These adverbial suffixes indicate how many times the action of the verb was performed. The suffix –tum- indicates that the action was performed once, -so- that it was performed twice, and –mum-/-mnu- that it was performed more than three times; the exact number is indicated by a number in the adverbial case before the verb.

There are certain peculiarities, however, against which one must stand on guard. The suffix –tum- with the perfective aspect indicates that the action is done once. The same suffix with the imperfective suffix indicates that the action was or will be done in one continuous action. The suffix –so- works in a similar vein: with perfective aspect, it indicates that the action is done once, with imperfective, that the action has two parts.

Pe ipekaremputumnuna.

Pe ipekarengfutsungnuna.

You judged him once.

Pe epenuputumnama.

Pe epenufutsungnama.

You did this in one session.

Pe me epesapusotuna.

Pe me epesafusotsuna.

You listened to it twice.

Pe me epeyofusotuma.

Pe me epeyofusotuma.

You listened to it in two parts (because there was an intermission).

The challenge with the suffix –mum-/-mnu- is more severe, particularly to the neo-Victorian sensibility of early 23^rd century Terrestrial culture. The form –mum- is used after a nasal vowel, the form –mnu- after an oral vowel. A recurring problem for the many converbal suffixes in Siye is homophony, and in this case, homophony of a most distressing kind! The suffixal form –mnu- of the suffix –mum-/-mnu- is homophonous and exists under the same conditions as the suffixal form –mnu- of the suffix –hom-/-mnu- ‘to do X lasciviously’. This unfortunate circumstance is a bane to prudes and a boon to poetasters.

I la pewaku ileyepumnutuna.

I la pevahu ileyefungnutsuna.

Thrice she called me.

or

Thrice she spoke in dulcet tones.