Editing Beja language (section)

====Jussive, optative, potential====
There is distinct disagreement between the major grammars of the past century on the modal conjugation or conjugations referred to as "jussive," "optative," and "potential."

Wedekind, Wedekind, and Musa describe a "jussive"  with the following paradigm. For strong verbs, the first person is based on the past/perfective stem, and the persons are based on the future stem; no negative jussive is given:

{{columns-start}}
{| class="wikitable"
|+ Weak verb: {{lang|bej-Latn|giigaa}} "go away"
|-
!&nbsp; || Positive
|-
! {{gcl|1SG}}
| {{lang|bej-Latn|giig-atay}}
|-
! {{gcl|2SG}}.{{gcl|M}}
| {{lang|bej-Latn|giig-ata}}
|-
! {{gcl|2SG}}.{{gcl|F}}
| {{lang|bej-Latn|giig-ati}}
|-
! {{gcl|3SG}}.{{gcl|M}}
| {{lang|bej-Latn|ba-giig-iiyay}}
|-
! {{gcl|3SG}}.{{gcl|F}}
| {{lang|bej-Latn|ba-giig-tiyay}}
|-
! {{gcl|1PL}}
| {{lang|bej-Latn|giig-niiyay}}
|-
! {{gcl|2PL}}
| {{lang|bej-Latn|giig-aana}}
|-
! {{gcl|3PL}}
| {{lang|bej-Latn|ba-giig-iinay}}
|}
{{column}}
{| class="wikitable"
|+ Strong verb: {{lang|bej-Latn|fidiga}} "open"
|-
!&nbsp; || Positive
|-
! {{gcl|1SG}}
| {{lang|bej-Latn|fidg-atay}}
|-
! {{gcl|2SG}}.{{gcl|M}}
| {{lang|bej-Latn|fidg-ata}}
|-
! {{gcl|2SG}}.{{gcl|F}}
| {{lang|bej-Latn|fidg-ati}}
|-
! {{gcl|3SG}}.{{gcl|M}}
| {{lang|bej-Latn|ba'-iifidig-ay}}
|-
! {{gcl|3SG}}.{{gcl|F}}
| {{lang|bej-Latn|bat-iifidig-ay}}
|-
! {{gcl|1PL}}
| {{lang|bej-Latn|niifdig-ay}}
|-
! {{gcl|2PL}}
| {{n/a}}
|-
! {{gcl|3PL}}
| {{lang|bej-Latn|ba-'iifdig-naay}}
|}
{{columns-end}}

They give various examples of the jussive with translations into English, in order to give a sense of the meaning:
* {{lang|bej-Latn|Araatatay!}} "Let me ask!"
* {{lang|bej-Latn|Naan '''gw'ata'''?}} "What '''would you (m) like to drink'''?"
* {{lang|bej-Latn|Hindeeh '''nihiriway'''!}} "Please '''let us look for it'''!" (Atmaan dialect){{sfn|Wedekind|Wedekind|Musa|2007|pp=162–166}}

Vanhove identifies a complex "potential" form composed of a nominalizing suffix {{lang|bej-Latn|-at}} followed by a present/imperfective reduced conjugation of the verb {{lang|bej-Latn|m'a}} 'come' ({{lang|bej-Latn|eeya}} in the non-reduced present/imperfective).

{{columns-start}}
{| class="wikitable"
|+ Weak verb: {{lang|bej-Latn|giigaa}} "go away"
|-
!&nbsp; || Positive
|-
! {{gcl|1SG}}
| {{lang|bej-Latn|giig-at}}
|-
! {{gcl|2SG}}.{{gcl|M}}
| {{lang|bej-Latn|giig-at-a}}
|-
! {{gcl|2SG}}.{{gcl|F}}
| {{lang|bej-Latn|giig-at-i}}
|-
! {{gcl|3SG}}.{{gcl|M}}
| {{lang|bej-Latn|giig-at eeyini}}
|-
! {{gcl|3SG}}.{{gcl|F}}
| {{lang|bej-Latn|giig-at eetnii}}
|-
! {{gcl|1PL}}
| {{lang|bej-Latn|giig-at eenay}}
|-
! {{gcl|2PL}}
| {{lang|bej-Latn|giig-at-na}}
|-
! {{gcl|3PL}}
| {{lang|bej-Latn|giig-at een}}
|}
{{column}}
{| class="wikitable"
|+ Strong verb: {{lang|bej-Latn|fidiga}} "open"
|-
!&nbsp; || Positive
|-
! {{gcl|1SG}}
| {{lang|bej-Latn|fidg-at}}
|-
! {{gcl|2SG}}.{{gcl|M}}
| {{lang|bej-Latn|fidg-at-a}}
|-
! {{gcl|2SG}}.{{gcl|F}}
| {{lang|bej-Latn|fidg-at-i}}
|-
! {{gcl|3SG}}.{{gcl|M}}
| {{lang|bej-Latn|fidg-at eeyini}}
|-
! {{gcl|3SG}}.{{gcl|F}}
| {{lang|bej-Latn|fidg-at eetnii}}
|-
! {{gcl|1PL}}
| {{lang|bej-Latn|fidg-at eenay}}
|-
! {{gcl|2PL}}
| {{lang|bej-Latn|fidg-at-na}}
|-
! {{gcl|3PL}}
| {{lang|bej-Latn|fidg-at een}}
|}
{{columns-end}}

Vanhove describes the potential as expressing "epistemic modalities of inference or near-certainty."{{sfn|Vanhove|2014|loc=§3.2.6.5}} Examples below, with the potential verbs in bold:
* {{lang|bej-Latn|"Deeyaraneek kaakan dabal had '''fiinataay'''," indi een.}} {{" '}}I am really exhausted, so '''I should rest''' a while,' he says."

