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Which verbal moods occur in Eskimo-Aleut languages?
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In the Eskimo-Aleut languages, verbal moods are used to express various grammatical relations and sentence types. These include:
- Indicative: Used for statements of fact (e.g., "he goes").
- Interrogative: Used for questions (e.g., "did he go?").
- Imperative: Used for commands (e.g., "go!").
- Optative: Used to express wishes or desires (e.g., "may he go").
- Participles: Forms that function similarly to English participles (e.g., "going," "gone").
- Subordinate forms: Various forms that correspond to English subordinate clauses, such as those beginning with "if" or "when."1
In addition to these moods, other modal relations and tenses are expressed through the use of derivational suffixes and, specifically in Unangam Tunuu, through the use of auxiliary verbs.1