47
Spelling of some verb-building suffixes
Textbook: pp. 76–77
GoalKnow the sound changes in the stem when certain verb-building suffixes are added and spell them correctly.
New words
sound loss · tovush tushishito play · o‘ynato lessen · pasaysuffix -ulla · -ulla
Explanation
When the verb-building suffix -a is added to two-syllable words like o‘yin and qiyin, the vowel i of the second syllable drops and this is written: o‘yin+a = o‘yna (to play), qiyin+a = qiyna (to torment). When -ay is added to past and sust, the final t drops: past+ay = pasay (to lower), sust+ay = susay (to weaken). When -illa is added to one-syllable words containing the vowel u or the consonant v, it is pronounced and written -ulla: uv — uvulla (to howl), shov — shovulla (to rustle). These changes are shown in spelling too.
Worked examples
o‘yin → o‘yna (to play); qiyin → qiyna (to torment); past → pasay (to lower); sust → susay (to weaken).
shov → shovulla (to rustle); uv → uvulla (to howl).
Class activity
“Which sound dropped?”: the teacher names a stem and suffix (qiyin+a); children write the resulting word and point out the dropped sound.
Practice
1
Add -a to the stem o‘yin and write the result.
o‘yna
2
Add -ay to the stems past and sust.
pasay, susay.
3
Add the imitative verb suffix to the stem shov.
shovulla (shov+ulla).
4
Why is qiyin+a written qiyna and not qiyina?
Because the vowel i of the second syllable drops, and it is spelled that way.