Ambitransitive verbs can be used with or without an argument in the object position.
Perceptive Verbs
These verbs deal with the subject’s ability to perceive stimuli.
When used purely intransitively, i.e.: with no direct or dative object, they refer to a general ability to use that sense:
Guli ruku ’usa.
.%L / w$ / us.
guli ruku ’usa .
blind_person fut;gno future gnomic see .
“The blind person can now see.”
When used with a direct object , this denotes a conscious effort at perception:
Ju’ipu’a ’usa bumaki.
.Yioa / us / OmK.
ju’ipu’a ’usa bumaki .
assembly see screen.
“The audience watched the screen.”
When used with a dative object, this instead lacks that effort:
Mihu kulasidaxi ju’isataduru ’usa.
.MV / $lSdX / YistEw / us.
mihu ku- lasida -xi ju’isatadu -ru ’usa .
3ani;int animate third person intransitive dat dative secret-seem conversation- ger gerund see .
“She saw the secret meeting.”
Communicative Verbs
The communication itself is the object , and the recipient is dative .
Kimilli kul·lani ’i ’issi.
.KM;L / $WlN / i / i;S.
kimilli ku- lulani ’i ’issi .
king dat dative song speak queen
“The king sang to the queen.”
Indirect speech is signified by a complement object .
Kimilli jusi ’i li lu’i lulani ru .
.KM;L / $L / Wi / WlN / w / i / MV.
kimilli jusi ’i li lu’i lulani ru .
king 3ani;dat animate third person dative speak com complementiser love queen prs;gno present gnomic
“The king told him he loved the queen.”
Directly reported communication is separated from the main clause by a comma, and may be put on either side. In this case, the recipient may be in either the object position or dative . This argument structure can also be used without a specific communication.
(Mica,) kimilli ’i lulani.
.Mc , KM;L / i / WlN.
(mica ,) kimilli ’i lulani .
(hello,) king speak queen.
“The king said ‘hello’ / spoke to the queen.”
’i i to speak
buma Om to draw
pa p to think
ma m to consider