25.1 The relative, imperfect, circumstantial, and second tense converters⬆
The relative, imperfect, circumstantial, and second tense converters may be used with the First Perfect, the First Future, existential and possessive predications, and copulative sentences with ⲡⲉ, ⲧⲉ, ⲛⲉ. The relative forms for all of these have already been discussed. The second tense of the First Perfect, i.e. the Second Perfect, was introduced in Lesson 14. The second tense forms of existential, possessive, and copulative sentences are too rare for inclusion here.
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Neg. First Perfect ⲁϥⲥⲱⲧⲙ̅ ⲙ̅ⲡⲉϥⲥⲱⲧⲙ̅ Perf. I Rel. ⲉⲛⲧⲁϥⲥⲱⲧⲙ̅ ⲉⲧⲉ ⲙ̅ⲡⲉϥⲥⲱⲧⲙ̅ Perf. I Circum. ⲉ-ⲁϥⲥⲱⲧⲙ̅ ⲉ-ⲙⲡⲉϥⲥⲱⲧⲙ̅ Pluperfect ⲛⲉ-ⲁϥⲥⲱⲧⲙ̅ ⲛⲉ-ⲙⲡⲉϥⲥⲱⲧⲙ̅ (ⲡⲉ) Second Perfect ⲛ̅ⲧⲁϥⲥⲱⲧⲙ̅ ⲛ̅ⲧⲁϥⲥⲱⲧⲙ̅ ⲁⲛ The imperfect of the First Perfect (ⲛⲉ-ⲁϥⲥⲱⲧⲙ̅) corresponds to the English pluperfect: he had heard, he had written. The circumstantial of the First Perfect is used to describe an action as completed prior to the tense of the verb in the main clause.
ⲉ-ⲁϥϩⲙⲟⲟⲥ, ⲁϥⲥϩⲁⲓ... Having sat down, he wrote... ⲁⲛϩⲉ ⲉⲣⲟϥ ⲉ-ⲁϥⲙⲟⲩ. We found him dead (lit., having died). -
First Future ϥⲛⲁⲥⲱⲧⲙ̅ ⲡⲣⲱⲙⲉ ⲛⲁⲥⲱⲧⲙ̅ Fut. I Rel. ⲉⲧϥ̅ⲛⲁⲥⲱⲧⲙ̅ ⲉⲧⲉⲣⲉ-ⲡⲣⲱⲙⲉ ⲛⲁⲥⲱⲧⲙ̅ Fut. I Circum. ⲉϥⲛⲁⲥⲱⲧⲙ̅ ⲉⲣⲉ-ⲡⲣⲱⲙⲉ ⲛⲁⲥⲱⲧⲙ̅ Fut. I Imperfect ⲛⲉϥⲛⲁⲥⲱⲧⲙ̅ ⲛⲉⲣⲉ-ⲡⲣⲱⲙⲉ ⲛⲁⲥⲱⲧⲙ̅ Second Future ⲉϥⲛⲁⲥⲱⲧⲙ̅ ⲉⲣⲉ-ⲡⲣⲱⲙⲉ ⲛⲁⲥⲱⲧⲙ̅ The circumstantial of the First Future describes an action as imminent, about to take place, with respect to the tense of the main clause:
ⲉⲓⲛⲁⲃⲱⲕ ⲉⲃⲟⲗ, ⲁϥⲙⲟⲩⲧⲉ ⲉⲣⲟⲓ. As I was about to leave, he summoned me. ⲁⲛϩⲉ ⲉⲣⲟϥ ⲉϥⲛⲁⲙⲟⲩ. We found him on the point of death. The imperfect of the First Future describes an action as imminent in past time:
ⲛⲉⲓⲛⲁⲁⲗⲉ ⲉ ⲡϫⲟⲓ (ⲡⲉ). I was about to get on the ship. This form is commonly called the imperfectum futuri. The Second Future (ⲉϥⲛⲁⲥⲱⲧⲙ̅) has all the normal uses of a second tense form. Special uses of both these conjugations will be mentioned later on.
