a-

ewü (first-person pronoun)
y- (first-person)
ü- (first-person)
u- (first-person)
w- (agent first-person transitive)
w- (agent-like first-person intransitive)
wi- (agent first-person transitive)
wi- (agent-like first-person intransitive)
küwü (dual first-person inclusive pronoun)
k- (agent-like dual first-person inclusive intransitive patient-like)
k- (direct-object dual first-person inclusive postpositional)
k- (dual first-person inclusive patient transitive)
k- (dual first-person inclusive possessive)
k- (dual first-person inclusive series-ii-verb-argument)
kü- (agent-like dual first-person inclusive intransitive patient-like)
kü- (direct-object dual first-person inclusive postpositional)
kü- (dual first-person inclusive patient transitive)
kü- (dual first-person inclusive possessive)
kü- (dual first-person inclusive series-ii-verb-argument)
ku- (agent-like dual first-person inclusive intransitive patient-like)
ku- (direct-object dual first-person inclusive postpositional)
ku- (dual first-person inclusive patient transitive)
ku- (dual first-person inclusive possessive)
ku- (dual first-person inclusive series-ii-verb-argument)
ki- (agent-like dual first-person inclusive intransitive patient-like)
ki- (direct-object dual first-person inclusive postpositional)
ki- (dual first-person inclusive patient transitive)
ki- (dual first-person inclusive possessive)
ki- (dual first-person inclusive series-ii-verb-argument)
k- (agent dual first-person inclusive series-ii-verb-argument transitive)
kii- (agent dual first-person inclusive series-ii-verb-argument transitive)
ki- (agent dual first-person inclusive series-ii-verb-argument transitive)
amödö (pronoun second-person)
ö- (direct-object postpositional second-person)
ö- (intransitive patient-like second-person)
ö- (patient second-person transitive)
ö- (possessive second-person)
ö- (second-person series-ii-verb-argument)
öy- (direct-object postpositional second-person)
öy- (intransitive patient-like second-person)
öy- (patient second-person transitive)
öy- (possessive second-person)
öy- (second-person series-ii-verb-argument)
ödh- (direct-object postpositional second-person)
ödh- (intransitive patient-like second-person)
ödh- (patient second-person transitive)
ödh- (possessive second-person)
ödh- (second-person series-ii-verb-argument)
o- (direct-object postpositional second-person)
o- (intransitive patient-like second-person)
o- (patient second-person transitive)
o- (possessive second-person)
o- (second-person series-ii-verb-argument)
oy- (direct-object postpositional second-person)
oy- (intransitive patient-like second-person)
oy- (patient second-person transitive)
oy- (possessive second-person)
oy- (second-person series-ii-verb-argument)
odh- (direct-object postpositional second-person)
odh- (intransitive patient-like second-person)
odh- (patient second-person transitive)
odh- (possessive second-person)
odh- (second-person series-ii-verb-argument)
a- (direct-object postpositional second-person)
a- (intransitive patient-like second-person)
a- (patient second-person transitive)
a- (possessive second-person)
a- (second-person series-ii-verb-argument)
ay- (direct-object postpositional second-person)
ay- (intransitive patient-like second-person)
ay- (patient second-person transitive)
ay- (possessive second-person)
ay- (second-person series-ii-verb-argument)
adh- (direct-object postpositional second-person)
adh- (intransitive patient-like second-person)
adh- (patient second-person transitive)
adh- (possessive second-person)
adh- (second-person series-ii-verb-argument)
m- (agent second-person series-ii-verb-argument transitive)
m- (agent-like intransitive second-person series-ii-verb-argument)
mi- (agent second-person series-ii-verb-argument transitive)
mi- (agent-like intransitive second-person series-ii-verb-argument)
nña (dual exclusive first-person pronoun)
y- (dual exclusive first-person)
dh- (dual exclusive first-person)
ch- (dual exclusive first-person)
i- (dual exclusive first-person)
chö- (direct-object dual exclusive first-person postpositional)
n- (agent dual exclusive first-person series-ii-verb-argument transitive)
n- (agent-like dual exclusive first-person intransitive patient-like series-ii-verb-argument)
ni- (agent dual exclusive first-person series-ii-verb-argument transitive)
ni- (agent-like dual exclusive first-person intransitive patient-like series-ii-verb-argument)
