Verbal Mood in Sakha: A Comprehensive Analysis

These are notes I have compiled on the system of the Sakha verbal mood (Sakha: туохтуур киэбэ; Russian: наклонение глагола). I am drawing here mostly on the comprehensive summary of Sakha grammar at the end of Volume XV, the final volume, of P. A. Sleptsov's Саха тылын быһаарыылаах улахан тылдьыта (Novosibirsk: Nauka, 2004). I've also taken the liberty of making my own additions and corrections, and of freely drawing on other sources.

There are ten moods in Sakha: the indicative, the imperative, the conditional, the debitive,  the possible, the affirmative, the subjunctive, the suppositional, the mood of incomplete action, and the mood of habitually completed action. I will analyse them one by one. 

1. Indicative mood (кэпсиир киэп / изъявительное наклонение). The indicative mood has no special markers, but coincides entirely with the category of tense. The paradigms of tensed verbs serve at once as the paradigms of the indicative mood.

2. Imperative mood (соруйар киэп / повелительное наклонение). The imperative, in contrast with the other moods, is not built from participial forms, but attaches directly to the verbal root. While in other languages the imperative is sometimes considered as attaching only to the second-person singular and plural, and in the first-person plural for example it is called “hortatory” or by some other name, here we are understanding the variations in all persons and numbers as imperative.

	Singular	Plural
First person	барыым - I should go. кэлиим - I should come. утуйуум - I should sleep.	барыах - Let us go. кэлиэх - Let us come. утуйуох - Let us sleep.
Second person	бар - Go! кэл - Come! хон - Sleep!	барыҥ - Go! кэлиҥ - Come! утуйуҥ - Sleep!
Third person	бардын - May he go. кэллин - May he come. хоннун - May he pass the       night.	бардыннар - May they go. кэлиннэр - May they come. хоннуннар - May they sleep.

	Singular	Plural
First person	барымыым - May I not go. кэлиимиим - May I not come. утуйумуум - May I not sleep.	барымыах(ха) - Let us not go. утуйумуох(ха) - Let us not sleep. кэлимиэх(хэ) - Let us not come.
Second person	барыма - Don't go! кэлимэ - Don't come! хонума - Don't sleep!	барымаҥ - Don't go! кэлимэҥ - Don't come! утуйумаҥ - Don't sleep!
Third person	барбатын - May he not go. кэлбэтин - May he not come. хоммотун - May he not pass the night.	барбатыннар - May they not go. кэлбэтиннэр - May they not come. хоммотуннар - May they not sleep.

3. Conditional mood (болдьуур киэп / условное наклонение)

The conditional mood is used with the help of two affixes: -тар (and its phonetic variants) and -тах (and its phonetic variants. A verb wih -тар expresses an action that is the condition or presupposition of the realization of another action expressed, typically, as the main predicate of the sentence. For example: Үлэбин эрдэ бүтэрдэрбин, киинэҕэ барыам этэ - “If I had finished the book earlier, I would have gone to the movies”.

The declension of a verb in the conditional mood proceeds with the suffix -тар:

	Singular	Plural
First person	бардарбын - If I had gone. кэллэрбин - If I had come. сыттарбын - If I had lain. хоннорбун - If I had spent the night. аһаатарбын - If I had eaten.	бардарбыт кэллэрбит сыттарбыт       Etc. хоннорбут аһаатарбыт
Second person	бардаргын кэллэргин сыттаргын           Etc. хонноргун аһаатаргын	бардаргыт кэллэргит сыттаргыт       Etc. хонноргут аһаатаргыт
Third person	бардар кэллэр сыттар                   Etc. хоннор аһаатар	бардаллар кэллэллэр сытталлар       Etc. хонноллор аһааталлар

The second form of the conditional mood is very specific and occurs in declension with the fixed form -тах. Hisorically it is related to the Turkic participial form -dık indicating a past tense. In some modern Turkic languages, notably in Turkish, the -dık form is very productive and multifunctional, able to take suffixes from several cases. In Sakha the form of the verb with -тах has only a circumstantial function, and depending on context can express either a temporal or a conditional meaning. For example: Үлэбин бүтэрдэхпинэ, киинэҕэ барыам (этэ) - “If/when I finish work, I would like to go to the movies”.

