Gerunds

The gerund suffix -ru  changes basic verbs into nouns describing the activity.

    • hubaru ほばる breathing
    • malaru まわる reflecting
    • mikuru みくる being red

Compound verbs, as well as those involving noun incorporation, can also be changed like this.

The genitive determiners, including -qa , allow for (only) the subject of the verb to be mentioned.

    • jannikiluburuqa nimalu
    • ぢっにきをもるげにまを
    • janni-kilubu-ru-qa nimalu
    • walk-ger-gen bear
    • “the bear’s walking”
    • guqqirupahi
    • ぐっねるぱひ
    • guqqi-ru-pahi
    • bad-ger-1gen
    • “my being bad”

This continues to apply in instances using argument promotion.

    • dasilluruqa dasu
    • だせっをるげだす
    • dasi-illu-ru-qa dasu
    • eat-psv-ger-gen meat
    • “the eating of meat”
    • sikukkarudisi
    • せくっかるでせ
    • siku-kka-ru-disi
    • die-abv-ger-3ani;gen
    • “his murdering of another”
    • ’usaxaruqa luna
    • うさざるげをな
    • ’usa-xa-ru-qa luna
    • look-dtv-ger-gen moon
    • “looking at the moon”