tüwü (pronoun third-person)
y- (third-person)
dh- (third-person)
ch- (third-person)
i- (third-person)
chö- (direct-object postpositional third-person)
n- (patient series-ii-verb-argument third-person transitive)
ni- (patient series-ii-verb-argument third-person transitive)
n- (agent series-ii-verb-argument third-person transitive)
n- (agent-like intransitive patient-like series-ii-verb-argument third-person)
ni- (agent series-ii-verb-argument third-person transitive)
ni- (agent-like intransitive patient-like series-ii-verb-argument third-person)
tüwü (distant-past past pronoun)
kün- (agent distant-past past patient series-ii-verb-argument transitive)
kün- (agent-like distant-past intransitive past patient-like series-ii-verb-argument)
kun- (agent distant-past past patient series-ii-verb-argument transitive)
kun- (agent-like distant-past intransitive past patient-like series-ii-verb-argument)
kin- (agent distant-past past patient series-ii-verb-argument transitive)
kin- (agent-like distant-past intransitive past patient-like series-ii-verb-argument)
ken- (agent distant-past past patient series-ii-verb-argument transitive)
ken- (agent-like distant-past intransitive past patient-like series-ii-verb-argument)
küm- (agent distant-past past patient series-ii-verb-argument transitive)
küm- (agent-like distant-past intransitive past patient-like series-ii-verb-argument)
kum- (agent distant-past past patient series-ii-verb-argument transitive)
kum- (agent-like distant-past intransitive past patient-like series-ii-verb-argument)
kim- (agent distant-past past patient series-ii-verb-argument transitive)
kim- (agent-like distant-past intransitive past patient-like series-ii-verb-argument)
kini- (agent distant-past past patient series-ii-verb-argument transitive)
kini- (agent-like distant-past intransitive past patient-like series-ii-verb-argument)
t- (direct-object postpositional reflexive)
t- (possessive reflexive)
t- (reflexive series-ii-verb-argument)
tü- (direct-object postpositional reflexive)
tü- (possessive reflexive)
tü- (reflexive series-ii-verb-argument)
tu- (direct-object postpositional reflexive)
tu- (possessive reflexive)
tu- (reflexive series-ii-verb-argument)
ti- (direct-object postpositional reflexive)
ti- (possessive reflexive)
ti- (reflexive series-ii-verb-argument)
te- (direct-object postpositional reflexive)
te- (possessive reflexive)
te- (reflexive series-ii-verb-argument)
öö- (agent patient reciprocal transitive)
öö- (agent-like intransitive patient-like reciprocal)
öö- (direct-object postpositional reciprocal)
mön- (agent first-person object-second-person patient transitive)
man- (agent first-person object-second-person patient transitive)
mon- (agent first-person object-second-person patient transitive)
möm- (agent first-person object-second-person patient transitive)
möni- (agent first-person object-second-person patient transitive)
mön- (agent dual exclusive first-person object-second-person patient transitive)
man- (agent dual exclusive first-person object-second-person patient transitive)
mon- (agent dual exclusive first-person object-second-person patient transitive)
möm- (agent dual exclusive first-person object-second-person patient transitive)
möni- (agent dual exclusive first-person object-second-person patient transitive)
k- (agent object-first-person patient second-person transitive)
kü- (agent object-first-person patient second-person transitive)
ku- (agent object-first-person patient second-person transitive)
ki- (agent object-first-person patient second-person transitive)
k- (agent object-dual object-exclusive object-first-person patient second-person transitive)
kü- (agent object-dual object-exclusive object-first-person patient second-person transitive)
ku- (agent object-dual object-exclusive object-first-person patient second-person transitive)
ki- (agent object-dual object-exclusive object-first-person patient second-person transitive)

allomorph of öt- (detransitivizing prefix)

allomorph of ö- (second-person prefix) used for stems that begin with a consonant and have a first vowel a or e


o-

allomorph of ö- (second-person prefix) used for stems that begin with a consonant and have a first vowel o or u


an-

allomorph of ön- (negative/sociative irrealis prefix) used for stems that begin with a or e


y-

Marks a noun as having a first-person possessor.

