4.1 Parts of the Verb Phrase

Tailaa verbs are conjugated via four aspectual and four tense endings and marked by personal endings that mark agreement. They also take particles following the word that mark one of seven modal distinctions and four evidential distinctions. Like nouns, verbs also may take productive derivations that form new lexical entries. here are very few irregular verbs in Tailaa. In fact, only a few types of verb form irregular conjugations, most commonly the copular or existential verb vi. Following S-O-V word order, the verb phrase appears clause-finally.

The general order of a VP is: root-(derivation)-aspect-tense-agreement (adverb) (mood) (evidential)

4.2 Aspect

Tailaa verbs are conjugated in a system of four aspectual endings, i.e., a category that expresses how an action extends over time, separately from tense. Aspectual endings appear after derivational endings but before tense endings.

Simple
The category of 'simple aspect' isn't an aspect per se by itself, encompassing the three unmarked aspects (i.e., imperfective in present, perfective in distant past and past, prospective in future); thus its meaning depends on the tense that it takes. It is the bare form of the verb.

nerie = 'he/she sleeps'
ymär = 'he/she watched'
viü = 'he/she created [a long time ago]'
tinui = 'he/she will cut'

Perfect
The perfect aspect indicates an action that occurs previous to a reference time with present effects or present relevance. Unlike the simple past (perfective past), which simply situates an event before a reference time, the perfect encodes continued relevance at that reference time. The aspect's characteristic ending is form one and two -ir/ur, form three -vi/vu.

nerieui = 'he/she has slept'
yvörur = 'he/she has watched'
viaui = 'he/she has created'
tinir = 'he/she has cut'

Habitual
The habitual aspect indicates an action as occurring habitually, usually, or ordinarily. It also can mark a gnomic meaning, that expresses general truths or aphorisms, overlapping with the gnomic evidential. The aspect's characteristic ending is form one -as/äs, form two -ies/uos, form three -ssa/ssä.

neriisa = 'he/she [habitually] sleeps'
yvöräs = 'he/she [habitually] watches'
viasä = 'he/she [habitually] creates'
tinies = 'he/she [habitually] cuts'

Progressive
The progressive aspect indicates an incomplete action in progress at a specific time. The aspect's characteristic ending is -(e/o)n/n.

neriin = 'he/she is sleeping'
yvöron = 'he/she will be watching'
vian = 'he/she was creating'
tinin = 'he/she was cutting [a long time ago]'

4.3 Tense

Upon aspect, verbs are conjugated by one of four tense endings, i.e., a category that expresses time reference, separately from aspect. Tense endings appear after aspectual endings but before agreement endings. Tense endings are unique as they have shared endings across all three forms.

Present
The present tense indicates that an action occurs at the current time. It is the bare, unmarked form of the verb.

nerie = 'he/she sleeps'
ymör = 'he/she watches'
tässo = 'he/she rises'
liali = 'he/she sings'

Future
The future tense indicates that an action occurs in a situation or event in the future time, subsequent to the current time. The tense has a shared ending -ui.

nerui = 'he/she will sleep'
ymuir = 'he/she will watch'
tässui = 'he/she will rise'
lialui = 'he/she will sing'

Past
The past tense indicates that an action occurs in a situation or event in the past time, before the current time. The tense has a shared ending -a/ä, or in the case of verbs ending with /a/ or /ɑ/, -e/o.

neraa = 'he/she slept'
ymär = 'he/she watched'
tässä = 'he/she rose'
liala = 'he/she sang'
iinde = 'he/she burned'

Distant Past
The distant past tense indicates that an action occurs in a situation or event in a past time long before the current time. In contrast to the past tense wherein it is a general action before a point, the distant past refers to an action done long ago. The tense has a shared ending -iü.

neriüü = 'he/she slept [long ago]'
ymiür = 'he/she watched [long ago]'
tässiü = 'he/she rose [long ago]'
lialiü = 'he/she sang [long ago]'

4.4 Agreement

Verbs in Tailaa must agree in number and person with the subject of the phrase. This is done through a variety of endings that appear at the end of a verb, after the tense marking:

The 1NSG and 2NSG ending is shared. These suffixes do not cause vowel weakening. Due to such agreement, singular subject pronouns are not required, and are almost always omitted (cf. 3 Nouns § 3.6 Pronouns and Possessive Suffixes § 3.6.1 Pronouns). With the 1SG agreement, the final vowel lengthens, though if the last vowel is already long or a diphthong, a final -l is added. For the unlengthenable vowels ö, e, o, and y, their corresponding diphthongs ui, ie, and uo are used. Take with sample verb nerie 'to sleep':

neriel = 'I sleep'
neries = 'we/you [pl] sleep'
nerien = 'you [sg] sleep'
nerie = 'he/she sleeps'
neriera = 'they sleep'

4.5 Derivation

Aside from inflectional endings, like in nouns (cf. 3 Nouns § 3.5 Noun Derivations), Tailaa showcases various derivational systems for the generation of many new terms and words for verbs. Verb terms can be derived from other verbs, nouns, or modifiers. Derivational endings appear first in order of suffixes, directly following the root and before aspectual endings. Derivations can mark valency or other grammatical roles, these being called 'complex derivations', while 'basic derivations' are semantic.

