Predicate structure in Tariana
Tariana has two types of predicates — simple predicates and serial verb constructions. Every verbal root belongs to either A/SA (prefixed) or SO (prefixless) type. Simple predicates have one prefix position and up to eight suffix positions. The prefix position can be occupied by cross-referencing prefixes (which mark person, gender and number), or negative ma-, or relative ka-. Tariana has a much more complicated verb structure than neighbouring North Arawak languages (Baniwa of Içana, Warekena, Bare: Aikhenvald 1995a, b; 1998).
The order of the eight suffix positions is as follows:
Suffixes may be followed by enclitics, which have the following properties: (a) enclitics can be omitted; (b) enclitics preferentially follow the verb, but they can also go on any focussed constituent; (c) most enclitics allow variable ordering; (d) enclitics longer than one syllable carry a secondary stress.
There is no productive verb compounding4 (unlike East-Tucano languages — see §3). A few compounded verbs get grammaticalized as markers of Aktionsart, aspect and sequencing enclitics. These are discussed in §§3-4. The most frequent and the functionally most unmarked order of enclitics is:
An example of a simple predicate with three suffixes and two enclitics is given in (1):