Marks a postposition as having a first-person object.

Marks a transitive verb as having a first-person patient/object when the agent/subject is of third person with verb forms that take series I markers.

Marks a transitive verb as having a first-person patient/object when the agent/subject is unspecified with verb forms that take series II markers.

Marks an intransitive verb with patient-like argument as having a first-person argument/subject with verb forms that take series I markers (excepting a few verbs that take w-) and on all intransitive verbs with verb forms that take series II markers.

Marks a verb form derived with n- and -dü or -'jüdü as having a first-person agent/subject.


y-

The allomorphs ∅- and i- are direct descendants of the original Proto-Cariban *i-, used before consonants. However, Proto-Cariban had ∅- on vowel-initial stems; the Ye'kwana forms y- and ch- are innovations that it shares with certain other Cariban languages. For the former, compare Apalaí, Bakairí, and Chaima y-. The latter, meanwhile, derives from an earlier form *it- also found in several languages of the Venezuelan Cariban branch.

Marks a noun as having a third-person possessor.

Marks a postposition as having a third-person object.

Marks a transitive verb as having a third-person patient/object with verb forms that take series II markers.

Marks an intransitive verb as having a third-person argument/subject with verb forms that take series II markers.

Marks a verb as having third-person arguments when marked with the admonitive -'no, prohibitive -i, or uncertain future -tai suffixes.


e-

Perhaps originally related to or a variant form of öt-, which has an allmorphic form e- in some related languages. However, note that intransitive verbs formed with öt- have agent-like arguments, whereas those formed with e- have patient-like arguments.

converts a transitive verb into an intransitive verb with a patient-like argument, variously with reflexive, reciprocal, or passive meaning


e-

attaches to possessed nouns beginning with ö when the possessor is first- or second-person or is indicated by a full noun preceding the possessed noun


ad-

(Cunucunuma River dialect) Alternative form of adh-


on-

allomorph of ön- (negative/sociative irrealis prefix) used for stems that have a first vowel o or u.


ch-

Allomorph of y- (third-person prefix) used for stems that begin with a vowel ö.


ki-

Allomorph of k- (first-person-dual-inclusive non-transitive-agent prefix) used for stems that begin with a consonant and have a first vowel i.

Allomorph of k- (first-person-dual-inclusive transitive agent prefix) used for stems that begin with two consonants.


ti-

Allomorph of t- used for stems that begin with a consonant other than w and have a first vowel i.


i-

(Caura River dialect) allomorph of y- (third-person prefix) used for stems that begin with two consonants

(Cunucunuma River dialect) allomorph of dh- (third-person prefix) used for non-deictic stems that begin with a consonant

forms part of the circumfix allomorphs of various adverbializers, i- -jai, i- -'da, and i- -emje, used for stems that begin with two consonants


te-

Allomorph of t- used for stems that begin with a consonant other than w and have a first vowel e.


ot-

allomorph of öt- (detransitivizing prefix).


n-

Cognate to prefixes analyzed as object nominalizers, switching nominalized forms from nouns of action to nouns referring to the patient argument. The Caura River form has a rather different scope of use.

Marks that (person markers on) a derivation from a transitive verb refer to the agent argument of the verb rather than the patient argument; used with verbs adverbialized with -e or nominalized with -dü or -'jüdü.


n-

Marks a nonderived transitive verb as having a third-person agent/subject and patient/object.