4.5.1 Basic Derivations

Diminutives
Like in nouns, verbs may take the diminutive derivation, a verb to verb derivation that conveys a slighter degree of its root's meaning. Wherein noun diminutives refer to a smaller or littler form of the noun, this refers to a weaker form of the root verb. The derivation's characteristic ending is shared with the noun diminutive, being form one and two -eal/oäl, form three -lia/liä.

nerielia = 'to weakly sleep; i.e., to nap, drowse'; from nerie 'to sleep'
unnöroäl = 'to weakly hate; i.e., to be irritated by, resent, mildly dislike'; from undör 'to hate'

Augmentatives
Likewise, verbs may take the augmentative derivation, a verb to verb derivation that conveys a greater degree of its root's meaning. Wherein noun augmentatives refer to a greater or more powerful form of the noun, this refers to a more intense form of the root verb. The derivation's characteristic ending is shared with the noun augmentative, being -(i)ean/oän.

yvöroän = 'to intensely watch; i.e., to scrutinize, stare'; from ymör 'to watch'
aileiean = 'to intensely dream; i.e., to hallucinate, lose grip on reality, be deluded'; from ailei 'to dream'

Reiteratives
A reiterative is a verb to verb derivation that conveys repeatedly doing an action, or doing an action again. This derivation's characteristic ending is form one and two -imm/umm, form three -mmen/mmon.

nisimm = 'to plant again; i.e., to replant'; from nise 'to plant'
lirrimen = 'to think again; i.e., to rethink'; from lirra 'to think'

Inchoatives
An inchoative is a verb, noun, or adjective to verb derivation that conveys becoming something or beginning to do an action. This derivation's characteristic ending is form one and two -inn/unn, form three -ni/nu.

tässunn = 'to begin to rise'; from tässo 'to rise'
tüllunn = 'to become old; i.e., to grow old, age, weather'; from tüllö 'old'

Cessatives
A cessative is a verb, noun, or adjective to verb derivation that conveys to cease being something or to cease doing an action. This derivation's characteristic ending is -(s)aia/äiä.

tiraia = 'to stop seeing; i.e., to look away'; from tir 'to see'
valiraia = 'to stop being a king; i.e., to abdicate'; from valir 'king'

4.5.1 Complex Derivations

Reflexives
A reflexive is a verb to verb derivation that conveys doing an action to oneself, or with oneself. This derivation's characteristic ending is form one -ana, form two -aina, Form three -nea.

truoväunä = 'to forget oneself'; from truovo 'to forget'
nessarana = 'to be interested in oneself'; from nesvar 'to be interested in'

Reciprocals
A reciprocal is a verb to verb derivation that conveys doing an action to each other, or with each other. This derivation's characteristic ending is -(ü)tia.

liampütia = 'to talk, converse with each other'; from liampe 'to talk [with someone one]'
tiuitassa = 'to ignore, leave each other behind'; from tiuita 'to ignore, leave behind'

Passive
The passive derivation, is a verb to verb derivation that conveys an action done to something, i.e., the passive form. The derivation's characteristic ending the existential verb vi being encliticized upon the root, before conjugation. For a passive agent, ablative case is used.

Neliin öccövu o = 'an/the apple is eaten'; from öccö 'to eat'; in this case the verb is now in the passive, with =vi, the third person singular simple present.
Lölönör eler celdaavena ui = '(the) deer was being hunted by them'; from celdaa 'to hunt'; in this case the copular clitic =vi is conjugated for the third person plural progressive past, with the agent in ablative.

Infinitives
An infinitive is a verb to verb derivation that forms non-finite verbal forms, the only non-valency changing complex derivation. In contrast to nominalized and adjectivized non-finite verbs (e.g., participles), am infinitive is still treated as a verb. Importantly, transitive infinitives are still able to take an object. Thus it functions similar to the act derivation (cf. 3 Nouns § 3.5 Noun Derivations § Acts) that refers to a nominalized form referring to the action of a verb as a noun (e.g., liali 'to sing' to lialisar 'singing, the act of singing), but is able to take an object. The infinitive's characteristic ending is -(s)i/u. Thus:

Lialisari oälää o = 'I like singing'; here the nominalized form is used as it is intransitive.
Liralisi lialisi oälää o = 'I like to sing songs'; here the infinitive is used as it is transitive, along with the object of the infinitive.
Liralisi ialisi luhdo vi e = 'To sing songs is fun'
Ease tenties öccu määnuo o = 'I forced him/her to eat food'

4.6 Mood

Verbs are marked for mood, i.e., a category that expresses the speaker's attitude toward or the modal status of what they are saying, e.g., the truth, likelihood, or desirability of an action. Unlike tense, aspect, and agreement, mood is expressed via particles that are placed after the word. Though they are considered separate particles, they still agree with vowel harmony, though they do not trigger gradation. There are seven moods that a verb may be marked with.

