Index Dutch Bronze Age
Index first farmers in the Netherlands
To be
The search for the Gaulish verb (part1)
By J. Mascitelli, December 2000
To be (part 3- summary)
The Gaulish Verbal System
I've been working on Gaulish verbs and I'd like to share with you what I've worked out on the verb "to be". I think what I have is true and correct but there is always the chance that some of it may be in error, being that most of it is reconstructed and not attested by known examples. I've marked the unattested forms with an asterix.
es = to be, or Latin er
bu = past tense to be
bi = future tense to be
Present Tense
| Singular | Plural |
| 1. immi, imi | 1. *immu, *immus, *immei, *immesi |
| 2. *esi, *esiti | 2. *este, *estesuis |
| 3. esti, *estis, *estsi | 3. *sent, *senti, *sint, *sinti |
Past Tense
| Singular | Plural |
| 1. *buimi | 1. *buimu |
| 2. *buesi | 2. *buete |
| 3. *bueti, *buieti, buetid | 3. *buont |
Future Tense
| Singular | Plural |
| 1. *biimi | 1. *biimu |
| 2. *biesi | 2. *biete |
| 3. *bieti, *biieti, *bietid | 3. *biont |
Also, the verbal suffix "-utu, -utus", when attached at the end of a verb will change the tense of that verb to the subjunctive tense.
To be (part 2)To be (part 3- summary)
The Gaulish Verbal System