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Re: USAGE: 'born'

From:Nik Taylor <fortytwo@...>
Date:Tuesday, May 8, 2001, 6:32
Muke Tever wrote:
> I asked if there was an active (i.e., not passive) English verb meaning 'to be > born' because I couldn't think of one, and wanted a shorter, more usable gloss > for the Hadwan verb <shinits> which has that meaning (which *does* exist in both > passive and active) than "come into being". The passive of such a verb would > not be unnecessary at all--the passive for "the child was born [shinirits] > (through the mother)" might mean something along the lines of "the child was > brought into being [shiniritsur] (by the mother)" .
How's that a passive of "to be born"? That's a passive of "to give birth", it seems to me.
> As far as I know none of these verbs are inherently passive.
Those are intransitive. Active and passive are inapplicable terms.
> > What's the passive of "die"? :-) > > There isn't a proper one in English. But I know the passive form <morirse> of > <morir> is perfectly allowable in Spanish.
Morirse isn't passive, it's reflexive. -- Cenedl heb iaith, cenedl heb galon A nation without a language is a nation without a heart - Welsh proverb ICQ: 18656696 AIM Screen-Name: NikTaylor42

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Muke Tever <alrivera@...>