ShareZero: Nominal and locational predicates are formed without the use of a copula or auxiliary verb.

+Cmnt: Although the language displays the features the above value, additional information is needed to clarify its type.

(1) ʌüw pӯrəs īmi.

(s)he old woman

‘She is an old woman.’

(2) tēm jūɣ oɣər.

det tree tall

‘This tree is tall.’

(3) ʌüw kēm-ən.

(s)he outside-loc

‘He/she is outside.’

(4) ʌüw aj äwi woʌ.

(s)he little girl be.pst.3sg

‘She was a little girl.’

(5) ťətti waʌ-itəɣ!

here be-imp.2pl

‘Be there!’

(6) mā pӯrəs īmi wos-əm.

I old woman cop-1sg

‘I’m an old woman.’

The parameter was determined on the basis of indicative, present tense sentences with third person singular subjects. The full picture, however, is more complex. In nominal predications, the copula is not used in present tense sentences, if the subject is in the third person. Moreover, the copula is not used in locational predicates (irrespective of the person of the subject) if the sentence is in the present tense (1), (2), (3). In the past tense and the imperative mood, the substantive verb is used in both predicate types with all numbers (4), (5). In nominal predicates, if the subject is first or second person singular, dual, or plural, the wos- copula is used.

Using of the copula with an indicative predicate