	Singular	Plural
First person	бардахпына - if/when I go кэллэхпинэ - if/when I come сыттахпына - if/when I lie down хоннохпуна if/when I spend the night аһаатахпына - if/when I eat	бардпахпытына кэллэхпитинэ сыттахпытына     etc. хоннохпутуна аһаатахпытына
Second person	бардаххына кэллэххинэ сыттаххына       etc. хонноххуна аһаатаххына	бардаххытына кэллэххитинэ сыттаххытына     etc. хонноххутуна аһаатаххытына
Third person	бардаҕына кэллэҕинэ сыттаҕына       etc. хонноҕуна аһаатаҕына	бардахтарына кэллэхтэринэ сыттахтарына       etc. хоннохторуна аһаатахтарына

4. Debitive mood (сэрэтэр киэп / долженствовательное наклонение)

The debitive mood is formed in a few different ways, at the basis of which lie the forms of the secondary participles in -ардаах and -ыахтаах, in connection with the affixes of predication of the second type: барардаахпын - “I must go”; барардааххын - “You must go”; барыахтаахпын - “I should go”; барыахтаах - “He should go”; etc.

Beyond this, there are analytic forms of expression of the debitive mood that are formed in connection with the participial form in -ыах with the words тус and кэриҥ, to which are further attached the affixes of predication of the second type: барыах тустаахпын, барыах кэриҥнээхпин - “I should go”. But this form of the debitive mood is unproductive and is more frequently used in fixed stylistic expressions.

Forms of the debitive mood	Composition	Examples	Meaning
From the root of the present tense in -ар	-ар + -даах + affix of predication of the second type	Аны маннык этэрдээхпин - “I should now say the following”; Сарсын эрдэ турардаахпын - “Tomorrow I must get up early”.	1. An action that should be realized at the moment of speaking. 2. An action that must be realized after the moment of speech.
From the root of the future tense in -ыах	-ыах + -таах + affix of predication of the second type.	Кини манна тохтуохтаах - “He should stay here (it's decided)”.	An action that must be completed in the future.
The past-tense debitive	1. -ар + -даах + этэ (in the form of predication of the second type) 2. -ыах + -таах + этэ (in the form of predication of the second type)	Мүнүөрэнэ барыахтаах этим - “I should have gone to study (but I did not)”.	An action that should have been completed in the past, but was not.

	Singular	Plural
First person	барардаахпын - I must go. кэлэрдээхпин - I must come. сытардаахпын - I must sit. хонордоохпун - I must spend the night. аһыырдаахпын - I must eat.	барардаахпыт кэлэрдээхпит сытардаахпыт         etc. хонордоохпут аһыырдаахпыт
Second person	барардааххын кэлэрдээххин сытардааххын     etc. хонордооххун аһыырдааххын	барардааххыт кэлэрдээххит сытардааххыт         etc. хонордооххут аһыырдааххыт
Third person	барардаах кэлэрдээх сытардаах             etc. хонордоох аһыырдаах	барардаахтар кэлэрдээхтэр сытардаахтар           etc. хонордоохтор аһыырдаахтар

