sound /t/ in the inflection.
Passive
The passive voice promotes the object of the verb to the subject, removing the original subject completely. Many intransitive verbs in English would instead be expressedwith a passive construction in Aldéril, especially when the subject is experiencing the verb, rather than actively doing the action. The transformation can be modeledː
A1 V P2 → S2 V
The passive voice is also used for politness in asking questions or giving commands, leaving out the second person subject. The passive is indicated by the sound /kʷ/ in the inflection.
Impersonal
The impersonal voice removes both arguments of the verb, leaving no nominal arguments for the verb. The agent may be reintroduced in a prepositional phrase en + instrumental. This is the only way to express an indefinite agent. The transformation can be modeledː
A1 V P2 → V [en instr A1]
The impersonal construction expresses a generalized action. It may be used to background or deemphesize information, and as such it is commonly used in subordinate clauses, especially where the clause acts as a verbal argument or in temporal clauses. It is also often used with phrases regarding the weather. Like the passive voice, the impersonal is used for giving commands, leaving out the second person subject. Finally, as discussed below, it may be used when the verb functions as a noun or adjective. The impersonal voice is indicated by the sound /i(k)/ in the inflection.
Applicatives
Applicatives are formed with prefixes which increase the valency of the verb. There are three applicative constructions in Aldérilː benefactive, which promotes a dative to direct object and is marked with the prefix en-; insturmental, which promotes an instrumental to direct object and is marked with the prefix pu-; and causitive, which creates an additional accusative direct object and is marked with the preposition ce-. Applicatives can also undergo any of the above valancy changing operations, in which case the newly created direct object must be the promoted noun.
Conjugation
Aldéril conjugates its verbs using a fusional inflection, that is, the individual elements of aspect, mood, and voice cannot be easily separated from one another, but each combination must be learned more or less on its own merit. Vrbal endings beginning in a vowel often replace the final vowel of the stem. The verbal endings are given belowː
| Perfect Indicative | Imperfect Indicative | Perfect Subjunctive | Imperfect Subjunctive | |
| Active | -í | -ndi | -ím | -mbú |
| Inverse | -epí | -nlë | -epú | -nlú |
| Passive | -tin | -tindi | -tim | -timbú |
| Antipassive | -quí | -quen | -quím | -quembú |
| Impersonal | -icí | -indë | -icím | -imbú |
The verbal stem also may have some irregularities. Consonant stems (stems which end in a non-sonorant consonant) will lose their final consonant when the verb ending begins in a consonant. Some stems may have a vowel change between the indicative and subjunctive. Finally, long vowels immediately before the verb ending are shortened in the perfect active and the perfect antipassive constructions.
Infinitives
Aldéril does not have a distinct infinitve form, instead, vebral nouns are formed using the impersonal construction of the verb together with a case prefix to indicate its role in the sentence. Some verbs, such as modals or verbs of thinking, require a verbal noun as an argument. In other cases, the nominal use of a verb refers to the action itself as an agent or patient in a sentence. In terms of the animacy rules discussed above, verbal nouns are abstractions. Verbal nouns are also treated as being definite, and as such may be used as a subject or direct object without special transformations.
Copulas
Aldéril has two copular verbs. Neither copula declines, but they may be modified by adverbs and they sit in the place of a typical verb. The stative copula antá is used to connect a noun with a predicate nominative or predicate adjective (see §3.5 and §4.4 for more information).
The locative copula isá is used especially to locate a nominal subject in space or time, but in general it can be used when the predicate of the copular sentence is a prepositional phrase or an adverbial phrase.
Verbal Particles
Negation
Verbs in Aldéril are negated in one of two primary ways. The particle lú is used to negate indicative clauses and sentences. It is placed clause initially, and provides a truth condition for the clause or sentence, falsifying the clause or sentence as a whole.
In cases where an individual word or phrase is to be negated, or for subjunctive verbs, the particle má is used. It is placed in attributive position, immediately following the word or phrase it negates. This particle may also be used with a clefted word or phrase to mark negative focus.