Signals that a substantive has a theme or sometimes an instrument role relationship to either an action verb, active or passive voice, or a state verb, see sec. 7.15.4.
Ipī'ug Dulīmay nan batu.
Dulīmay will carry the stone.
See sections 7.5.1, 7.15.1.2, 7.15.1.3 and 7.15.2. The non-past tense affix, when no other role prefix combines with i-, is a zero; i.e., no tense affix occurs. The role prefix i- has a variant form iy- which is prefixed to a stem-initial vowel (stem-initial glottal stop is dropped when preceded by this prefix). A past tense affix iɴ- combines with i- resulting in the forms iɴ-, ini- or iny-. These variant forms are displayed in the chart below. The vowel i of this affix is lowered to e when a stem-initial vowel is dropped, see Introduction 6.2.2. ɴ is realized as either m, n, or ng as described in the Introduction 6.1.
In this dictionary, i- is cited as the affix form to represent i- or iy-, and iɴ- is cited to represent either iɴ-, ini- or iny-. Examples of variant forms: i- + hādel = ihādel; i- + goday = egday; iy- + āli = iyāli; ini- + buti = inibti; iny- + apuy = inyapuy. This verb affix is distributed as follows: 1) It inflects action verbs in the active voice without another role prefix. Non-past i-, past iɴ-.
Inyuymi nan bābuy Amlagwi hi dolan Dulnugwan.
We took Amlagwi's pig to Dulnugwan's residence.
See sec. 7.5.1. 2) It inflects action verbs in the passive voice or state verbs. Non-past mi-, past ni-.
Niyuy nan bābuy Amlagwi hi dolan Dulnugwan.
Amlagwi's pig was taken to Dulnugwan's residence.
Tigom nan imbaluymi ti ningēmel hinan daplah.
Watch your child because she is at the very edge of the sheet rock.
3) It occurs in combination with other role affixes. If the latter is a prefix, the order of prefix occurrence is tense, other role prefix followed by i-. In combination with other role affixes, it signals a secondary role relationship between the verb and the verb-phrase referent of either theme or sometimes instrument. For a listing of combinations with i-1, see paN- and sec. 7.18.
Theme action means that a substantive changes position in space or time. Usually an agent is the cause of change; more rarely an actor is associated with a theme as the source of change. Change of position is motion either physical or, by analogy, non-physical. Change in position in time means that a substantive continues in a particular position through time. For a description of instrument, see paN-.