A computational grammar and lexicon for Maltese

Table 2.3: Derivational forms for triliteral verb roots
Form Process Example Description
I – kiteb (‘he wrote’) Base form
II Reduplicate C2 daħħal (‘he brought in’) Intransitive I verbs are made
transitive/causative.
III Lengthen v1 bierek (‘he blessed’) As in II, when reduplication is
not possible.
IV – wera (‘he showed’) (Empty class)
V Prefix t- to II tfarrak (‘it was shattered’) Intransitive. Passive or reflexive.
VI Prefix of t- to III tbierek (‘he was blessed’) Same as V.
VII Prefix of n- to I nkiteb (‘it was written’) Transitive I verbs are made
intransitive.
VIII Infix -t- after C1 of I ftiehem (‘he understood’) Intransitive (like V, VI, VII).
” Prefix nt- to I ntlaħaq (‘it was reached’) ”
” Infix n-t- to I nxteħet (‘he sprawled out’) ”
IX Structure CCv:C ċkien (‘it reduced in size’) Change of state.
X Prefix st- stagħġeb (‘he was astonished’) –
Table 2.4: Derivational forms for quadriliteral verb roots
Form Process Example Description
I – ħarbat (‘he disrupted’) Base form
II Prefix t- tħarbat (‘he was disrupted’) Intransitive. Passive or reflexive.
Concatenative verbs
Loosely-integrated Romance verbs and English loan verbs in Maltese follow an alternative,
concatenative morphology. Table 2.5 shows the inflection table for the English-loan verb pparkja
(‘he parked’). Note how in contrast to the root-and-pattern verb inflection (table 2.2), the stem
pparkja remains intact throughout the entire table.
Table 2.5: Inflection table for an English-loan verb pparkja (‘he parked’)
Subject Perfective Imperfective Imperative
P1 Sg pparkjajt nipparkja –
P2 Sg pparkjajt tipparkja pparkja
P3 Sg Masc pparkja jipparkja –
Continued on next page
22