Re: OT: Imperatives (Was: Re: OT: German Imperatives)

Jeff wrote:
<<
The $65,000 question, of course, then becomes: "Is 'ustaadh' used with a
2nd or a 3rd person verb (or some other form)?"
 >>

Well, /ustaadh/ is a noun, so it's used with a third person verb.
It's really a title.  So just as you could say in English, "The
professor
delivered a lecture" as well as "Will you help me, Professor?", so
can you say in Arabic...

Al-ustaadh kataba al-kitaab.
/the-ustaadh wrote-3sg.masc. the-book/
"The Ustaadh wrote the book."

Hal 'akala, yaa ustaadh?
/Q eat-PST-3sg.masc., VOC. ustaadh?/
"Did you eat, Ustaadh?"

I'll bow to anyone with more Arabic experience.  A third of the
Arabic I learned was Algierian, a third was Egyptian, and a third
was Quraanic, so the "system" I have in my head doesn't correspond
to any single system that's actually used, most likely.

-David
*******************************************************************
"sunly eleSkarez ygralleryf ydZZixelje je ox2mejze."
"No eternal reward will forgive us now for wasting the dawn."

-Jim Morrison

http://dedalvs.free.fr/