Re: KLBC verbs with moH

["William H. Martin" <whm2m@virginia.edu>]

On Tue, 20 Jul 1999 14:40:47 -0400 KNieswanger@McDonald.com 
wrote:

> Are ALL verbs with moH transitive?
> 
> Ken
> Kalos/qeyloS

Okrand seems to make a point of avoiding the word "transitive". 
He actively replaces it with, "You mean 'can take an object', 
right?"

I don't know why.

I do know that you can add {-moH} to what I'd call an 
intransitive verb (Okrand might be more likely to call it 
"stative") to make it transitive (take an object).

bIQ bIrmoH chuch.

Ice makes water cold.

Meanwhile, just like you can say {jISop} to mean "I eat" even 
though "eat" can take a direct object, you can say {bIrmoH 
chuch}. Now, this is "intransitive" in that there is no direct 
object, but it is not "stative" because causing something to be 
cold is not a state. It is an action. Stative verbs can be used 
adjectivally and they can be used in comparative [X Q law' Y Q 
puS] sentences in the Q position. You can't do either of these 
things with any verb plus {-moH}.

Does that help?

charghwI' 'utlh