Conjugation
Conjugation of verbs in any language is important. The mastery of this is key to having a good command of the language in question.
I find it interesting that the few languages I understand or have some knowledge of have different styles or forms of conjugation. And when English speaking people believe the language is easy, I hoot with laughter. Pidgin - in any form - is the easiest language.
In English, French & Spanish (the first I understand and have a fairly good command of, the second & third I have studied but do not understand or speak) and probably many languages in the Western world, verbs are conjugated usually by changing the form of the verb.
For example, in English the verb "go" is conjugated into the simple past or future tenses as follows: went, gone, going - the form of the word is changed.
In French and Spanish, verbs are conjugated similarly. The more complicated conjugations are done by changing the form of the verb AND adding another verb (called an auxiliary verb) - e.g., I "am going", "I was going". In case we did not know "am" and "was" are conjugations of the verb "be" - oh yes!
In Yoruba, as in the Pidgin spoken in Nigeria, verbs are conjugated in a similar manner - the verb itself is left intact and an auxiliary verb is used and conjugated.
"Lo" in yoruba is "go".
Ti lo - I have gone
Ma lo - Will go
Ti'n lo - I am going.
In Pidgin:
I go go - I will go.
I go - I went.
I don go - I have gone.
I don dey go/I dey go - I am going.
I been dey go - I was going.
Can anyone tell me how verbs are conjugated in their language?
I find it interesting that the few languages I understand or have some knowledge of have different styles or forms of conjugation. And when English speaking people believe the language is easy, I hoot with laughter. Pidgin - in any form - is the easiest language.
In English, French & Spanish (the first I understand and have a fairly good command of, the second & third I have studied but do not understand or speak) and probably many languages in the Western world, verbs are conjugated usually by changing the form of the verb.
For example, in English the verb "go" is conjugated into the simple past or future tenses as follows: went, gone, going - the form of the word is changed.
In French and Spanish, verbs are conjugated similarly. The more complicated conjugations are done by changing the form of the verb AND adding another verb (called an auxiliary verb) - e.g., I "am going", "I was going". In case we did not know "am" and "was" are conjugations of the verb "be" - oh yes!
In Yoruba, as in the Pidgin spoken in Nigeria, verbs are conjugated in a similar manner - the verb itself is left intact and an auxiliary verb is used and conjugated.
"Lo" in yoruba is "go".
Ti lo - I have gone
Ma lo - Will go
Ti'n lo - I am going.
In Pidgin:
I go go - I will go.
I go - I went.
I don go - I have gone.
I don dey go/I dey go - I am going.
I been dey go - I was going.
Can anyone tell me how verbs are conjugated in their language?
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