Editing Mam language (section)

===The Mam verb complex===
Verbs in Mam can include inflection for person, aspect and mode, as well as auxiliaries in the form of directionals.{{sfn|England|1983|p=161}} The verb complex has distinct forms for transitive and intransitive verb stems depending in part on whether the complex cross-references one or two arguments. The lexical status of the verb complex is ambiguous.{{sfn|England|1983|p=40}} The inflections with vowels are phonologically independent (indicated by spaces). Transitive verb complexes with directionals have a dependent suffix. Two of England's examples of intransitive and transitive verb complexes are shown below.

Intransitive verb complex with directional{{sfn|England|1983|p=162}}
{{interlinear|glossing=link|indent=5
|ma chin jaw tz'aq-a
|REC ABS.1.SG DIR slip-ENC
|"I slipped (just now)."}}

Transitive verb complex with directional{{sfn|England|1983|p=175}}
{{interlinear|glossing=link|indent=5
|(ok) k-kub'-l-tz t-tzyu-ʔn-a
|POT ABS.3.SG-DIR-POT-DIR ERG.2.SG-grab-DEP-ENC
|"You will grab them."}}

Mam extends the Set A (ergative) person markers in the context of focused adverbials and certain subordinate clauses.{{sfn|England|1983|p=259}} In these contexts, the Set A markers cross-reference the subject of intransitive verbs and both the subject and object of transitive verbs. The following examples show the extended ergative marker /t-/ in '''bold'''.

Intransitive verb complex with extended ergative marking{{sfn|England|1983|p=259}}
{{interlinear|glossing=link|indent=5
|n-chi ooq' '''t'''-poon ky-txuuʔ
|PROG-ABS.3.PL cry '''ERG.3.SG'''-arrive ERG.3.PL-mother
|"They were crying when their mother arrived."}}

Transitive verb complex with extended ergative marking{{sfn|England|1983|p=259}}
{{interlinear|glossing=link|indent=5
|ok '''t'''-kuʔ-x ky-awa-ʔn xjaal kjoʔn b'iʔx n-0-xiʔ cheenaq' t-iʔj
|When '''ERG.3.SG'''-dir-dir ERG.3.PL-plant-DEP person cornfield all_at_once PROG-ABS.3.SG-go bean ERG.3.SG-REL.PAT
|"When the people plant (it) in the cornfield at the same time the beans go in."}}

<section begin="list-of-glossing-abbreviations"/><div style="display:none;">
REC:recent past
POT:potential aspect
ABS:absolutive agreement (Set B)
ERG:ergative agreement (Set A)
DEP:dependent suffix
DIR:directional
ENC:person enclitic
REL:relational noun
PAT:patient
</div><section end="list-of-glossing-abbreviations"/>