Classificatory Verbs

For many English verbs Dakelh does not have a single equivalent. Instead, it has a dozen or so, the choice of which depends on what kind of thing the verb deals with. For example, giving someone a shirt and giving someone a rifle require different verbs.

Here are all of the forms of “(s)he will give me”:

There are eleven basic classes of object, some of them further subdivided into the categories of the absolutive classification system, which is, roughly, based on shape.

Here are examples of various types of handling of a two-dimensional flexible object, such as a shirt.

There are four sets of classificatory verb roots:

1. Controlled Handling
2. Uncontrolled Handling
3. Location
4. Inherent Motion

Here are some examples:

Here is the complete set of classificatory roots:

For inherent motion, the liquid category has two subcategories, one for smooth flow, the other for turbulent flow.

The controlled handling verbs and the location verbs have the same set of categories, but the uncontrolled handling verbs do not distinguish the contents of an open container category from the single default object category, and the inherent motion verbs conflate the contents of an open container category, with the single default object category and the body category, and the fluffy and effectively uncountable object categories with the multiple default object category. These relationships are shown in the chart below. Categories that share roots with the same stem set are shaded the same colour.

Essay List