1. L-suffixes in the inflection of the present

As explained in G.21a, the object can be identified by its post-verbal position. Like the preterite, L-suffixes (G.21a.3) can be attached to the inflected verbal form in the present (see also G.16e) to mark the object:

The L-suffixes stand for both the direct object (=DO) and the indirect object (=IO) in the present, as shown by the following examples:

2. The inflection of the present and the addition of L-suffixes

When L-suffixes are added to the present base, they fuse with its inflectional endings. The paradigm of the present with object suffixes is as follows:

2^nd pl. and 3^rd pl. object L-suffixes have three variants depending on the final sound of the preceding affix (2^nd pl.: -xu ‍ܟ݂ܘ, -lxu ‍ܠܟ݂ܘ, -nxu ‍ܢܟ݂ܘ respectively 3^rd pl.: -Ke ـܶ, -lle ܠܠܶܗ, -nne ‍ܢܢܶܗ). Their distribution is as follows. Note the accompanying changes in the preceding present base:

3. Inflection of the first person after adding the L-suffixes

When object suffixes are added (below 2^nd m/f.sg. and 3^rd m/f.sg.) to the present forms of the first person, one should note the following peculiarities:

Beside the forms illustrated above, the first person can also be expressed in the present without such changes. In this case we are dealing with longer forms, the object suffixes being full-fledged L-suffixes:

Both long and short forms convey the same meaning, though the contracted shorter forms are used more frequently:

           koguršonole ܟܳܓܘܪܫܳܢܳܠܶܗ = koguršalle ܟܳܓܘܪܫܰܠܠܶܗ „I (m.) pull you/for you (msg.)“

           koguršonolxu ܟܳܓܘܪܫܳܢܳܠܟ݂ܘ = koguršanxu ܟܳܓܘܪܫܰܢܟ݂ܘ „I (m.) pull you/for you (pl.)“

           koguršonole ܟܳܓܘܪܫܳܢܳܠܶܗ = koguršalle ܟܳܓܘܪܫܰܠܠܶܗ “I (f.) pull him/for him”

           koguršonolxu ܟܳܓܘܪܫܳܢܳܠܟ݂ܘ= koguršanxu ܟܳܓܘܪܫܰܢܟ݂ܘ “I (f.) pull them/for them”

4. Special features of the verb ʾmr ܐܡܪ I „to say, to tell“ with L-suffixes

The highly frequent verb ʾmr ܐܡܪ I “to say, to tell” undergoes more changes when object suffixes are added. These go back to the assimilation of the /m/ to the /r/ in the combinations /mr ܡܪ/ and /rl ܪܠ‍/. Below you find an overview:

The long forms for the 1^st m. sg. are:

         omarne ܐܳܡܰܪܢܶܗ = omarnole ܐܳܡܰܪܢܳܠܶܗ „I tell him“

         omarna ܐܳܡܰܪܢܰܗ = omarnola ܐܳܡܰܪܢܳܠܰܗ „I tell her“

         omarnux ܐܳܡܰܪܢܘܟ݂ = omarnolux ܐܳܡܰܪܢܳܠܘܟ݂ „I tell you (m.sg.)“

         omarnax ܐܳܡܰܪܢܰܟ݂ = omarnolax ܐܳܡܰܪܢܳܠܰܟ݂ „I tell you (f.sg.)“

The long forms for the 1^st f. sg. are:

         ëmmalle ܐܷܡܡܰܠܠܶܗ = ëmmonole ܐܷܡܡܳܢܳܠܶܗ „I tell him“

         ëmmalla ܐܷܡܡܰܠܠܰܗ = ëmmonola ܐܷܡܡܳܢܳܠܰܗ „I tell her“

         ëmmallux ܐܷܡܡܰܠܠܘܟ݂ = ëmmonolux ܐܷܡܡܳܢܳܠܘܟ݂ „I tell you (m.sg.)“

         ëmmallax ܐܷܡܡܰܠܠܰܟ݂ = ëmmonolax ܐܷܡܡܳܢܳܠܰܟ݂ „I tell you (f.sg.)“

5. Indirect object marking by means of the preposition l- ܠ‍ـ „for, to“

Finally, like the preterite (G.21a.3), the indirect object can be expressed by the independent pronouns based on the preposition l- ܠ‍ـ (G.11b):

