سنڌي ورچوئل لائبرري

In order to carry out my plan of illustrating Sindhi Etymology after as nearly possible the same manner as in English, I have divided the verbs into five Moods, the Indicative, Imperative, Potential, Subjunctive and Infinitive. These correspond with the same moods in an English verb, with the exception of the Potential, which is in Sindhi used in a restricted sense that requires a little explanation.

137. 137. The POTENTIAL MOOD of an English verb implies possibility, liberty, power, will or obligation; but by the Potential in Sindhi possibility, liberty and will can only be expressed clearly, as in the following Sentences; सुभाणे मिंहु वसे, जा न वसे, परिँह त वसंदो سُڀاڻي مِنهُه وسي، جا نه وسي، پرِنهن ته وسندو, ‘It may rain tomorrow, or it may not, but it certainly will the next day’; हो आयो हूंदो, पर मूं खे ख़बर कान्हे هو آيو هوندو، پر مون کي خبر ڪانهي, ‘He may have come, but I know nothing of it’[1]; ख़शी अथसि, त वञेخوشي اٿس ته وڃي, ‘He may go, if he likes’; आं हूंद वञा, पर हे थो झलेमि آن هوندِ وڃان، پر هي ٿو جھليمِ, ‘I would go but he stops me.’
138. 138. In order to express power, the verb सघणु سگھڻُ ‘to be able’, is generally used; thus, आं हे कमु करे न थो सघां آن هي ڪمُ ڪري نه ٿو سگھان ‘I cannot do this business’; or it is shown, especially where mental ability is referred to, by, as in Hindustani, paraphrasing the Sentence with the verb ‘to come’; thus, तुंहुंजी गा॒ल्हि मूं खे समुझ मेँ न थी अचे تنهنجي ڳالهه مون کي سمُجهه ۾ نه ٿي اچي ‘I cannot understand what you say’; literally, ‘your words do not come to me in understanding’. It is also expressed by using the passive and neuter verbs, thus हे कमु मूं खां न थो थिए هي ڪم مون کان نه ٿو ٿئي ‘This business cannot be done by me’; हे काठु मूं खां न थो खजे॒ هي ڪاٺُ مون کان نه ٿو کڄي ‘This stick cannot be lifted by me[2].’
139. Obligation can be expressed either by using the passive घुर्जणु گھُرجڻُ ‘to be required’, with an infinitive as its nominative, as छोकर खे सिखणु घुर्जे ڇوڪر کي سکڻ گھُرجي ‘the boy should learn’, or literally, ‘it is needful for the boy to learn’. Or by employing the gerund with the auxiliary verb thus; मूं हुन खे मारिणो हो पर न मार्यमि مون هن کي مارڻو هو پر نه ماريُم ‘I should have beaten him, but I did not’.
140. 140. The Subjunctive mood has only two tenses peculiar to itself. They are formed from the present and past participles, compounded with the present potential of the auxiliary हुअणुهُئڻُ and their use will be seen by the following examples. जे आं मारिबो हुआं, त तो खे चवां सो आं मार्जांई^[3] न थो, त तो खे छो चवां جي آن مارِبو هُئان، ته تو کي چوان سو آن مارجانئي نه ٿو، ته تو کي ڇو چوان؟? , ‘Were I being beaten, I would tell you; but when I am not beaten, why should I mention it? जे आं मार्यो हुजां, त दांह कर्यां جي آن ماريو هُجان، ته دانهه ڪريان ‘If I had been beaten, I would complain’. Any of the tenses of the Indicative and Potential moods may, however, be also used for the Subjunctive; as, जे मार्यां थो सप खे, त पापु थो थिएमिच अँउँ जे न थो मार्यां, त डं॒गेमि थो جي ماريان ٿو سپ کي، ته پاپُ ٿو ٿِئيمِ انئُون جي نه ٿو ماريان، ته ڏنگيمِ ٿو, ‘If I kill the snake, I commit a sin; and if I do not kill it, it bites me’; जे आं छुटां, त थोरो मञां جي آن ڇُٽان ته ٿورا مڃان ‘if I get free, I shall be very grateful; जे हू पाणिअ मेँ न तरँदो हो (or न थे तर्यो(نه ٿي تريو جي هو پاڻيءَ ۾ نه ترندو هو, त न बु॒डो थे ته نه ٻڏو ٿي, ‘if he had not been swimming in the water, he would not have been drowned; जे हूंद हू मथे भर किर्योجي هوند هو مٿي ڀر ڪِريو (or न किर्यो थे نه ڪريو ٿي) , त न मो ته نه مو, ‘If he had not fallen on his head, he would not have died’; जे आं उते विओ होसि, त तो खे छो न डि॒ठुमि جي آن اُتي وئو هوسِ، ته تو کي ڇو نه ڏٺُمِ؟ ‘If I had gone there, why should I not have seen you?’ जे आं करे सघंदुसि, त कंदुसि جي آن ڪري سگھندُس، ته ڪندُسِ ‘If I can do this, I will do it’; तोड़े साहिबु चवे, त बि न कंदुसि توڙي  صاحبُ چوي، ته به نه ڪندُسِ ‘I will not do it, though the Sahib should tell me’; जेकर हे कमु करे सघ्युसि, त किउमिجيڪر هي ڪمُ ڪري سگھيُسِ، ته ڪِئُمِ  ‘Could I have not done this business, I would have done it’; जे आं तुंहुंजे दर ते हिकिड़ी राति सुम्हां, त बि॒ओ की न घुरां جي آن تنهنجي در تي هڪڙي رات سُمهان، ته ٻئو ڪي نه گھُران ‘If I might sleep one night at your door, I would ask for nothing else’. A past subjunctive, too, is often formed by adding हा ها, which has no change for number, gender, or person, to the present potential, thus; जे कडि॒हीं हिन खे पाणी न पिआरीं हा, त मरी वञे हा جي ڪڏهين هِن کي پاڻي نه پيارين ها، ته مري وڃي ها, ‘If you had not given him water, he would have died[4]’.
141. I have multiplied examples in order that the learner may see from them the different methods by which the Subjunctive Mood is represented, and also in what way our pluperfect potential, ‘would have’, is expressed when following a Subjunctive in the second clause of a sentence.

OF THE TENSES

142. 142. The root of all Sindhi verbs is, as was mentioned before[5], the second person singular of the Imperative, which always ends in either इ اِ or उ اُ from this the other parts of the verb are formed by regular rules, which I shall now proceed to explain, pointing out at the same time the power of each of these parts. I commence with the Infinitive Mood and the Participles, as the latter are used in forming some of the tenses.
143. THE INFINITIVE is formed by changing the इ اِ, or उ اُ of the root to अणु ئَڻُ; as छिकि ڇِڪِ, छिकणु[6]ڇڪڻُ ‘to pull’; विझु وِجھُه, विझणु وِجھڻُ, ‘to cast’; but where these final vowels of the Imperative are preceded by आ آ or the former of them by ओ او or a mukto consonant, the infinitive termination becomes इणुئِڻُ as, कराइڪراءِ , कराइणु ڪرائڻُ, ‘to cause to do’; खाउساءُ , खाइणु[7] سائِڻُ, ‘to eat’; मोइموءِ , मोइणु موئڻُ, ‘to ruffle’; मइمئِه , मइणु مئڻُ, ‘to measure[8]’. The Gerund changes the अणुئڻُ  or इणु ئِڻُ of the Infinitive to इणो ئِڻو or if अणुئَڻُ  be preceded by a vowel, also to अणो[9] ئَڻو; as, धुअणु ڌُئڻُ ‘to wash’, धुइणो ڌُئِڻو, or धुअणो[10] ڌُئَڻو. The infinitive is often, as in Hindustani used as a verbal noun, and is then declined as of the 6^th, declension; as, बे॒ड़ी दरिआह[11] लंघण मेँ उथिली ٻيڙي درياهه لنگهڻ ۾ اُٿِلي, ‘The boat upset in crossing the river’. It is used with other verbs thus; हे हाणे कमु करण विओ आहे هي هاڻي ڪمُ ڪرڻ وِئو آهي ‘He has gone to do work ;’ हे हाणे पैसा डि॒अणु वेठो आहे هي هاڻي پيسا ڏيڻُ ويٺو آهي ‘He is now waiting to give the money’, thus taking simply the oblique form of the verbal nouns, करणु ڪرڻُ and डि॒अणु ڏيڻُ.
144. 144. To form the present participle of transitive and neuter verbs the इ اِ of the root, where it so ends, is made ईंदोايندو ; and उ اُ where it has that termination, अंदो[12]اَندو : passive have इबो[13]ئِبو . The past participle changes both इ اِ and उ اُ to योيو or यलु يَلُ but many are formed irregularly.[14] These all admit of gender, number and case, as adjectives[15].

The past conjunctive participle in its first form substitutes ए اٖي for इ اِ of the root, when the root so terminates [16]; as , करि ڪرِ ‘to do, करे ڪري ‘having done’; and ई اِ for उ اُ when it ends in that vowel; as, डि॒सु ڏِسُ ‘see’, डि॒सी ڏِسِي ‘having seen’; but passives and neuters in the passive form, take either ई اِي or ओاو  as; छडि॒जी ڇڏِجي or छडिजो ڇڏِجو from छडि॒जु ڇڏِجُ ‘be left’. For its second form it merely adds to these करेڪري  ; as , डि॒सी करे ڏِسي ڪري and for the last two it changes both इ اِ and उ اُ to यो يو or यूं يُون as, कर्यो ڪريو or कर्यूं ڪريون and डि॒स्यो ڏسيو or डि॒स्यूं ڏسيُون thus having in the former of these the same formation as the past participle, when that is regular; but they must not be confounded together, as this is indeclinable, and does not follow the past participle in all its irregular formations[17].

145. INDICATIVE MOODS, PRESENT. This tense is formed from the root of the verb, by changing इ اِ where the root so terminates to यां يان and उ اُ to आं آن and by adding थो ٿو as, मारि مارِ ‘strike thou’, मार्यां थो ماريان ٿو ‘I am striking’; किरु ڪِرُ, ‘fall thou’, किरां थो ڪران ٿو ‘I fall[18]’. The थोٿو may be either affixed or prefixed at pleasure, except where the verb begins a sentence, in which case it is never put first[19]. This tense signifies as in English actions begun and not completed: but it cannot be used where our English verb has a future tense. Thus ‘when I go there, I will send him to you’, should be rendered with a future; in this way, जडि॒हीं आं हुते वेंदुसि, त हुन खे तो वटि मुंजंदुसिجڏهين آن هُتي ويندُسِ، ته هُن کي تو وٽِ مُنجندُسِ.
146. THE PRESENT HABITUAL is the Present Participle compounded with the Present Tense of the Auxiliary हुअणुهُئڻُ . It implies usage, or a recurrence of action from some past time up to the present, and still going on, as; आं हे कमु घणनि डिं॒हनि खां कंदो आंह्यांآن هي ڪمُ گھڻن ڏينهن کان ڪندو آنهيان ‘I have been for a long time wont to do this work[20].’
147. 147. IMPERFECT. The 1^st Imperfect is formed by compounding the Present Participle with the Preterite of हुअणुهُئڻُ : the 2^nd is the simple Preterite of the Verb[21] with थेٿي affixed or prefixed to it after the manner of थोٿو in the Present. They denote action past, either near or remote, but always unfinished with regard to some other past action, and, except that the 1^st is more usually employed where habit or repetition of action is implied, they have no distinction of signification; as, हाणे तो छा थे चिओهاڻي تو ڇا ٿي چِئو (or मूं किओ थेمون ڪِئو ٿي ), तँहिँ खां न आयुसिتنهن کان نه آيُسِ  ‘I have been doing other work, so did not come’; सज॒ण जे अचण खां अगु॒मेँ आं संद्यसि वाट घणिअ देरि तोणी डि॒संदी हुयसिسڄڻ جي اچڻ کان اڳ ۾ آن سنديس واٽ گھڻيءَ دير توڻي ڏسندي هُيمِ (or मूं डि॒ठी थेمون ڏِٺي ٿي ), त हो बि अचे साहिड़्योته هو به اچي ساهِڙيو  ‘I had been looking out for my lover’s arrival long before he came’.
148. PRETERITE: The Simple Preterite of the Active Verb is the Past Participle, to which for the Compound Preterite the 3^rd person of the Present Indicative of हुअणुهُئڻُ is affixed. These tenses then require the agent to be in the Agent Case, and the Verb either agrees with its object, or where that is governed by the preposition खेکي , retains the same form throughout, without being affected by the number or gender of either agent or object; as, हिन माण्हुअ छोकिरिअ खे मार्योهن ماڻهوءَ ڇوڪريءَ کي ماريو or छोकिरी मारीڇوڪِري ماري  ‘This man beat the girl[22]’.