	Singular	Plural
First person	барыахтаахпын - I must go. кэиэхтээхпин - I must come. сытыахтаахпын - I must sit. хонуохтоохпун - I must spend the night. аһыахтаахпын - I must eat.	барыахтаахпыт кэлиэхтээхпит сытыахтаахпыт         etc. хонуохтаахпыт аһыахтаахпыт
Second person	барыахтааххын кэлиэхтээххин сытыахтааххын     etc. хонуохтааххын аһыахтааххын	барыахтааххыт кэлиэхтээххит сытыахтааххыт         etc. хонуохтааххыт аһыахтааххыт
Third person	барыахтаах кэлиэхтээх сытыахтаах             etc. хонуохтаах аһыахтаах	барыахтаахтар кэлиэхтээхтэр сытыахтаахтар           etc. хонуохтаахтар аһыахтаахтар

The negative form of the debitive mood is formed in an analytic way on the model of -ыа + суох + -таах, that is, by combining the contracted form of the participle of the future tense in -ыах with the particle of negation суох, to which is added the suffix of possession -лаах. For example: Барыа суохтаахпын - “I should not go”; Барыа суохтааххын - “You should not go”; Барыа суохтаах - “He should not go”; etc.

The debitive mood has a past-tense form, which is formed from the root in -ардаах and -ыахтаах with the help of the incomplete verb э-: Барардаах этим (этиҥ, этэ, этибит, этигит, этилэр): “I (you, he, we, you all, they) should have gone”.

5. Possible mood (сэрэйэр киэп / возможное наклонение)

The possible mood is forms by adding the affix -(аа)йа (with phonetic variants) to the root of the verb, which then takes the affixes of predication of the second type.

	Singular	Plural
First person	бараайабын - Perhaps I will go. кэлээйэбин - Perhaps I will come. сытаайабын - Perhaps I will lie down. хоноойобун - Perhaps I will spend the night. аһаайабын - Perhaps I will eat.	бараайабыт кэлээйэбит сытаайабыт       Etc. хоноойобут аһаайабыт
Second person	бараайаҕын кэлээйэҕин сытаайаҕын         Etc. хоноойоҕун аһаайаҕын	бараайаҕыт кэлээйэҕит сытаайаҕыт         Etc. хоноойоҕут аһаайаҕыт
Third person	бараарай кэлээрэй сытаарай             Etc. хоноорой аһаарай	бараайаллар кэлээйэллэр сытаайаллар       Etc. хоноойоллор аһаайаллар

It is important to note the form of the third person singular, which is different from the rest of the paradigm in taking the form -(аа)рай. The origins of this form are explained differently by different researchers.

The negative form of the possible mood is formed by the addition directly to the root of the verb of the affix of negation -(ы)м, followed by the particular form of the mood: Барымаайабын - “Perhaps I will not go”; Барымаайаҕын - “Perhaps you will not go”; Барымаарай - “Perhaps he will not go”; etc.

A verb in the possible mood expresses an action the completion of which is considered possible form the point of view of the speaker. Here the meaning of possibility may have connotations of desire, request, appeal, precaution, etc.

6. Affirmative mood (бигэргэтэр киэп / утвердительное наклонение)

Beginning with the work of Otto von Böhtlingk (Über die Sprache der Jakuten, Saint Petersburg, 1851), the affirmative mood is identified in all subsequent works on the grammar of Sakha. It is formed by adding the affix -аһыы (with variants) to the root of the verb, and expresses and action that may be realized, which the speaker affirms with a definite measure of certainty.

	Singular	Plural
First person	барыыһыбын - Perhaps I will go. кэлииһибин - Perhaps I will come. сытыыһыбын - Perhaps I will lie down. хонууһубун - Perhaps I will lie down. аһыыһыбын - Perhaps I will eat.	барыыһыбыт кэлииһибит сытыыһыбыт       Etc. хонууһубут аһыыһыбыт
Second person	барыыһыгын кэлииһигин сытыыһыгын       Etc. хонууһугун аһыыһыгын	барыыһыгыт кэлииһигит сытыыһыгыт       Etc. хонууһугут аһыыһыгыт
Third person	барыыһы кэлииһи сытыыһы               Etc. хонууһу аһыыһы	барыыһылар кэлииһилэр сытыыһылар         Etc. хонууһулар аһыыһылар

The negative form of the affirmative mood is formed by the addition of the mood-specific affix -ыыһы to the negative root of the verb with the affix -(ы)м. For example: Барымыыһыбын - “Perhaps I will not go”; Аһаамыыһы - “Perhaps he will not eat”. There is also an analytic negative form of the affirmative mood, which is composed by the combination of the participle in -ыах with the term of negation суох. Here either the participle or the term of negation can take the personal affix, for example: Барыа суохпун and Барыам суох both translate as “I, perhaps, will not go”.