The First Future and its related system are formally an off-shoot of the Present System, with ⲛⲁ- inserted before the infinitive. It has no other characteristics of the Bipartite Conjugation, however: (1) it is not durative (except with certain aspectually neutral verbs, e.g. ⲣⲁϣⲉ); (2) only the Infinitive may occur in predicate position; (3) the prenominal and prepronominal forms of the Infinitive occur freely.
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Existential and Possessive ⲟⲩⲛ̅-/ⲟⲩⲛ̅ⲧⲁϥ ⲙⲛ̅-/ⲙⲛ̅ⲧⲁϥ Relative ⲉⲧⲉ ⲟⲩⲛ̅-/ⲟⲩⲛ̅ⲧⲁϥ ⲉⲧⲉ ⲙⲛ̅-/ⲙⲛ̅ⲧⲁϥ Circumstantial ⲉ-ⲟⲩⲛ̅-/ⲟⲩⲛ̅ⲧⲁϥ ⲉ-ⲙⲛ̅-/ⲙⲛ̅ⲧⲁϥ Imperfect ⲛⲉ-ⲟⲩⲛ̅-/ⲟⲩⲛ̅ⲧⲁϥ ⲛⲉ-ⲙⲛ̅-/ⲙⲛ̅ⲧⲁϥ The circumstantial forms describe a state simultaneous to the tense of the main clause:
ⲉ-ⲙⲛ̅-ⲟⲉⲓⲕ ⲙ̅ⲙⲁⲩ, ⲁⲛⲃⲱⲕ ⲉⲃⲟⲗ. There being no food there, we left. ⲁⲛϩⲉ ⲉⲣⲟϥ ⲉ-ⲙⲛ̅-ϭⲟⲙ ⲙ̅ⲙⲟϥ ⲉ ϣⲁϫⲉ. We found him unable to speak. The imperfect forms simply place the state in past time:
ⲛⲉ-ⲟⲩⲛ̅- (or ⲛⲉⲩⲛ̅-) ⲟⲩⲣⲱⲙⲉ ⲙ̅ⲙⲁⲩ (ⲡⲉ). There was a man. ⲛⲉⲩⲛ̅ⲧⲁϥ ϩⲁϩ ⲛ̅ ⲥϩⲓⲙⲉ (ⲡⲉ). He had many wives. -
Copulative sentences with ⲡⲉ, ⲧⲉ, ⲛⲉ:
Relative ⲉⲧⲉ ⲟⲩⲥⲁϩ ⲡⲉ ⲉⲧⲉ ⲛ̅ ⲟⲩⲥⲁϩ ⲁⲛ ⲡⲉ Circumstantial ⲉ-ⲟⲩⲥⲁϩ ⲡⲉ ⲉ-ⲛ ⲟⲩⲥⲁϩ ⲁⲛ ⲡⲉ Imperfect ⲛⲉ-ⲟⲩⲥⲁϩ ⲡⲉ The circumstantial and imperfect are used as above.
The circumstantial forms of all the subsystems listed above have a frequent use as relative clauses after indefinite antecedents:
ⲟⲩⲣⲱⲙⲉ ⲉ-ⲁϥⲕⲉⲧ-ⲟⲩⲏⲓ a man who had built a house ⲟⲩⲙⲩⲥⲧⲏⲣⲓⲟⲛ ⲉⲩⲛⲁϭⲟⲗⲡϥ̅ ⲉⲃⲟⲗ a mystery which is about to be revealed ⲟⲩⲭⲏⲣⲁ ⲉ-ⲙⲛ̅ⲧⲁⲥ ϣⲏⲣⲉ ⲙ̅ⲙⲁⲩ a widow who has no son ⲟⲩϣⲏⲣⲉ ⲉ-ⲟⲩⲭⲏⲣⲁ ⲧⲉ ⲧⲉϥⲙⲁⲁⲩ a boy whose mother is a widow The circumstantial converter ⲉⲣⲉ- is sometimes used improperly for ⲉ- before copulative sentences.