Luciana Peev,Lidia Bibolar, Jodal Endre * A Formalization Model of the Romanian Morphology



3.2. The verbal flexionary classes

The classification of verbs in traditional grammar is made according to the Infinitive suffix. From the analysis of verbal flexion it has emerged that there are two levels of variation: a slow one and a rapid one. The first level of variation corresponds to the flexion at Present Indicative and Present Subjunctive, persons I-pl, II-pl, Imperative II-pl., Imperfect, Simple Perfect and Past Perfect, Imperative II-p, Infinitive. This level determines a first flexionary class which is very close to the traditional classification. The second level corresponds to a more rapid variation within the first level and determines flexionary sub-classes corresponding to the first level. The criterion of defining the sub-classes is the regularity of the corresponding verbal flexion art Present Indicative and Present Subjunctive persons I-s, II-s, III-s, III-pl, Imperative II-s, long Infinitive.

The first criterion for class-grouping allows a remark about the verbs which belong to the third conjugation (suffix -e). By the presence of the suffix [-se-] at Simple Perfect and Past Perfect, they can be divided in two classes:

The asigmatic verbs from the group corresponding to the third conjugation (suffix -e) are conjugated exactly like the verbs from the group corresponding to the second conjugation (suffix -ea). The study of asigmatic verbs shows that, in the Participle, Simple Perfect and Past Perfect the root loses its last letter before attaching the suffix -se and the verbs which have their Participle form ending in -pl have a -p in the root in front of the suffix -se. This is an important observation for defining flexionary classes which correspond to them.

The first level of classification of verbs according to the observation regarding the sigmatic verbs groups them according to the constant presence of 5 vowels (A, Î, E, U, I) in the flexion corresponding to level 1 (Simple Perfect, Past Perfect, Imperfect, Present I-p, Present II-p). This grouping is closer to the traditional conjugation, with the observation that the asigmatic verbs of the 2nd conjugation have passed in the group characterized by the vowel U, where one can find the verbs of the 2nd conjugation (suffix -ea). Because the vowels A, Î, E, U, I represent the endings for the third person singular, Simple Perfect, this is considered to be the first criterion for grouping the verbs corresponding to Level 1.

It can be noticed that group A contains the verbs from the 1st conjugation, the groups I and contain the verbs of the 4th and 5th conjugation, the group E contains the verbs of the 2nd conjugation (i. e. the sigmatic verbs), and the group U contains the 3rd conjugation asigmatic verbs and the 2nd conjugation verbs.

This separation helps for distinguishing verbs from the point of view of the flectives, but it is not enough. By closely studying the specific characteristics of every group (and we do not have many), we were able to determine the classes corresponding to each level. For example, the group A can be divided in two flexionary classes corresponding to level 1, according to the Gerund endings (-ind, -nd): A1 and A2 (a abrevia / abreviind; a abandona / abandonând).

The Level 1 Group is defined by the following grammatical categories:

The Level 1 Class is characterized by a name and the sum of flectives associated to the grammatical categories.

In every group (A, I, Î, E, U) one can distinguish sub-classes corresponding to the Level 2 of variation; they respect a certain pattern. Level 2 refers to the group established for Level 1 and not to the classes of Level 1. For example, group A that has determined the classes of Level 1, A1 and A2 present the same sub-classes.

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