Verbs & Focus/Trigger System

-um- verb class

intransitive and some transitive actor-focus verbs

varies

Infix -um- marks actor as topic; e.g. kumain, uminom, bumili

mag- verb class

actor-focus often transitive or activities

varies

Mag- prefix class; broader range of transitivity than -um-

mang- verb class

actor-focus distributive/habitual actions

mahng-

Mang- plus root; root-initial consonant changes with nasal assimilation

ma- verb class (involuntary/stative)

accidental or stative actor-focus

mah-

Nahulog siya = He/She accidentally fell; involuntary events

-in object focus

marks patient/object as topic

-in

Kinain niya ang tinapay = He/she ate the bread (bread is topic)

-an locative/beneficiary focus

marks location or beneficiary as topic

-ahn

Nilutuan niya ako = He/she cooked for me (I am topic beneficiary)

i- instrument/beneficiary focus

marks instrument or beneficiary as topic

ee-

Ibinili niya ako ng tinapay = He/she bought bread for me

Aspect formation for mag- verbs

mag- to nag-; nag- plus reduplication for incomplete

varies

Magluto: nagluto (comp) / nagluluto (incompl) / magluluto (contempl)

Kinain niya ang isda.

He/She ate the fish (fish is topic).

kee-nah-in nee-yah ahng ees-dah

-in focus: isda is the topic marked by ang

Pinaghandaan niya kami.

He/She prepared for us.

pee-nahg-han-dah-ahn nee-yah kah-mee

Pag- plus -an: beneficiary focus construction