The PAM in PAM suffix stands for polarity, aspect, and mood. This is a heavy load for one or two syllables to bear. Various adverbial suffixes interact in different ways with “aspects” (if you’ll excuse the pun) of the PAM suffix.

Aspect is the easiest portion of the PAM suffix to extract from the verb. The two aspects of Siye are perfective and imperfective; –n– for the perfective and –m– for the imperfective. The perfective aspect indicates an activity treated as a completed event, and therefore usually past, while the imperfective aspect indicates an activity treated as an on-going event. Some adverbial suffixes, such as –ka-, require the perfective aspect, while others, such as –tam-, require the imperfective aspect. Yet others, such as –te-, change their meaning depending on the aspect of the verb.

Umlekipusumkanuna.

Unglechifusungkanuna.

I have decided to be baptized.

Elaputetuma!

Elafutetsuma!

I want to buy it!

There are only two possibilities for polarity – positive and negative. Separating the polarity of the PAM suffix from its mood is nearly impossible. The positive PAM suffixes are –ma-, -me-, -na-, and –ne-. The negative PAM suffixes are –mu-, -meku-, -nu-, and –neku-. Some converbal suffixes, such as –neme- plus the imperfective aspect, can reverse the polarity of the PAM suffix!

Salipunemetuma.

Salifunemetsuma.

I can’t stop loving you.

The two moods of Siye are realis and irrealis. Realis covers statements of fact and imperatives, while irrealis covers subjunctive and contrafactual moods. PAM suffixes which contain –a- or –u- are realis. PAM suffixes which contain –e- or –eku- are irrealis. Certain adverbial suffixes, such –yosa- and –yosaku-, require irrealis mood.

Lusilisum itupuyosakusumeku.

Lushilisung itsufuyosahusumehu.

Certainly she has never left the city.

If this were not sufficiently complicated, two clause-final suffixes, interrogative –umo and connective –m, -am, or –ham, obscure the system of the PAM suffix. These are clause-final suffixes, rather than verb-final suffixes, but Siye is nearly always verb-final, converting these clause-final suffixes into verb-final suffixes. The strength of the vowel u in the vowel dominance hierarchy eliminates the a and e in the PAM suffixes so that a positive question appears as a negative question. An inability to differentiate between positive and negative questions was not acceptable to the Guild of Scholars, so they adopted one of the solutions in the Valley – the false negative –umo acquired the double negative –ukumo as the true negative. In the Lake area, a different solution emerged – -umo became a true negative and –amo was created as a positive form. This solution, unfortunately, was not adopted by the Guild of Scholars. The –a- in the connective –am suffix, likewise, overwhelms the irrealis –e- of the realis PAM suffixes. This obscurity has never been resolved; thorough knowledge of the language is the only method of handling it.

Ukuka ipetomkasunumo?

Uhuka ipetongkasunumo?

Have you sold all the fish? (NOT: Haven’t you sold all the fish?)

Ukuka ipetomkasunukumo?

Uhuka ipetongkasunuhumo?

Haven’t you sold all the fish?

Lake dialect:

Uhuka ipetomkasunamo?

Uhuka ipetongkasunamo?

Have you sold all the fish?

The aspect of the PAM suffix controls the choice of the pronominal number prefix (Position 4) in transitive or ditransitive verbs. If the aspect is imperfective, the pronominal number prefix will agree with the number of the grammatical subject of the clause. If the aspect is perfective, the pronominal number prefix will agree with the grammatical direct object of the clause. Intransitive and reflexive verbs only have one argument with which to agree.

Peke luka ukakem pesukekima.

Peke luka ukakeng pesukechima.

You few will wander upon the whole earth.

Isoya laka lakosotuma.

Isoya laka lakosotsuma.

The two of them will spot all of us.

Isoya laka layemkatuna.

Isoya laka layengkatsuna.

The two of them have spotted all of us.