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Gilo Grammar 7Verbs
7.1 General Rules: Active & Passive, Transitive & Intransitive and the wider use of words as verbs
Most verbs are transitive and active. This means that a verb follows the subject of the sentence (i.e. the thing or person that the sentence is about) and that the verb denotes the action carried out by the subject on another thing or person (the object). In its simplest form it might be of the type 'John read a book'.
A number of verbs can be transitive or intransitive. In this case we could have instead of 'John read the book', just 'John read'. Where the subject is passive (i.e. the action of the verb is done to it) then the verb need to be modified (as in English). E.g. 'The book was read by John' or 'The book was read'.
Examples:
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· John read a book |
Active verb 'read' - it was an action done by the object, John
Transitive verb - John read something, a book | |
· John read. |
Active verb 'read' - it was an action done by the object, John
Intransitive verb - John just read - we don't know what he read. | |
· The book was read by John |
Passive verb 'read' - it was an action done to the object, the book. The object itself did nothing!
Transitive verb - the action was done by someone, John | |
· The book was read |
Passive verb 'read' - it was an action done to the object, the book. The object itself did nothing!
Intransitive verb - we don't know who or what did the action. |
Gilo permits a more expressive use (and simpler use) of verbs compared with English e.g.:
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· He is eight years old (He 'years' eight) |
il yirez ok | |
Below is one example of the very efficient and simple use of Gilo - an English sentence of 7 words can be expressed in just 3 words in Gilo: | |
· The baby boy is six months old (The baby boy 'months' six) |
babil monez sis | |
· We went by train to London (We 'trained' to London) |
mi trinoz u London | |
· He fed his cat (He 'fooded' his cat) [Here Gilo is the same as English] |
il fidoz filis suva | |
· Take off your hat (Unhat yourself) |
unhatez (yu) |
7.1.1 Passive Case
Where the subject is passive, add prefix 'ad', giving the meaning 'to have something happen to one, or, to have something done to one by someone/something else'. Hence a preposition 'by' (which is also 'ad') is not required if the person/thing doing the action of the verb immediate follows the verb.
|
· A book written by Dickens |
buk adritoz Dikenz | |
· A book by Dickens |
buk ad Dikenz or buk Dikenzda |
Other examples:
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· Peter was tired (by others) |
Peter adtãroz | |
· Tom angers Peter |
Tom angez Peter | |
· Peter is angered by Tom |
Peter adangez Tom | |
· Peter is angered |
Peter adangez | |
· She woke the child |
el ubwakoz peju | |
· The child was awoken |
peju adubwakoz |
7.2 Transitive and Intransitive Verbs
A number of verbs can be either transitive or intransitive. If no object follows the verb then they are considered intransitive, as in English.
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· I walked the dog |
me wøkoz filis | |
· I walked |
me wøkoz | |
· The dog walked |
kanis wøkoz | |
· the dog was walked |
kanis adwøkoz | |
· She seated the child |
el sitoz cu | |
· She sat (i.e. was sitting) |
el sitoz | |
Note also :- |
| |
· She sat (i.e. she sat down) |
el ubsitoz | | |
ub = became |
Examples of common verbs which may be either transitive or intransitive (i.e. not always require an Object) are :-
|
· sit, stand, walk |
sitiz, staniz, wøkiz | |
· run, stop, start |
rãniz, stopiz, giiz | |
· fall asleep, sleep |
ubslipiz, slipiz | |
· wake up, be awake |
ubwakiz, wakiz | |
· fall, rise, tire, freeze |
føliz, upjiz, tiriz, frisiz |
If a normally intransitive verb needs to be changed to a transitive case then 'da' may be added as a prefix to clarify the meaning.
