jeff_l
(Jeff_L)
#1
8.6 Verbal nouns 507
feminine 'a jab' in contrast to temporally unbounded masculine 'jabbing').
Alternatively, the feminine VblN may have a more concrete sense (e.g. 'a
refusal', 'an entrance'); the nuances are specific to particular word-families.
For example, (PerfP) -vljvm- 'hit lightly on the nape' has a regular masculine
VblN a-laejam denoting the pure, unbounded action type, and a feminine
nominal t-a-lajjem-t denoting an individual blow on the nape. Likewise,
-urvm- (PerfP -orsem-) 'try, attempt' has a masculine VblN irrum 'trying', and
a feminine noun t-irrum-t (T-ka) or t-irmi-t-t (A-grm K-d) '(an) attempt'.
Some word-families contain several nominals, masculine and/or feminine.
For some verbs, especially those of basic shape -v(C)Ci> or -U(C)CÜ-,
there is no masculine VblN. For these verbs, one of the feminine nominals
functions as VblN (e.g. as complement to a higher verb), whether or not it also
has a more concrete sense.
A VblN may have a "possessor" denoting the object (536).
(536) a. t-e-naere an t-aellaem-t
Fe-Sg-kill.VblN Poss Fe-camel-FeSg
'(act of) killing the she-camel'
b. t:ikasw-t η "se-jaema
Fe-go.to.VblN-FeSg Poss Sg-bush
'(act of) going to the bush'
In the less common case where the subject is expressed within the NP
headed by the VblN (of an intransitive or transitive verb), the subject appears
as a possessor. For transitive verbs, if the object is also expressed alongside
this subject, it appears as a dative PP (537).
(537) a. t-e-naere-nnet [e t-asllaem-t]
Fe-Sg-kill.VblN-3SgPoss [Dat Fe-camel-FeSg]
'his/her killing the she-camel'
b. t-ikaew-t-annet [y "ae-jaema]
Fe-go.to.VblN-FeSg-3SgPoss [Dat Sg-bush]
'his/her going to the bush'
VblN's can take PP complements like those of the related verb (538).
(538) t-assaq-q-\dsr-3s
Fe-connect.VblN-FeSg-\with-3Sg
'being connected with (=adjacent to) it.'
A negative version of a VblN can be created with iba 'loss, lack' plus
Possessive an plus the (positive) VblN. Compare English non-, un-, dis-, etc.
