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Cadernos de Etnolingüística
volume 13, número 1, março/2026, e130101

The Wayampi verb: Structure, form, and function

François Copin (MODYCO, CNRS / Université Paris Nanterre)

This article presents a systematic, corpus‑based analysis of Wayampi verb morphology and morphosyntax, offering new insights for Tupi–Guarani studies. Two complementary goals guide the work. First, I document the range and clause‑level distribution of verb forms—main verbs, general converbs, manner converbs, and verbal nouns—and show that many formal distinctions follow from differences in syntactic function. Second, I reconstruct the internal architecture of verbal forms by proposing a three‑tier model: the verb stem, the verb base (a structural unit shared by all types of verb forms), and the fully inflected verb word. Empirical diagnostics support a multi‑slot analysis in which derivational and inflectional material occupy distinct positions. A key theoretical contribution is the recognition of mood as an inflectional category for main predicates: the paradigm Ø- ~ n‑ ~ t‑ corresponds to positive indicative, negative indicative, and subjunctive, respectively, with n‑ selected by co‑occurring sentential negators, showing a discontinuous mood–polarity dependency. The paper also identifies several open problems and outlines directions for comparative and elicitation work. Rather than claiming that prior accounts of Tupi–Guarani verbs are incorrect, the results point to several morphosyntactic areas—most notably the layered interaction of derivation and inflection within the verb—that remain understudied and warrant renewed investigation.