|
· Peter was tiring (becoming tired) |
Peter butãrioz | |
· Peter was tiring (to others) |
Peter datãrioz | |
· Peter was (felt) tired, |
Peter tãroz (boz tãra) | |
· Peter tired (other people) |
Peter datãroz |
Where the 'intransitiveness' of the action may be unclear then the affix 'su' (self) may be used as a prefix to the verb. This gives the meaning that the activity happened without action by an external body. Note however that 'su' after the verb means that the subject did the action to themselves (i.e. it did not just happen). In some case 'su' might not be appropriate if the cause is unknown :-
|
· I broke a window |
me brekoz wad | |
· A window was broken
(by someone) |
wad adbrekoz | |
· A window broke
(we don't know how) |
wad brekoz
or wad subrekoz | |
· A door was shut
(by someone) |
døro adxutoz | |
· The door shut
(it closed itself automatically) |
døro xutoz su or døro suxutoz
| |
· A door shut
(we don't know how) |
døro xutoz |
7.3 Double & Triple Verb Groups
These double verbs are used as the infinitive or gerund in English. Use 'da' or 'ad' (active or passive) if required. They can be in the following form:-
|
· I hate going (I hate to go) |
me hutez jiz (hutjiz) | |
· I like to sit working (to sit to work) |
me fojobiz sita, me foiz jobsitiza | |
· I'm going (on my way) to start working |
me jez gijobiz | |
· There is nothing to see |
neti bez adsia | |
· There is no one to look. (able to look) |
ce bez nepe abriz | |
· I hate not going |
me hutez nejiz | |
· He doesn't remember finding it |
il nememoz findiz ol | |
· I do not intend to sell. |
me newixotridiz |
7.4 Possessive - To Have
For having or possessing, use 'v' with appropriate tense. Note that 'viz' (to have) is only used for possession/ownership. Gilo is more precise than English and it is necessary to use the correct word in Gilo instead of the often vague use of 'has' in English.
|
· Do you have a bike? Tom had a car |
k yu vez bik, Tom voz kãr | |
· He has a virus (he is virused) |
il bez virusa | |
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Some 'possessions' may be more appropriately described by adjectival pronouns e.g.
|
· my arm, his idea |
ãm mea, foøk ila | |
or, in some cases are really just 'parts' of the whole and described by 'at'. | |
· a bird's wing, a car wheel |
wen avisa, wil kãra
or wen at avis, wil at kãr |
Note: There are a number of words associated with 'v' e.g.
|
ov |
possession by, ownership by, association with | |
|
this is the car of Tom (this is Tom's car) |
xe bez kãr ov Tom | |
Note also: happiness of Tom (Tom's happiness) |
hap Toma | |
va |
of, with, possessing, holding, carrying, 's |
| |
|
ownership of the car |
own va kãr | |
|
man with a gun |
peil va gun | |
vo |
possession |
| |
|
Who has possession? |
k vez vo |
7.5 Common Verb Affixes
These affixes are commonly used with verbs but as all affixes, they can be used with any other appropriate nouns, adjectives and adverbs. The normal form is for them to be added as a prefix to the main verb (although sometimes as a suffix) and thus form a new compound verb. The same principle applies to Verb Aspect, which is dealt with in Section 7.6 following. Where the Common verbs such as 'to be', 'to have' and 'to do' are represented by single letters 'b', 'v' and 'd' with the appropriate tense suffixes.
