A set of adverbial suffixes whose meanings are related, but nonetheless are non-intuitive for the English speaker are –lo-/-te- ‘to practice’ and -lote- ‘to pretend’. The first thing to note about these suffixes is that –lo- occurs with the imperfective aspect, and –te- occurs with the perfective aspect. The connection of –te- ‘to practice’ with the perfective aspect prevents confusion with –te- ‘to want’ with the imperfective aspect. Similarily, -lo- ‘to practice’ will follow, at a minimum, the pronominal number suffix, and therefore cannot be confused by native speakers with –lo-, the plural pronominal number suffix. The second thing of importance is that –lo-/-te- negates as a regular suffix does, that is, using the PAM (polarity-aspect-mood) suffix, but –lote- belongs to the class of ‘inverse suffixes’ and therefore forms its negative by suffixing the floating negative suffix –ku- to –lote- to form –loteku- ‘to perform authentically’.

Epesikelonamukumo?

Epeshikelonamuhumo?

Aren’t you (few) practicing your singing?

Eleyekatenana.

Eleyekatenana.

We all practiced our singing.

Epeyelolotenana.

Epeyelolotenana.

You (many) pretended to sing (but were actually goofing around)

Samnikem elesikalotekunama.

Sangnikeng eleshikalotehunama.

Now you will all genuinely sing (because I’m the choir director)

Nulotenamaki (nulotenamachi) – toy (that with which you pretend to do X)

Kelotenanaki (kelotenannachi) – play (the activity of playing)

Kimlotekimakim (Chinglotechimaching) – play area

Ilokimayam (Ilochimayang) – cad (one who pretends to love)