149. 149. In Passive and Neuter Verbs, the ओاو terminating the Past Participle becomes उसिاُسِ to form the 1^st person singular of the Simple Preterite, and by affixing to the Past Participle the Present Indicative of हुअणुهُئڻُ . We have the Compound Preterite. These two Preterites answer to the English Imperfect (when it denotes past action complete), and Perfect, and may be translated as, ‘I beat’, ‘did beat’, or ‘have beaten’. There is but little difference in the time referred to by each, but the Compound Preterite may be said to be more definite, and to restrict the time to recent past action. It is, also, more generally used where the Verb concludes the sentence; as, आं खुड॒ तों किर्युसिآن کُڏِ تون ڪريُسِ  ‘I fell from the roof’; आं खुड॒ तों हाणे किर्यो आंह्यांآن کُڏِ تون هاڻي ڪِريو آنهيان  ‘I have just now fallen from the roof’.
150. THE PLUPERFECT: This is formed by adding the Preterite of the Auxiliary हुअणुهُئڻُ to the Past Participle. In Active Verbs it is used only in the 3^rd person, and with the Agent in the Agent Case, in the same manner as the Preterite. It denotes remote past time, or that the period of which is defined and expressed, and answers to our English Pluperfect, or the Imperfect and Preterite where the sentence points out the time; as, आं संभिरां ते जडि॒हीं मीरनि कल्होड़नि खे कढयो होآن سنڀران ٿو جڏهين ميرن ڪلهوڙن کي ڪڍيو هو ‘I remember when the Mirs drove out the Kalhoras’; जडि॒हीं तूं हुते विओ हुंएँ, तडि॒हीं कार्दार खे डि॒ठो होइجڏهين تون هُتي وِيو هُئين، تڏهين ڪاردار کي ڏٺو هوءِ؟ ‘When you went there, did you see the Kardar?’ कल्ह आयो होसिڪلهه آيو هوسِ  ‘I came yesterday’; तुंहुजे अचण खां अगे॒ मूं काजिअ खे कोठ्यो होتنهنجي اچڻ کان اڳي مون ڪاجيءَ (قاضي) کي ڪوٺيو هو ‘I had called the Kazi before you came.’
151. THE FUTURE is formed from the present participle by changing for its 1^st person singular the terminating ओ او to उसिاُسِ , and in signification it corresponds exactly with our English 1^st Future; as, सुभाणे हुन खे डि॒आरे मोकलींदुसिسُڀاڻي هُن کي ڏياري موڪليندُسِ ‘I shall dispatch him tomorrow’; हे कमु छो कयुइ? भाँयां थो मारिबें هي ڪمُ ڇو ڪيُئِه؟ ڀايان ٿو ماربين ‘Why have you done this? I expect you will be beaten.’
152. THE 2ND IMPERATIVE of Active of Neuter Verbs, which is formed by changing the इاِ or उاُ of the simple imperative or root to इजिئِجِ  for the singular, and इजोئِجو  for the plural[23], differs in signification from the simple imperative by being restricted to grave and standing orders, or those in which immediateness or haste is not required.
153. THE PRESENT POTENTIAL is simply the Present Indicative without the थोٿو attached. It is sometimes used as a Future; as, हिति हुन खे कोठ्यांهِتِ هُن کي ڪوٺيان ? ‘Shall I call him here[24]’? It is also used in a Subjunctive sense[25], and as a present habitual[26], and might more correctly be styled and aorist.
154. 154. It does not appear necessary to go over each of the Tenses of the other Moods. Their formation may be sufficiently seen from the models already given, and their signification by that shown in those models with each tense, and by the explanation given above in speaking of the Potential and Subjunctive Moods.

[1] To express the doubt more fully, the verb is often, as in Hindustani, repeated; as, हकीम जे अचण खां अगु॒ मेँ मरे, त मरे حڪِيم جي اچڻ کان اڳ ۾ مري، ته مري ‘He may die before the doctor comes’.

[2] See note to para. 143.

