To learn about intransitive verbs, go here.
Ok, here’s a quick rundown of what transitive verbs are. Remember that verbs carry action. Intransitive verbs do not transfer the action directly to an object. However, transitive verbs do. Take the English verbs ‘help,’ ‘eat,’ and ‘see.’
‘Ted is helping Barney and Robin.’
‘Marshall is eating three pancakes.’
‘Lily sees a picture.’
Ted-gum ikayuġaik Barney-lu Robin-lu.
Marshall-gum niġigai siḷaavyaich piŋasut.
Lily-m qiñiġaa qiñiġaaq.
In order to create transitive sentences, you need a minimum of three ingredients:
- transitive verb
- relative noun
- direct object
Transitive verbs take endings that are different from intransitive verb endings. These verb endings indicate the person and number. This lesson will cover indicative verb endings.
Remember that you must begin crafting your sentence with a verb stem and complete it with a verb ending. There are a number of postbases that can be added in between, but right now we will focus on this formula:
verb stem + ending = sentence
ikayuq ‘to help’ + ai ‘3rd sing – 3rd pl’ = ikayuÄ¡ai ‘He/she is helping them.’
niġigai
qiñiġaa
For verb endings, we’ll use a chart similar to the intransitive verb chart.
Transitive Verb Endings
| 3rd Person | 2nd Person | 1st Person | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| singular | dual | plural | singular | dual | plural | singular | dual | plural | ||
| 1st Person | singular | iga | ikka | itka | ikpiñ | ivsik | ivsi | |||
| dual | ikpuk | ivuk | ivuk | ivsigiñ | ivsik | ivsi | ||||
| plural | ikput | ivut | ivut | ivsigiñ | ivsik | ivsi | ||||
| 2nd Person | singular | in | ikkiñ | itin | iŋma | ivsiguk | ivsigut | |||
| dual | iksik | isik | isik | ivsiŋŋa | ivsiguk | ivsigut | ||||
| plural | iksi | iksi | isi | ivsiŋŋa | ivsiguk | ivsigut | ||||
| 3rd Person | singular | aa | aik | ai | aatin | aasik | aasi | aaŋa | aatiguk | aatigut |
| dual | aak | aik | ait | aatin | aasik | aasi | aaŋŋa | aatiguk | aatigut | |
| plural | aat | aik | ait | aatin | aasik | aasi | aanŋa | aatiguk | aatigut | |
Vowel: add g + ending
Consonants: add k + ending
k: add k + ending
It (Strong I): palatalize t to ch + ending
q: assimilate q to Ä¡, add ending
Assimilation Examples:
ai- “to fetch (someone/something)”
Aigiga utkusik.
paqit- “to find (someone/something)”
Paqitkaa tammaqtuaq
SuÅ‹It- “to not say/do anything (to someone/something)”
SuÅ‹itchaat “They are not saying anything to them”
pilÌ£ak- “to butcher (a game animal)”
ullak- “to approach (someone/something)”
ullakkaatin “She is approaching you.”
qiñiq- “to watch, look at, see (someone/something)”