Sanskrit

[C.R. Selvakumar]

*[..]
*@Active:
*@
*@John gave a book to Mary
*@SU - verb - DO - IO
*@
*@Passive
*@
*@A book was given to Mary by John
*@Mary was given a book by John
*@
*@You see, both original objects can occupy subject position. This is a =
*@common phenomenon in a number of IE languages (English, Sanskrit) and =
*@non-IE languages (Japanese), but not all languages. All languages permit =
*@DO to SU.
*@
*@Languages which do not allow movement/raising of IO to SU are IE Hindi, =
*@German, Dutch and non-IE Tamil, Kannada.
*@
*@Examples:
*@
*@Sanskrit
*@
*@1) rAmo nalAya pustaka.m dadAti
*@2) rAme.na nalAya pustaka.m dIyate
*@3) nalo rAme.na pustaka.m dApyate
*@
*@Japanese
*@
*@1) john-ga mari-ni hon-o atae-ta
*@2) hon-ga john-ni (yotte) mari-ni atae-rare-ta
*@3) mari-ga john-ni (yotte) hon-o atae-rare-ta
*@
*@Tamil
*@
*@1) nAn avan-ukku oru pustukam ko.tu-tt-E.n
*@2) oru pustukam avan-ukku enn-Al ko.tukkap-pa.t-.t-atu
*@3) * avan oru pustakam enn-Al ko.tukkap-pa.t-.t-An
*
*      Why not the following?
*
*      mErikku 'John'aal nUl kodukkappattathu.
*
*      or


               I think even the following would be okay ( although
               would not be preferred):

               'Mary' ennaal nUl kodukkappattaaL.

               Consider other examples of the following type
               which are more realistic:

                'Mary' ennaal uNavu(/paricu) aLikkappattaaL
                (Active: naan 'Mary'kku uNavu(/paricu) aLiththEn)

                 DO as SU : uNavu ennaal 'Mary'kku aLikkappattathu.

                [uNavu = food
                 paricu = prize
                 aLi (verb) = give ( kindly/with love) ]


*
*      mEri 'John'aal puththakkam peRRaaL(/peRRuk koNDaaL)
*
*      If you want to use your example of tamil, the following appears
*      okay.
*
*      avanukku oru puththakam ennaal kodukkappattathu
*
*      (sorry my transliteration scheme is not the same).
*@
*@Hindi
*@
*@1) mai.mne usko ek kitAb dI
*@2) ek kitAb usko mujhse dI gayI
*@3) * vah mujhse ek kitAb dI gaya
*@
*@In Tamil some locative phrases can move to subject position in a passive =
*@clause.
*
*
*     May be my examples fall under this category ?
*@
*@Example
*@
*@1) ta.n.nIr to.t.ti(y)-il niramp-i(y)-atu
*@water - tank-LOC - fill-PAST
*@2) to.t.ti enn-Al ta.n.nIr-Ati ko.n.tu nirappa-pa.t-.t-atu
*@tank me-BY water-WITH fill-PAST-PASS
*@
*@More examples and ample discussion in
*@
*@K. Rangan: `Some Problems in Tamil passive structures', Indian =
*@Linguistics 40-4:218-229
*@
*@(and of course my own book `The Bhasa Problem etc.)
*@
*@Sandra van der Geer
*@Leiden
*@Netherlands
*@email info at ticonsole.nl
*@http:\\www.ticonsole.nl\books\science\bhasa.htm
*
*
*    C.R.(Selva) Selvakumar

C.R.(Selva) Selvakumar