7. Subjunctive mood (буолуон сөптөөх хайааһын киэбэ / сослагательное наклонение) 

The subjunctive mood is formed by the combination of the participial form in -ыах (-ыа) with the form of the past categorical tense of the helping verb э-. Here there are conjugational variants when the participle takes affixes of predication of the third or second type, in -ыа and -ыах.

	Singular	Plural
First person	барыам этэ - I would go. кэлиэм этэ - I would come. сытыам этэ - I would lie down. хонуом этэ - I would spend the night. аһыам этэ - I would eat.	барыахпыт этэ кэлиэхпит этэ сытыахпыт этэ    Etc. хонуохпут этэ аһыахпыт этэ
Second person	барыаҥ этэ кэлиэҥ этэ сытыаҥ этэ             Etc. хонуоҥ этэ аһыаҥ этэ	барыаххыт этэ кэлиэххит этэ сытыаххыт этэ     Etc. хонуоххут этэ аһыаххыт этэ
Third person	барыах(ыа) этэ кэлиэх(иэ) этэ сытыах(ыа) этэ   Etc. хонуох(уо) этэ аһыах(ыа) этэ	барыахтар этэ кэлиэхтэр этэ сытыахтар этэ       Etc. хонуохтор этэ аһыахтар этэ

Or one may use a variant in which it is the helping verb э- that is conjugated:

	Singular	Plural
First person	барыах(ыа) этим - I would go. кэлиэх(иэ) этим - I would come. сытыах(ыа) этим - I would lie down. хонуох(уо) этим - I would spend the night. аһыах(ыа) этим - I would eat.	барыах(ыа) этибит кэлиэх(иэ) этибит сытыах(ыа) этибит   хонуох(уо) этибит аһыах(ыа) этибит
Second person	барыах(ыа) этиҥ кэлиэх(иэ) этиҥ сытыах(ыа) этиҥ     Etc. хонуох(уо) этиҥ аһыах(ыа) этиҥ	барыах(ыа) этигит кэлиэх(иэ) этигит сытыах(ыа) этигит хонуох(уо) этигит аһыах(ыа) этигит
Third person	барыах(ыа) этэ кэлиэх(иэ) этэ сытыах(ыа) этэ   хонуох(уо) этэ аһыах(ыа) этэ	барыах(ыа) этилэр кэлиэх(иэ) этилэр сытыах(ыа) этилэр хонуох(уо) этилэр аһыах(ыа) этилэр

The negative form of the subjunctive mood is composed analytically by means of the particle of negation суох inserted between the participle in -ыах -(ыа) and the helping verb э-, in one or the other of the variants of the mood, for example: Барыам суох этэ and Барыа суох этим both mean “I would not go”.

The verb in the subjunctive mood is mostly used in the composition of a compound sentence expressing in its entirety the idea of a conditional period in which the first part transmits the condition of possibility of a hypothetical action from the point of view of the speaker, which action may have been or may be completed either before or after the moment of speaking.

8. Suppositional mood (буолуохтаах киэп / предположительное наклонение) 

Traditionally, at the basis of the suppositional mood there lies the participle -- in this case the participial form in -тах, which takes affixes of possession. It is generally held that in comparison with other mood forms, the suppositional mood form is recent and that it is still in the process of taking shape.