b) Conditional clauses

Conditional clauses are subordinate clauses introduced by the following conjunctions all conveying the sense of “if, supposing, in case, on condition that” d ܕ, häka ܗܱܟܰܐ, iḏa ܐܝܕ݂ܰܐ, iḏa d ܐܝܕ݂ܰܐ ܕ, inaqla d ܐܝܢܰܩܠܰܐ ܕ, gud ܓܘܕ, ënkan (d) (ܕ) ܐܷܢܟܰܐܢ, and en d ܐܶܢ ܕ. The subordinate clause usually precedes the main clause with which it belongs. There are realis and irrealis types of conditional clauses in Surayt.

1. Realis conditional clauses

In realis conditional clauses the verb of the main clause is always in the future tense, while the verb in the subordinate clause is either in the subjunctive (i.e. the present form without preverbal modifier) or in the preterite. Examples:

The subordinate clause follows the main clause in the following sentence:

2. Irrealis conditional clauses

In irrealis conditional clauses the verb is in the imperfect (G12.b) respectively plupreterite (G12.c) and the verb of the main clause in the conditional. The conditional is formed on the basis of the imperfect by adding the future preverb gëd ܓܷܕ. Morphologically, the conditional is derived from the imperfect just like the future from the present:

Examples for irrealis conditional clauses:

c) Negation

1. Nominal clauses

Nominal clauses are clauses that are formed by means of a copula and a non-verbal predicate. These are negated using the negative copula:

2. Verbal clauses

Verbal clauses are negated by means of lo ܠܐ before the verbal predicate.

When the predicate consists of an auxiliary and main verb, the negative particle precedes the auxiliary:

d) Negation of the future

The future and present tense are not distinguished in negation. Both are expressed by lo ܠܐ + the actual present. lo kosoyam ܠܐ ܟܳܣܳܝܰܡ can thus also serve as the negative for kosoyam ܟܳܣܳܝܰܡ “he does, he’s doing” meaning “he doesn’t, he isn’t doing” or as the negative of gëd soyam ܓܷܕ ܣܳܝܰܡ “he will do” meaning “he won’t do”. The meaning must be determined contextually for each individual case.

e) Negative preverb lo ܠܐ with initial vocalic verbs:

The negative preverb lo ܠܐ fuses with the initial vowel of the negated verb, ending up as l- ܠ‍ـ. These verbs are spelled with Olaf /ܐ/ in the Syriac script, representing the first radical even in such negated contracted forms. Also initial h-verbs howe - hawi ܗܳܘܶܐ - ܗܰܘܝ “be, become” and obe - hule ܐܳܒܶܐ - ܗܘܠܶܗ “give” follow this pattern:

        lo abëc  ܠܐ ܐܰܒܷܥ> labëc ܠܰܐܒܷܥ „he didn’t want“

        lo aḏëc ܠܐ ܐܰܕ݂ܷܥ > laḏëc ܠܰܐܕ݂ܷܥ „he didn’t know“

        lo aṯi ܠܐ ܐܰܬ݂ܝ > laṯi ܠܰܐܬ݂ܝ „he didn’t come“

        lo hawi ܠܐ ܗܰܘܝ > lawi ܠܰܘܝ „he didn’t become“

        lo hule ܠܐ ܗܘܠܶܗ > lule ܠܘܠܶܗ „he didn’t give“

        lo omar ܠܐ ܐܳܡܰܪ > lomar ܠܳܐܡܰܪ „he won’t say“

        lo oṯe ܠܐ ܐܳܬ݂ܶܐ > loṯe ܠܳܐܬ݂ܶܐ „he won’t come“

        lo oxal ܠܐ ܐܳܟ݂ܰܠ > loxal ܠܳܐܟ݂ܰܠ „he won’t eat“

        lo obac ܠܐ ܐܳܒܰܥ > lobac ܠܳܐܒܰܥ „he won’t want“

        lo oḏac ܠܐ ܐܳܕ݂ܰܥ > loḏac ܠܳܐܕ݂ܰܥ „he won’t know“

        lo howe ܠܐ ܗܳܘܶܐ > lowe ܠܳܘܶܐ „he won’t be“

Examples: