Transitivity
The divalent verbs are called transitive, and these require an object to complete its meaning. It is possible to elide this object if it is obvious or irrelevant. The subject is the agent, and the object is the patient.
“The bear is eating (the strawberry).”
nidu にど to use
Transformative Verbs
Unlike those above, these verbs involve a fundamental change to their objects.
’idu いど to make
pifa ぴへ to create
pura ぷら to change; to be
si’a せあ to repair
lakka わっか to break
dasi だせ to consume
qarri げっり to open
turu とる to close
Motive Verbs
The unmarked argument structure is as follows: the oblique arguments for these are the same as for kinetic verbs, i.e.: ablative source, dative destination, and direction with pa. As for the core arguments, the agent of the movement is the subject, and the patient being moved is the object.
Dative
These are motive verbs focussing on movement to the destination.
“I picked it up.”
The agent may be moved into the dative position, since it is identical to the destination.
“It’s mine.”
An animate source may be swapped with the patient, i.e.: the ablative becoming an object and vice versa.
“I’ve relieved you of it.”
Ablative
These are motive verbs focussing on movement away from a source.
“I threw it.”
Similarly to dative motive verbs, the agent can be placed in ablative position, as they are identical to the source.
“I don’t have it.”
With similarity again to the dative verbs, an animate destination may be swapped with the patient, i.e.: with the dative becoming an object and vice versa.
ʔusu kalu kuffa fu.
。うすかをくっへふ。
1int 3ina;abl give 2tra.
lit: “I gave you from it.”
“I’ve given you it.”
Apparent Verbs
These act like the transitive counterpart of the adjectival verbs, i.e.: the patient as the subject, the cause in ablative and the experiencer in dative. The additional object, which makes these transitive, is an abstract noun that refers to a quality or attribute, or an inanimate noun that refers to an actual substance or energy being released. The precise verb is chosen by whether the ‘radiation’ is physical or subtle in nature.
Hifumari ba’u xi huba ra’u?
。ひふまりばうしほばらう。
house-this 2dat seem important prs;sta?
“Does this house seem important to you?”
“The sun is shining.”
These verbs can also be used to signify the patients resemblance to something else. In this case, the other item or person is governed by the adposition ka か as.
Filli ka’aggami xu. / Filli ka’aggami xi.
。べっえかあっがみし。べっえかあっがみず。
filli ka-’aggami xu. / filli ka-’aggami xi.
2int as-police_officer appear. / 2int as-police_officer seem.
“You look like a police officer.” / “You act like a police officer.”
Vital Verbs
These verbs require that both their objects and subjects are animate.
Action Verbs
These verbs take an activity as an object. These can take the form of pure nouns:
“The babysitter started the story.”
They can also take gerunds:
“The cow stopped its eating of the grass.”