tlhIngan-Hol Archive: Tue Jul 20 13:08:47 1999
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Re: KLBC verbs with moH
- From: "William H. Martin" <[email protected]>
- Subject: Re: KLBC verbs with moH
- Date: Tue, 20 Jul 1999 16:08:04 -0400 (Eastern Daylight Time)
- In-Reply-To: <[email protected]>
- Priority: NORMAL
On Tue, 20 Jul 1999 14:40:47 -0400 [email protected]
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