Preverb - Algonquian

Algonquian

In the Algonquian languages, preverbs can be described as phonologically separate words which may precede a verb and share its inflection. In particular, pronominal prefixes or initial change are applied to the first preverb (if any) in the verb complex rather than to the verb stem. Their meaning can range from past tense or perfective aspect to meanings that in English might use an adverb or another verb. Examples from Ojibwe:

Ojibwe	English	Comment
nibaa	he/she sleeps	has no preverb
ninibaamin	we sleep	likewise, with pronominal prefix
gii-nibaa	he/she slept	has past tense preverb
ningii-nibaamin	we slept	likewise, with pronominal prefix
gii-maajii-nibaa	he/she started to sleep	has past preverb, and a lexical preverb
ningii-maajii-nibaamin	we started to sleep	likewise, with pronominal prefix

In Munsee, some words can come between a preverb and its verb.

Compare also Prenoun in these languages.

Lexical categories and their features

Noun

Abstract/Concrete
Adjectival
Agent
Animate/Inanimate
Attributive
Collective
Common/Proper
Countable
Deverbal
Initial-stress-derived
Mass
Relational
Strong
Verbal
Weak

Verb

Forms	Finite Non-finite — Attributive Converb Gerund Gerundive Infinitive Participle Supine Verbal noun

Types	Accusative Ambitransitive Andative/Venitive Anticausative Autocausative Auxiliary Captative Catenative Compound Copular Defective Denominal Deponent Ditransitive Dynamic ECM Ergative Frequentative Impersonal Inchoative Intransitive Irregular Lexical Light Modal Monotransitive Negative Performative Phrasal Predicative Preterite-present Reflexive Regular Separable Stative Stretched Strong Transitive Unaccusative Unergative Weak

Adjective

Collateral
Demonstrative
Possessive
Post-positive

Adverb

Genitive
Conjunctive
Flat
Interrogative
Prepositional
Pronomial

Pronoun

Demonstrative
Disjunctive
Distributive
Donkey
Dummy
Formal/Informal
Gender-neutral
Gender-specific
Inclusive/Exclusive
Indefinite
Intensive
Interrogative
Objective
Personal
Possessive
Prepositional
Reciprocal
Reflexive
Relative
Resumptive
Subjective
Weak

Preposition

Inflected
Casally modulated

Determiner

Article
Demonstrative
Interrogative
Possessive
Quantifier

Classifier

Measure word

Particle

Discourse
Interrogative
Modal
Noun
Possessive

Other

Copula
Coverb
Expletive
Interjection
Measure word
Preverb
Pro-form
Pro-sentence
Pro-verb
Procedure word