4B.2 *ki-patekh* — the habit form, and how it really sounds
4B · Verbs in use — which form when · a plain-language guide to Assyrian (Sureth) grammar
This is the ordinary way to say what happens as a rule, and in running speech the ki- is nearly always contracted onto the verb.
| Assyrian | English |
|---|---|
| har-atkha nashe k-odilun adiyya | people make them the same way now |
| anne meshshelmane k-azi Makka | the Muslims go to Mecca |
| men-da ayna k-atakh, miyya ki-shaklakh | we come and take water from this spring |
| shada kamta ki-yavva tarpe | an almond tree first produces leaves |
Two things to listen for:
- The uncontracted ki- is emphasis. Khan notes that a speaker who slows down and says the particle in full is giving the sentence weight — a warning, a point being pressed. ki-yavva said carefully is not the same delivery as k-yavva.
- It also does "right now" for the mind verbs. The same three verbs from the section above take ki- for a present state: ana ki-bayyen "I want", a-dakh k-amsen ana a-shula odenne?! "how can I do this thing?!"
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