32 
LADAKHI GRAMMAR. 
Note 2. —Persons with forms of the past and present tenses. Most of the 
forms, mentioned above, can be used with the first, second or third person alter¬ 
natively. As regards certain forms showing a (never exclusive) preference for cer¬ 
tain persons, the following paradigm might be formed : 
ngas 
F resent. 
coad 
I do 
ngas 
Fast. 
cospin 
I did 
hhy oddis 
coad 
you do 
khyoddis 
co spin 
you did 
khos 
corug 
he does 
khos 
cos, cosong 
he did 
ngazhas 
coad 
we do 
ngazhas 
co spin 
we did 
khyozhas 
coad 
you do 
khyozhas 
co spin 
you did 
khokunnis 
corug 
they do 
khokunnis 
cos, cosong 
they did 
Future tenses . 
A. Simple form ,—Without an auxiliary the pure present stem is used 
or the future tense only in the negation. Examples : mi cha , shall not go; 
mi yong, shall not come ; mi hhyong , shall not bring. 
B. Compound tenses. — 1. in, to be, is joined to the present stem of 
the principal verb. Examples : chain (contracted chen) shall or will go ; 
tangin, will give; khyongin, will bring. 
Negation : mi is placed either before the pure stem or before stem with 
in. Examples : mi cha or mi chen, shall, will not go; mi tang or mi tang 
in, shall, will not give. 
2. chen, shall go, is placed after the classical supine (in a) of the 
principal verb. Example : ngarang rgo chugga chen, I shall close the door, 
go to close the door. 
Negation: mi is placed before chen or cha : chugga mi chen, chugga 
mi cha, shall not close. 
3. chen, shall go, is joined to the present stem of the principal verb 
(probably developed from the preceding form). Examples : zerchen, shall, 
will say; khyongchen, shall, will bring. Even chachen, shall, will go, is 
used. This form is very frequent in common speech. 
Negation : mi is placed before the stem of the principal verb, thus mi 
zer, shall, will not say. 
Imperative tenses . 
A • Simple forms.— 1. Many verbs use the pure present stem for the 
imperative. Examples : zer, say ; yong, come; hhyong, bring ; hor, put. 
2. Verbs, the present stem of which has an a and ends in a consonant, 
change the a to o, but do not add an s. Examples : tangoes, to give_ tong , 
give ; langsces, to rim-longs, get up ; sgangces, to fill— sgong, fill. 
