-akento

== Ye'kwana == === Alternative forms === -kakento, -yakento (allomorphs) === Etymology === From -a (recent/distant past imperfective suffix) +‎ -kene (distant past imperfective suffix) +‎ -to (plural verb suffix) or -akene (distant past imperfective singular suffix) +‎ -to (plural verb suffix). The reduction of the ne syllable is synchronically irregular and suggests this suffix is analyzed as a single unit by current speakers. === Pronunciation === IPA(key): [-akento] === Suffix === -akento forms the plural of the distant past imperfective tense when the arguments of the verb include a mix of one third-person argument and one first- or second-person argument ==== Usage notes ==== This suffix can cause syllable reduction. The suffix takes the form -kakento when the preceding syllable is reducible and has an onset of k, -yakento when the preceding syllable ends in i, and -akento in other contexts. === References === Cáceres, Natalia (2011), Grammaire Fonctionnelle-Typologique du Ye’kwana‎[1], Lyon, pages 213–222