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ab |
Vp, be able to |
| |
|
to read, to be able to read, be readable |
ridiz, abridiz, abadridiz | |
ad |
Vp, passive form, action done to subject by another, by |
| |
|
Tom saw the cat |
Tom soz filis | |
|
The cat was seen by Tom |
filis adsoz Tom | |
|
A book by (i.e. written by) Dickens |
buk ad Dikenz | |
az |
Vp, Hypothetical conditional marker |
| |
|
I would have gone |
me azjoz | |
bak |
Vp, back |
| |
|
Go backwards, reverse |
bakjiz | |
bu |
Vp, be about to |
| |
|
he was about to finish |
il bufinoz | |
da |
Vp, active form for Intransitive verbs, action done to object by subject |
| |
|
She woke the child |
el dawakoz peju | |
er |
Vp, erroneous action |
| |
|
to use, misuse |
yi, eryiz | |
ez |
Vs, present time |
| |
|
I read, I run |
me ridez, me rãnez | |
gi |
Vp, beginning |
| |
|
he started to go |
il gijoz | |
ig |
Vp, worthiness, worth ...ing |
| |
|
love, loving, loveable |
lov, lova, loviga | |
i |
Vs, continuous form/infinitive |
| |
|
to speak, to run |
pi, rãniz | |
|
I was running |
me rãnioz | |
le |
Vp, permission, allowing |
| |
|
Let him sing. |
leez il soniz | |
|
Let's go to my house |
lejez mi u xo ovme | |
ne |
Vp, negation, no, not (Note this is different to 'none') |
| |
|
I am not the man |
me nebez ce peil | |
|
I did not speak to you |
me nepoz u yu | |
nu |
Vp, newness, just started to |
| |
|
to run, he has just started to run |
rãniz, il nurãnez | |
ob |
Vp, duty, obligation (obliged to/duty bound to/ought to) |
| |
|
I have to write tomorrow |
me obrituz uzdi | |
op |
Vp, contrariety, opposite |
| |
|
I inverted the cup |
me optøroz kep | |
oz |
Vps, priority, former time (past tense) |
| |
|
I ran, I saw |
me rãnoz, me soz | |
pos |
Vp, possibility |
| |
|
cutable |
poskuta | |
pø |
Vp, compelled to do/be forced to |
| |
|
I must go tomorrow |
me pøjuz uzdi | |
nid |
Vp, requirement, need, lack |
| |
|
I need to see him |
me nidsez il | |
ri |
Vp, repetition |
| |
|
I shall go again tomorrow |
me rijuz uzdi | |
ta |
Vp, Transientness, briefness |
| |
|
look, to glance |
riz, tariz | |
ub |
Vp, to become |
| |
|
he sat (was seated) in the office |
il sitoz e fis | |
|
he sat down in the office |
il ubsitoz e fis | |
un |
Vp, reverse of |
| |
|
lock, unlock |
lokiz, unlokiz | |
uz |
Vs, future tense |
| |
|
I will run, I will see |
me rãnuz, me suz | |
wix |
Vp, desire, wish, want |
| |
|
I wish to go tomorrow |
me wixjuz uzdi | |
xa |
Vp, dispersal/separation |
| |
|
to fall, to fall to pieces |
føliz, xaføliz | |
zu |
Vp, yet to be done |
| |
|
yet to be seen |
zusiz |
7.6 Phrasal Verbs
Phrasal verbs are particularly common in English. In their simplest form they can be verbs and adverbs of movement expressing a literal meaning (e.g. go up, sit down). In other forms they can be idiosyncratic phrases that bear little relation to the literal meaning of the words used (e.g. let down = disappoint/betray). In addition, a phrasal verb may be used to express a complex meaning that otherwise would require a much longer phrase or sentence (e.g. see out/show out = take a departing visitor to the front door).
Gilo normally uses a two part compound word to replace English phrasal verbs where required. As in English, the simplest forms are literal (e.g. go up = upjiz). For the more complex phrases, the Gilo version uses more appropriate root words but with the same meaning as the English phrase (e.g. see out/show out = ogid – literally 'guide away').
A number of English phrasal verbs have been translated and added to the Gilo vocabulary, others will follow as the vocabulary is developed.
Examples from 10.2.2 - Travel & Movement
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go forwards |
fasjiz |
to go |
jiz | |
go backwards, reverse |
bakjiz |
to go to, towards |
ujiz | |
go to the front/back |
jiz ufø/ urir |
to go from, away |
ojiz | |
travel in front/back |
føjiz/ rirjiz |
to go back, return |
unjiz | |
go up/ascend |
upjiz |
to come |
hejiz | |
go down/descend |
pujiz |
to come to |
hejiz u | |
arrive |
finjiz |
to come from |
hejiz o | |
go away, depart |
ojiz |
to come back |
he unjiz | |
go in |
in jiz |
away |
odir | |
inwards/outwards |
indir/osdir |
towards |
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