Ch’orti’, like many other languages, inflects its verbs to mark for person and number. However, Ch’orti’ is unique in that there are three possible sets from which these markers can be chosen.
Ergative Set (Set A)
The Ergative Set, also known as Set A, is used to indicate the subject (or agent) of transitive verbs. These inflections are also used as possessive markers on nouns.
| 1st-person singular | in-/ni- |
| 2nd-person singular | a- |
| 3rd-person singular | u- |
| 1st-person plural | ka- |
| 2nd-person plural | i- |
| 3rd-person plural | u-…-ob’ |
Absolutive Set (Set B)
The Absolutive Set is also known as Set B. This set of pronominals is used to indicate the object of transitive verbs. It can also be used to show the subject of intransitive verbs in the completive aspect.
| 1st-person singular | -en |
| 2nd-person singular | -et |
| 3rd-person singular | -ø |
| 1st-person plural | -on |
| 2nd-person plural | -ox |
| 3rd-person plural | -ob’ |
Incompletive-Subject Set (Set C)
The Incompletive-Subject Set is also referred to as Set C. This set indicates the subject of intransitive verbs in the incompletive aspect.
| 1st-person singular | in- |
| 2nd-person singular | i- |
| 3rd-person singular | a- |
| 1st-person plural | ka- |
| 2nd-person plural | ix- |
| 3rd-person plural | a-…-ob’ |
Transitive verbs: Intransitive verbs (completive) Intransitive verbs (incompletive)
uw-ir-a-Ø way-an-en in-way-an
E3s-see-stem-A3s sleep-stem-A1s S1s-sleep-stem
‘s/he sees it/him/her’ ‘I slept’ ‘I sleep”
u-lok’-se-Ø lok’-oy-Ø a-lok’-oy
E3s-go.out-caus-A3s leave-stem-A3s S3s-leave-stem
‘he takes it out’ ‘he left’ ‘he leaves’
u-chuk-i-Ø och-oy-Ø o’ch-oy (a-och-oy)
E3s-grab-stem-A3s enter-stem-A3s S3s-enter-stem
‘he grabs it’ ‘he entered’ ‘he enters’
u-k’ech-e-Ø cham-ay-Ø a-cham-ay
E3s-carry-stem-A3s die-stem-A3s S3s-die-stem
‘he carried it’ ‘he died’ ‘she dies’
inw-ajk’we’t (inw-ajk’-u-et) sut-pe’n (sut-pa-en) a-sut-pa
E1s-give-stem-A2s turn-mpass-A1s S3s-turn-mpass
‘I gave it to you’ ‘I returned’ ‘he returns’
General phonological rule when two vowels occur together: V1V2 è V2’
Stem suffixes for verbs
Transitive verbs:
-i CVC transitive roots with all vowels except [e]
-e CVC transitive roots with [e]
-V non-CVC transitive roots
Intransitive verbs:
-V1y intransitive roots (ex. a-lok’-oy ‘he comes out’)
-V intransitive roots
Positionals:
-Vr positional
(The above stem suffixes are usually removed when using derivational suffixes below.)
Derivational verb suffixes
…-j-…-a passive with CVC roots (ex. a-ch’a-j-m-a ‘they are taken’)
-pa middle passive with CVC roots
-tz’a middle passive with CVC roots
-k’a middle passive with CVC roots
-na passive with non-CVC and derived verbs
-ma antipassive
-on antipassive
-b’ir past participle with transitive roots
-em past participle with intransitive roots
-ran intransitivizer (needs more analysis)
-wan intransitivizer with positional roots
-b’a/-b’u transitivizer with positional roots
-es/-s/-se causative
-ru/-ru iterative