Re: Help on Verbs...

Doug Ball wrote:
> Most languages (I'm a little afraid to say all) have aspect.
I'm pretty sure (but not 100% certain) that it's true that all languages
do.

> terminative (to stop doing),
Is this an established term?  I use "cessative" for that in Watakassi'.

> as it has in English (except for some set phrases).
Well, I wouldn't say only some set phrases, but more like in very
restricted situations.  Most dialects would say "The judge ordered that
the prisoner be restrained", or "I requested that he be ready at 5" and
the like, apparently indirect "commands" (for lack of a better term).

> antipassive voice, which is difficult to explain, and would probably
> only occur if you have an ergative language
Yeah, I don't think I've ever heard of antipassive in a non-ergative
language.

> There may be more voices, but I haven't heard of any others.
Reflexive and reciprocative are two others.

Reflexive means that the subject acts on him/herself, like "He killed
himself", it's similar to middle, and I'm not clear exactly what the
difference is.

Reciprocative is like reflexive, except it can only be used with plural
subjects and means that the subjects are acting *on each other*, like
"They killed each other" (compare "they killed themselves)

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