Marks a nonderived intransitive verb with agent-like or patient-like argument as having a third-person argument/subject.


u-

Allomorph of y- (first-person prefix) used for stems that begin with two consonants and have a first vowel u.


od-

(Cunucunuma River dialect) Alternative form of odh-


ku-

Allomorph of k- (first-person-dual-inclusive prefix) used for stems that begin with a consonant and have a first vowel u.


ön-

Cognates are found in certain other Cariban languages, but not in any languages of the family outside Venezuela. Compare Panare ën- accompanying a negation and Akawaio ön-, Tamanaku ën- accompanying an imperative.

Marks a negated transitive verb with a third-person object/patient, forming a negative circumfix with -'da.

Marks a transitive verb in admonitive mood with a third-person object/patient, forming an admonitive circumfix with -'no.

Marks a transitive verb in prohibitive mood with a third-person object/patient or with a first-person object/patient and second-person subject/agent, forming a prohibitive circumfix with -i.

Optionally marks a transitive verb in imperative, jussive, or rogative mood to lend it a sociative meaning, indicating an action to be performed with others at the speaker’s request, and forming a circumfix with -kö, -iye, or -'ñojo respectively.


mon-

Allomorph of mön- (first-person agent/second-person patient prefix) used for stems that begin with anything but j and have a first vowel o.


t-

Marks a noun as having a reflexive possessor, referring back to the same entity as another element in the clause.

Marks a postposition as having a reflexive object, referring back to the same entity as another element in the clause.

Marks a verb in a verb form that takes series II markers as having a reflexive argument, referring back to the same entity as another element in the clause.

Marks an unspecified person when obligatorily used with the adverbializers -e, -emje, and -ke, forming circumfixes t- -e, t- -emje, and t- -ke.

Marks a transitive verb as having a third-person patient/object with verb forms that take series II markers for a small group of verbs, namely those whose roots start with a consonantless open syllable ü or ö.


at-

allomorph of öt- (detransitivizing prefix)


kin-

Allomorph of kün- (distant past third-person prefix) used for stems that begin with i or y.


ni-

Allomorph of n- (third-person prefix) used for stems that begin with a consonant.


m-

Marks a transitive verb as having a second-person agent/subject.

Marks an intransitive verb with agent-like argument as having a second-person argument/subject.


mi-

Allomorph of m- (second-person prefix) used for stems that begin with a consonant.


kum-

Allomorph of kün- (distant past third-person prefix) used for stems that begin with j and have a first vowel u.


man-

Allomorph of mön- (first-person agent/second-person patient prefix) used for stems that begin with a vowel a.


w-

Obligatorily marks derivations of intransitive verbs adverbialized with -e or nominalized with any marker.


w-

Marks a transitive verb as having a first-person agent/subject when the patient/object is of third person.

Marks an intransitive verb with agent-like argument or (with certain vowel-initial verbs) patient-like argument as having a first-person argument/subject with verb forms that take series I markers.


wi-

Allomorph of w- (first-person prefix) used for stems that begin with a consonant.


k-

Marks a noun as having a first-person-dual-inclusive possessor.

Marks a postposition as having a first-person-dual-inclusive object.

Marks a transitive verb as having a first-person-dual-inclusive patient/object when the agent/subject is of third person with verb forms that take series I markers.

Marks a transitive verb as having a first-person-dual-inclusive patient/object when the agent/subject is unspecified with verb forms that take series II markers.

Marks a transitive verb as having a second-person agent/subject and a first-person or first-person-dual-exclusive patient/object.

Marks an intransitive verb with agent- or patient-like argument as having a first-person-dual-inclusive argument/subject, regardless of whether the verb form takes series I or series II markers.