Indicative
The indicative mood indicates a statement of fact, that an action is something that truly occurred. It is the unmarked mood.

nerie = 'he/she sleeps'
ymör = 'he/she watches'
tässo = 'he/she rises'
liali = 'he/she sings'

Directive
The directive mood indicates a command or request, or an action that the speaker presents as obligatory or required. It covers all obligatory phrases, including jussives and imperatives. It is marked with particle ila/ulä.

nerie ila = 'he/she must sleep'
ymör ulä = 'he/she must watch'
tässo ulä = 'he/she must rise'
liali ila = 'he/she must sing'

Hortative
The hortative mood indicates an action that is hoped, wished, or desired to occur. It also may function similarly to the directive mood, indicating a polite request. It is marked with particle lea/loä.

nerie lea = 'may he/she sleep'
ymör loä = 'may he/she watch'
tässo loä = 'may he/she rise'
liali lea = 'may he/she sing'

Conditional
The conditional mood is used to express conditional phrases, i.e., a phrase used to express a proposition whose validity is dependent on some condition, possibly counterfactual. It is also commonly used with conjunction io 'thus' (cf. 6 Particles § 6.1 Conjunctions) to express such phrases. The same mood is also marked on verbs in interrogative clauses, i.e., a questioning clause. It is marked with particle va/vä.

Neriel va, io tiere tuil o = 'If I sleep, then I will be happy'
Tiere taal va, io nerienuir e = 'If I am happy, then I will begin to sleep'
Tiere taal va ti? = 'Am I happy?'; with polar interrogative ti.
Süsiö vi va? = 'Who is he/she?'

Hypothetical
The hypothetical mood indicates an action that is hypothetical, speculative, or theoretical. While verbs in conditional phrases fall under this semantic domain, they are still marked with the conditional mood as aforementioned. It is marked with particle si/su.

nerie si = 'he/she hypothetically might sleep'
ymör su = 'he/she hypothetically might watch'
tässo su = 'he/she hypothetically might rise'
liali si = 'he/she hypothetically might sing'

Dynamic
The dynamic mood indicates the ability to perform an action. It is marked with particle eta/otä.

nerie eta = 'he/she can sleep'
ymör otä = 'he/she can watch'
tässo otä = 'he/she can rise'
liali eta = 'he/she can sing'

4.7 Evidentiality

Verbs are also marked for evidentiality, i.e., a category that expresses how the speaker knows the proposition to be true; that is, whether evidence exists for the statement and if so, what kind. Like mood, evidentiality is expressed via particles that are placed after the word. Like mood, the evidential particles agree with vowel harmony. There are four evidentiality markers that a verb may be marked with.

An evidential particle may be dropped anaphorically if the previous verb in a text has the same marking to avoid redundancy in discourse. Evidentiality is only applied in the indicative mood, as other irrealis moods that already encodes non-factuality do not need such marking.

Witness
The witness evidential marks that an action was felt, sensed, seen, heard, personally reasoned, or any other evidence known directly through the speaker’s own experience. It is marked with particle e/o.

nerie e = 'he/she sleeps [I felt, sensed it]'
ymör o = 'he/she watches [I felt, sensed it]'
tässo o = 'he/she rises [I felt, sensed it]'
liali e = 'he/she sings [I felt, sensed it]'

Non-witness
The non-witness evidential marks an action that was reported, recalled, or heard via hearsay, or any other evidence known indirectly or via report. It is marked with particle ui.

nerie ui = 'he/she sleeps [supposedly, heard so]'
ymör ui = 'he/she watches [supposedly, heard so]'
tässo ui = 'he/she rises [supposedly, heard so]'
liali ui = 'he/she sings [supposedly, heard so]'

Gnomic
The gnomic evidential marks an action that is a truism, obvious, or a general truth. It is marked with particle sea/soä.

nerie sea = 'he/she sleeps [truism, obviously so]'
ymör soä = 'he/she watches [truism, obviously so]'
tässo soä = 'he/she rises [truism, obviously so]'
liali sea = 'he/she sings [truism, obviously so]'