CHAPTER I: INTRODUCTION - Reduplication

A short grammar sketch of Bikol
affix meaning function / use glossing
pig- / -in- begun past (and present) BEG.UG
pig-CV- / C-in-V begun and imperfective (past and) present (progressiv) BEG.UG~IMPFV
-on / -an neutral past and present UG
i- neutral (for undergoers
which move)
past and present CV-
(i-)CV- (-on/-an) neutral and imperfective future, intention (CV-)IMPFV-(-UG)
Table 6: Undergoer-voice affixes
If there is no imperfective reduplication, the action or the event is interpreted as either
terminated (past) or general, as in example (16). In the predicate (pigkaon 'eat') the prefix pig-
indicates that the referent of the predicate base (ang dahon '(a) leave') is in the role of the
undergoer. The agent niya (3sG) is expressed as an optional argument (in the form of a clitic
attached to the predicate).
16) Pig-kaon=niya ang dahon.
BEG.UG-eat=3sG PB leaf
'It eats leaves.'
The infix -in- in the predicate of the following example (17) indicates the undergoer role of
the referent of the predicate base (ang kwarta na papel 'paper money') as well as the aspect
"begun action". There is no imperfective reduplication, so the action is interpreted as
terminated.
17) B{in}ayad=ko ang kwarta na papel.
{BEG.UG}pay=1sG PB money LK paper
'I paid with paper money.'
The -on suffixation indicates the role of the undergoer of the referent of the predicate base
(ika (2SG.AF), here as a component of the contracted form for taka 'I - you'). The imperfective
reduplication and the absence of the -in-infix for begun actions result in an interpretation of a
future/intended action.
18) Pi~pirit-on=taka mag-taram.
IMPV~force-UG=I-you NBEG.AV-speak
'I will force you to speak.'
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