21.1: Most
active verbs assume the passive voice when the prefix << ተ >> (ta-) is added to them. This prefix also sometimes produces a
reflexive or a reciprocal meaning. The ta-prefix be added to any of the
four types of verbs, making Bt, Dt, Lt and Qt.
ACTIVE
|
PASSIVE
|
||
B
|
ሐነጸ
to build
|
Bt
|
ተሐንጸ
to be built
|
ገብረ
to do
|
ተገብረ
to be done
to be made
|
||
ረከበ
to find
|
ተረክበ
to be found
to exist
|
||
ነገረ
to speak
|
ተነግረ
to be said
to be proclaimed
|
||
ወሀበ
to give
|
ተውህበ
to be given
|
||
Note that
oftentimes, in Bt, the medial vowel disappears, so: ሰገደ (sagada – he
worshipped) becomes ተሰግደ (tasagda – he was worshipped.) Also, not every Bt, Dt, Lt and Qt form verb
has a corresponding “active” form.
ACTIVE
|
PASSIVE
|
||
D
|
ገሠጸ
to instruct
|
Dt
|
ተገሠጸ
to be admonished
|
ፈነወ
to send
|
ተፈነወ
to be sent
|
||
ፈወሰ
To cure
|
ተፈወሰ
to be healed
|
||
L
|
ሣቀየ
to torment
|
Lt
|
ተሣቀየ
to suffer
|
ባረከ
to bless
|
ተባረከ
to receive benediction
|
||
ቤዘወ
to redeem
|
ተቤዘወ
to be redeemed
|
||
Q
|
ተርጐመ
to translate
|
Qt
|
ተተርጐመ
to be translated
to be interpreted
|
21.2: Dt
verbs, especially those derived from stative verbs, can also have the meaning
of “to show / regard oneself as something”, so:
ጸደቀ
To be righteous
|
Dt
|
ተጸደቀ
(taṣaddaqa)
to feign righteousness
|
ዐብየ
to be powerful
|
ተዐበየ
(taʿabbaya)
to be arrogant
|
|
ሀይመነ
to be a believer
|
ተሀይመነ
(tahaymana*)
to portray oneself
as a believer
|
|
*not Dt, but same idea
|
||
21.3: Lt
verbs that are derived from B verbs often denote reciprocal, repeated or
iterated actions, so:
D
|
ነጸረ
to see
|
Lt
|
ተናጸረ
(tanāṣara)
to look at each other
|
ነገረ
to say
|
ተናገረ
(tanāgara)
to converse
|
||
ወለደ
to bear
|
ተዋለደ
(tawālada)
to procreate
|
||
ጸብአ
to make war
|
ተጻብአ
(taṣābʿa)
to fight one another
|
21.4: Some
nouns appear verbalized in Dt form, so:
Noun
|
ነቢይ
a prophet
|
Dt
|
ተነበየ
(tanabbaya)
to prophesy
|
ሰብእ
a man
|
ተሰብእ
(tasabbəʾ)
to become a man
|
||
ምስጢር
a secret
|
ተመስጠረ
(tamasṭara*)
to be kept secret
|
||
*not Dt, but same idea.
|
|||
21.5: Bt,
Dt, Lt, Qt verbs take direct and indirect objects. In verbs that take both,
figuring out the subject can be a little tricky:
ተመሀረት፡ሕጋግ
|
vs.
|
ተመሀረት፡ሕጋገ
|
tamahharat ḥəgāg
|
tamahharat ḥəgāga
|
|
The laws were taught.
|
She was taught the laws.
|