	Singular	Plural
First person	бардаҕым - So, I went. кэллэҕим - So, I came. сыттаҕым - So, I lay down. хонноҕум - So, I spent the night. аһаатаҕым - So, I ate.	бардахпыт кэллэхпит сыттахпыт         Etc. хоннохпут аһаатахпыт
Second person	бардаҕыҥ кэллэҕиҥ сыттаҕыҥ         Etc. хонноҕуҥ аһаатаҕыҥ	бардаххыт кэллэххит сыттаххыт         Etc. хонноххут аһаатаххыт
Third person	бардаҕа кэллэҕэ сыттаҕа             Etc. хонноҕо аһаатаҕа	бардахтара кэллэхтэрэ сыттахтара         Etc. хоннохторо аһаатахтара

The meaning of suppositionality can be strengthened by use of the modal term буолуо, “plainly, evidently”. For example, Аҕам үлэтиттэн кэллэҕэ буолуо - “My father, evidently, came back from work”.

The negative form of the suppositional mood is formed on the basis of the negative form of the participle in -батах, together with the modal term буолуо: Барбатаҕыҥ буолуо - “So, you did not go”; Барбатаҕа буолуо - “Evidently, he did not go”. The temporal sense of this mood is determined by context, so that the same form is able to express different nuances of tense. In general the meaning of the suppositional mood is described as a suppositional modalit, which expresses the proposition of a speaker concerning an action that has already been completed, but of which the speaker was not a witness.

9. Mood of incomplete action (буола илик хайааһын киэбэ / наклонение неосуществлённого действия)

The mood of incomplete action was introduced into the Sakha system of categories of verbal mood by E. I. Korkina in 1970. This mood is formed by adding to the verbal root the secondary form of the participle in -а/-ыы илик, to which are adjoined affixes of predication of the second type.

Here are presented the conjugations of the forms of the mood of incomplete action in the present tense, in which the verb expresses an action that has not yet been completed at the moment of speaking.

	Singular	Plural
First person	бара иликпин - I have not left yet. кэлэ иликпин - I have not come yet. сыта иликпин - I have not lain down yet. хоно илиикпин - I have not spent the night yet. аһыы иликпин - I have not eaten yet.	бара иликпит кэлэ иликпит сыта иликпит       Etc. хоно иликпит аһыы иликпит
Second person	бара иликкин кэлэ иликкин сыта иликкин   Etc. хоно иликкин аһыы иликкин	бара иликкит кэлэ иликкит сыта иликкит       Etc. хоно иликкит аһыы иликкит
Third person	бара илик кэлэ илик сыта илик           Etc. хоно илик аһыы илик	бара иликтэр кэлэ иликтэр сыта иликтэр         Etc. хоно иликтэр аһыы иликтэр

This mood also has a past form, expressed by the addition to the -а/-ыы form of the abbreviated form of the past categorical tense of the subsidiary verb этэ: Бара илик этим (этиҥ, этэ, этибит, этигит, этилэр) - “I (you, he, we, you all, they) had not gone yet”. The past-tense form of the mood of incomplete action is used to express an action that had not yet been completed at the moment of completion of another action in the past. Accordingly, verbs in this mood are as a rule used in complex syntactic constructions that have more than one predicative unit in their composition.

10. Mood of habitually completed action (үгэс киэбэ / наклонение обычно совершаемого действия)

The form of the mood of habitually completed action is composed of the form of the secondary participle in -ааччы (with variants) togetehr with the affix of predication of the second type, which functionally is used mostly to express the name of an agent: суруйааччы - “writer” (from суруй - “to write”); ааҕааччы - “reader” (from аах - “to read”); билээччи - “knower”, “know-it-all” (from бил - “to know”). As a verbal mood -ааччы was first noted in work on the Dolgan language by E. I. Ubryatova (1940), and afterwards was included in the system of forms of mood in the Sakha language by E. I. Korkina (1970). The action of the verb in this mood has an eternal or transtemporal quality.