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'come' and 'go' with directional affixes

From:Thomas Wier <trwier@...>
Date:Sunday, February 27, 2005, 20:10
Hi all.

I've been quiet this weekend because the University has
been revamping the entire email system, so I couldn't send
out anything.  Anyways, I seem to recall someone had asked
whether there were languages in which the verbs "come" and
"go" did not have inherent directional meanings, having a
root which meant something like "move" plus a directional
affix.  Some have pointed out some other examples, but I
thought I might throw out two more examples:

In Akkadian, for example, a special ventive suffix is added
to indicate a change of perspective:

  ana biitim    iirub
  to  house-GEN enter.3Sg.PRT
  'he went into the house'

  ana biitim    iirub-am
  to  house-GEN enter.3Sg.PRT-VEN
  'he came into the house'

The ventive has extremely wide use, being used in many
nonspatial senses in addition to these here. Meskwaki uses
preverbs to indicate direction to or away from some
locus of action:

  keta:nesa    ne-pye:ci-wa:pam-a:-pena
  2Sg-daughter 1-hither-look.at-DIR-1pl
  'We have come to see your daughter'

  keta:nesa    net-anemi-wa:pam-a:-pena
  2Sg-daughter 1-thither-look.at-DIR-1pl
  'We have gone to see your daughter'

Anyways, just my $0.02.

Reply

Steg Belsky <draqonfayir@...>