"To be" in Thurin
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thalein vs inten
This public article was written by [Deactivated User], and last updated on 23 Dec 2014, 06:49.
[comments] thu Thurin has two verbs for "to be" -- thalein and inten -- and they are used in different circumstances. This article describes the difference between the two verbs.
thalein is always used when the object argument is a noun. It can also be used when the object argument is an adjective, but only if the adjective is semantically transient. When used non-idiomatically, thalein is obligatorily transitive. The object of thalein follows it. Here are examples of uses of thalein:
aír thale onta (r) vaje. [ɛɹ θɑlə ɔntæ (ɹ̩) vɑd͡ʒə] I am the (an) old man.
aír thale yeril (r) vaje. [ɛɹ θɑlə jɛɹɪl ɹ̩ vɑd͡ʒə] I am the (a) young man.
aír thale yeril. [ɛɹ θɑlə jɛɹɪl] I am young.
But not:
*aír thale onta. [ɛɹ θɑlə ɔntæ] I am old. This would be understood, but isn't grammatical. A native would know that you aren't a native speaker.
*aír thale. [ɛɹ θɑlə] Taken literally, this is nonsensical. Idiomatically, it could mean "I exist," but the implication would be "not for long, though."
inten, on the other hand, can be either transitive or intransitive. When intransitive, its definition is closer to "to exist." When transitive, it takes only adjective object arguments, and they must be semantically intransient or inalienable qualities. Here are examples:
onta aír inte. [ɔntæ ɛɹ ɪntə] I am old.
aír inte. [ɛɹ ɪntə] I exist.
But not:
*yeril aír inte. [jɛɹɪl ɛɹ ɪntə] I am young. This would be understood, but isn't grammatical. A native would know that you aren't a native speaker.
*aír inte onta (r) vaje. [ɛɹ ɪntə ɔntæ ɹ̩ vɑd͡ʒə] This has multiple issues. The object of inte here is following it, but should be before the subject aír. In addition, inte is taking a noun object, which is ungrammatical. inte can take onta, but not onta (r) vaje.
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