[3] The ई اِي, here is simply emphatic.

[4] See note to Subjunctive Mood Active Voice. Para. 114.

[5] See para: 109.

[6] The अ اَ of अणु ئَڻُ is here absorbed in the silent consonant preceding it, which then becomes mukto, See before Para: 12.

[7] Many, however, make this too अणुئڻُ  using कराअणु ڪرائڻُ, etc. If उ اُ in the root follows a mukto consonant the infinitive has व وَ; sas

[8] If उ اُ in the root follows a mukto consonant the infinitive has व وَ; as, चउچئُه , चवणु چوڻُ, ‘to say’; and roots in उ اُ having the long vowel ओ او, उ اُ, and ई اِي, in their penultimates, shorten these vowel in the infinitive to उ اُ, and इ اِ, as धोउ ڌوءُ, धुअणु ڌوئڻُ, ‘to wash’; पूउ پُوءُ , पूअणु پُوئڻُ, ‘to string (beads)’; पिउپِئُه , पीअणु پِيئڻُ ‘to drink’. In Southern Sindh many change उअ اُس, to ऊ اُو; as, रूपुرُوپُ , for रूअणु رُوئڻُ ‘to cry’; पूणु پُوڻُ, for पूअणु پُوئڻُ, ‘to fall’.

[9] If the penultimate vowel be इ اِ, the Gerund has only अणोاڻو ; as, थिअणो ٿِئڻو from थिअणु ٿِئڻو ‘to be’.

[10] In the tables of the verbs, I have entered the Gerund with the active voice, because it can be more freely translated into English actively; but it has properly a passive signification, and, like the past tenses of active verbs, agrees with the object in the Nominative; or where the attached, is used impersonally; thus हिअ चादर मूं खे धुअणी आहे هيءَ چادر مون کي ڌُئڻي آهي ‘this sheet to me is to be washed’. Or , ‘I must wash this sheet’; हिन कपिड़े खे मूं धुअणो आहे هِن ڪپڙي کي مون ڌُئڻو آهي ‘it is to be washed to this cloth by me’, or ‘I must wash this cloth’; हुन खे मारिणो मूं चयो; तो छडि॒युसि छो هن کي مارڻو مون چيو، تو ڇڏيُس ڇو? ‘it was ordered by me for him to be beaten (or I ordered him a beating); why have you let him go? तो खे ड॒ह रुपिआ मूं लहिणा आंहिनिتو کي ڏهه رُپيا مون لهڻا آهِن, ‘you owe me ten rupees’. It often, as in the second and last examples above given, puts the agent into the agent case, especially where the object is governed by खे کي.

[11] दरिआहु درياهُه, is here in the oblique because the prep: जे جي, is understood after it.

[12] But where आ آ precedes उ اُ of the root the present participle has ईंदो اِيندو; as खाउ کاءُ, ‘eat’ खाइंदो کائندو. The same irregularities which are mentioned in note to Para: 136, as occurring in deriving the infinitive form certain roots ending in उ اُ take place also in forming this participle from them.

[13] The following examples shew the different modes in which the present participle is used. हिअ जाल हलंदी थी रुए هيءَ جال هلندي ٿي رُئي ‘the woman weeps as she goes along’; जाल बा॒खे मारींदी डि॒ट्यमि جال ٻار کي ماريندي ڏٺيمِ ‘I saw the woman beating the child’; हिन खे ईंदे सार कमु डि॒यो هن کي ايندي سار ڪمُ ڏيو, ‘Immediately on coming he got work’; वडे॒हूंदे अखर चङा थींदसि وڏي هوندي اکر چڱا ٿيندسِ, ‘When he grows up, his writing will be good’; हे माड़्हूं मारिंबो डि॒ठुमि هي ماڙهون مارِبو ڏٺُمِ, ‘I saw the man being killed.’

[14] The following are a few of the most common of these. The second form, यलु يَلُ, is not given; it can be obtained by changing the terminating ओ او, of the first form to लु لُ.

[15] विओ ويئو, and पिओ پِئو, have in the feminine वेई ويئي, and पेई پيئي. Participles ending in यो يو, or इओ اِئو, make their feminine agreeably to Para: 54, and note attached thereto. The past participle is often used singly in the oblique; thus, हू जाल जे डि॒ठे छकनु थिओ هُو جال جي ڏِٺي ڇڪنُ ٿيو ‘he fell in love on seeing the woman’.