Marks a verb form derived with n- and -dü or -'jüdü as having a first-person-dual-inclusive agent/subject.


k-

Marks a transitive verb as having a first-person-dual-inclusive agent/subject.


d-

(Cunucunuma River dialect) Alternative form of dh-


kun-

Allomorph of kün- (distant past third-person prefix) used for stems that begin with anything but j or y and have a first vowel u.


tu-

Allomorph of t- used for stems that begin with a consonant other than w and have a first vowel u.


ken-

Allomorph of kün- (distant past third-person prefix) occasionally used for stems that begin with anything but j or y and have a first vowel e.


kii-

Allomorph of k- (first-person-dual-inclusive transitive agent prefix) used for stems that begin with a consonant.


oy-

(Caura River dialect) allomorph of ö- (second-person prefix) used for stems that begin with a vowel o or u


öt-

From Proto-Cariban *ôte-; cognate to Apalaí ot-, Kari'na ot-, Trió ët-, Wayana ët-, Hixkaryana os-, Waiwai et-, Akawaio è-, s-, Macushi es-, Pemon es-.

Converts a transitive verb into an intransitive verb with an agent-like argument, variously with reflexive, reciprocal, or passive meaning.


ö'-

allomorph of öt- (detransitivizing prefix)


ö-

Marks a noun as having a second-person possessor.

Marks a postposition as having a second-person object.

Marks a transitive verb as having a second-person patient/object when the agent/subject is of third person with verb forms that take series I markers.

Marks a transitive verb as having a second-person patient/object when the agent/subject is unspecified with verb forms that take series II markers.

Marks an intransitive verb with patient-like argument as having a second-person argument/subject with verb forms that take series I markers and on all intransitive verbs with verb forms that take series II markers.

Marks a verb form derived with n- and -dü or -'jüdü as having a second-person agent/subject.


ö-

allomorph of öt- (detransitivizing prefix).


tü-

Allomorph of t- used for stems that begin with a w or that begin with a consonant and have a first vowel other than u or i.


ü-

Allomorph of y- (first-person prefix) used for stems that begin with two consonants and have a first vowel other than u.


öy-

(Caura River dialect) allomorph of ö- (second-person prefix) used for stems that begin with a vowel i, ö, or ü


ay-

(Caura River dialect) allomorph of ö- (second-person prefix) used for stems that begin with a vowel a or e


kü-

Allomorph of k- (first-person-dual-inclusive prefix) used for stems that begin with a consonant and have a first vowel other than u or i.


chö-

allomorph of y- (third-person prefix) used for postposition stems that begin with a consonant j, n, w, or y


kün-

Marks a transitive verb in a distant past tense (perfective -i or imperfective -akö) as having a third-person agent/subject and patient/object.

Marks an intransitive verb with agent-like or patient-like argument in a distant past tense (perfective -i or imperfective -akö) as having a third-person argument/subject.


küm-

Allomorph of kün- (distant past third-person prefix) used for stems that begin with j and have a first vowel other than u or i.


kini-

Allomorph of kün- (distant past third-person prefix) used for stems that begin with two consonants.


kim-

Allomorph of kün- (distant past third-person prefix) used for stems that begin with j and have a first vowel i.


mön-

Marks a transitive verb as having a first-person or first-person-dual-exclusive agent/subject and a second-person patient/object.


möm-

Allomorph of mön- (first-person agent/second-person patient prefix) used for stems that begin with j.


möni-

Allomorph of mön- (first-person agent/second-person patient prefix) used for stems that begin with two consonants.


öö-

Marks a noun, and specifically a kinship term, as having a reciprocal possessor: each other’s.

Marks a postposition as having a reciprocal object: each other.


öm-

allomorph of ön- (negative/sociative irrealis prefix) used for stems that begin with m or j.


öni-

allomorph of ön- (negative/sociative irrealis prefix) used for stems that begin with two consonants.


öd-

(Cunucunuma River dialect) Alternative form of ödh-


adh-

(Cunucunuma River dialect) allomorph of ö- (second-person prefix) used for stems that begin with a vowel a or e


odh-

(Cunucunuma River dialect) allomorph of ö- (second-person prefix) used for stems that begin with a vowel o or u


ödh-

(Cunucunuma River dialect) allomorph of ö- (second-person prefix) used for stems that begin with a vowel i, ö, or ü


dh-

(Cunucunuma River dialect) Alternative form of y- (third-person prefix)