Additionally, she recognizes an optative with positive and negative polarity. The positive optative is formed from a prefix {{lang|bej-Latn|baa-}} to the past continuous/aorist. The negative construction is more complex. In some dialects, the final {{lang|bej-Latn|-aay}} of most forms of the weak negative is a short {{lang|bej-Latn|-ay}}:

{{columns-start}}
{| class="wikitable"
|+ Weak verb: {{lang|bej-Latn|giigaa}} "go away"
|-
!&nbsp; || Positive || Negative
|-
! {{gcl|1SG}}
| {{lang|bej-Latn|baa-giig-i}} || {{lang|bej-Latn|baa-giig-aay}}
|-
! {{gcl|2SG}}.{{gcl|M}}
| {{lang|bej-Latn|baa-giig-tiya}} || {{lang|bej-Latn|bit-giig-aay}}
|-
! {{gcl|2SG}}.{{gcl|F}}
| {{lang|bej-Latn|baa-giig-tiyi}} || {{lang|bej-Latn|bit-giig-aay}}
|-
! {{gcl|3SG}}.{{gcl|M}}
| {{lang|bej-Latn|baa-giig-i}} || {{lang|bej-Latn|bii-giig-aay}}
|-
! {{gcl|3SG}}.{{gcl|F}}
| {{lang|bej-Latn|baa-giig-ti}} || {{lang|bej-Latn|bit-giig-aay}}
|-
! {{gcl|1PL}}
| {{lang|bej-Latn|baa-giig-ni}} || {{lang|bej-Latn|bin-giig-aay}}
|-
! {{gcl|2PL}}
| {{lang|bej-Latn|baa-giig-tiina}} || {{lang|bej-Latn|bit-giig-eena}}
|-
! {{gcl|3PL}}
| {{lang|bej-Latn|baa-giig-iin}} || {{lang|bej-Latn|bii-giig-eena}}
|}
{{column}}
{| class="wikitable"
|+ Strong verb: {{lang|bej-Latn|fidiga}} "open"
|-
!&nbsp; || Positive || Negative
|-
! {{gcl|1SG}}
| {{lang|bej-Latn|baa-'iifdig}} || {{lang|bej-Latn|baa-fdig}}
|-
! {{gcl|2SG}}.{{gcl|M}}
| {{lang|bej-Latn|baa-t-iifdig-a}} || {{lang|bej-Latn|bit-fdig-a}}
|-
! {{gcl|2SG}}.{{gcl|F}}
| {{lang|bej-Latn|baa-t-iifdig-i}} || {{lang|bej-Latn|bit-fdig-i}}
|-
! {{gcl|3SG}}.{{gcl|M}}
| {{lang|bej-Latn|baa-'iifdig}} || {{lang|bej-Latn|bii-fdig}}
|-
! {{gcl|3SG}}.{{gcl|F}}
| {{lang|bej-Latn|baa-t-iifdig}} || {{lang|bej-Latn|bit-fdig}}
|-
! {{gcl|1PL}}
| {{lang|bej-Latn|baa-n-iifdig}} || {{lang|bej-Latn|bin-fdig}}
|-
! {{gcl|2PL}}
| {{lang|bej-Latn|baa-t-iifdig-na}} || {{lang|bej-Latn|bit-fdig-na}}
|-
! {{gcl|3PL}}
| {{lang|bej-Latn|baa-'iifdig-na}} || {{lang|bej-Latn|bii-fdig-na}}
|}
{{columns-end}}

Vanhove gives no explanation for the use of the optative positive. The optative negative is used in conditional clauses with meanings of incapacity and necessity:
* {{lang|bej-Latn|"Har'iisii '''bity'aheebaay'''," ani.}} {{" '}}'''Don't let it come''' from behind me!' I told myself."
* {{lang|bej-Latn|Naat '''bitkatiim''' mhiin uumeek ingad.}} "The donkey stopped in a place where nothing '''can arrive'''."
* {{lang|bej-Latn|Dhaabi '''biidii'''yeeb hiisan.}} "I thought '''he would not be able to run'''."
* {{lang|bej-Latn|Yaa iraanaay, ooyhaam thab'a! '''Baakwinhaay''' akaabuuyit...}} "Oh, man, hit the leopard! '''I don't need to shout''' at you and…"{{sfnm|1a1=Vanhove|1y=2014|1loc=§3.2.2.2.2|2a1=Vanhove|2y=2011}}