[16] But roots already having ईاِي  in the penultimate merely drop the उ اُ as, पीउ پِيءُ ‘drink’, पी پِي and those with ऊاُو  in penultimate shorten it to उ اُ; as, पूउپُو ءُ  ‘string (beads)’ पुई پُئِي, पउپئُه   ‘fall’ has पेई پيئي as well as पई پئي.

[17] In some cases the consonant preceding य يَ may be dropped as in the past participle; thus हँयो هنيو may be used for हण्यो هڻيو and कयो ڪيو or किओڪِئو  for कर्यो ڪريو. These last two forms of the past conjunctive are seldom used but with a present tense or imperative mood; as, जाल बा॒खे हिँअ डि॒स्यो थी रुए جال ٻارکي هِنئَن ڏِسو ٿي رُئي ‘The woman weeps, having seen the child in this state’; हिन जी गा॒ल्हि बु॒ध्यो लिखु هِن جي ڳالهه ٻُڌيو لِکُ ‘Having heard what he says, write it down.’

[18] But such verbs as have irregularities in the formation of the infinitive (see before note to Para: 143) retain the same in the present tense, as धोउڌوءُ  ‘wash’, धुआं थोڌُئان ٿو ; चउچئُه  ‘say’, चवां थोچوان ٿو . The वوَ  may, however, be dropped in the 3^rd per. sing. as चए थोچئي ٿو  or चवे थीچوي ٿي . Where आآ  precedes उ  اُوin the root, the आآ  of the 1^st person singular, becomes absorbed in it; as, खाउکاءُ  ‘eat’, खां थोکان ٿو .

[19] It is often omitted in poetry; as

,

 ‘When my lover comes, she (my rival) burns and is inflamed. The wrench dances like a play ball’.

The play-ball; a poem.

‘Some brave men in drowning, lay hold of tufts of dry grass. See, Latif bids you, what sense of honor these straws possess. They either bring them at once to shore, or go off with them in stream.

(The Shaha jo Risalo).

The थो is sometimes separated from the verb by other words, as in this verse:

 ‘The wise man weeping speaks the thoughts of his heart. The steam issues not forth, but in his mind a flame blazes. “Without this sweetheart I cannot exist for a moment. Within my soul there is a burning; the flame of separation quenches not’.

The Tale of Kamsaina and Karupi.

[20] The Present Potential, too, is often used in a habitual sense; thus, केहिरी किर्ति करींڪيهري ڪِرِت ڪرين ? ‘What business do you carry on?’

[21] It therefore in Active Verbs requires the Agent Case. See next Para.

[22] It would be more correct to consider active verbs as defective of their past tenses, their place in signification being supplied from the passive voice. The agent in the agent case would then be governed by the verb, and the object, as is usual with passives, would be the nominative case to it: or, where the object was governed by the preposition खेکي , the verb should be considered as a passive impersonal. By this method the two forms of the sentence given above would be literally translated, ‘It was beaten to the girl by this man’, and ‘The girl was beaten by this man’. As Hindustani Grammars, however, usually describe the past tenses of active verbs as I have done above, I have followed their example-my object being to explain Sindhi Grammar in the manner most likely to be familiar to Europeans in India.

[23] If the penultimate syllable has already an इاِ  or ईاِي  in it, the initial इاِ  of इजिاِجِ  becomes absorbed, as पीइپيئِه  drink, पीजिپيجِ .

[24] Or as in these verses from the sacred meditations of Sami Megraj.

 ‘Consider well, and place thy feet in the assembly of those dead (to carnal affectious). There is there fore you an interminably strong fire of inconceivable love. If thou thirst to see (God), then while yet alive consume the lusts of thy flesh. Lay aside all disquietude: they (the dead to the world) will then make of you a true familiar friend’.

 ‘Mount, O living being, the raised platform, and guard thy field. With the sling of forbearance thou should drive off the birds of evil fancy. Oppose a fence of faith, Sami (says it), and keep out doubt. Thou wilt them bear off a boundless heap of grain that consumeth not away- the mental apprehension of the Deity’.

[25] See Para. 140.

[26] See note to Para. 146.