In the Georgian verb system, Class II includes all verbs which in present indicative as well as in aorist indicative have their subject in nominative: ის იჭრება - he is cutting himself (present) and ის დაიჭრა - he cut himself (simple past).
The conjugations in Class-II depend on the verb ending on -ება, -ევა or the static verbs ending on -ია. Check it out on this page.
Page Content
- Indirect Objects
- Marking Objects and Subjects with Class-II Verbs
- Examples for the Present Group
- Examples for Aorist and Optative
- Examples for the Perfect
Indirect Objects
Type-II verbs can relate to an indirect object via the prefix ე-, e.g. წერილი ეწერება ბავშვებს - a letter is written for the children, ცეცხლი მოეკიდება ხეს - the wood catches fire (literally the fire starts catching onto the wood). Tschenkeli (2007) calls this the "Relatives Passiv mit Personalzeichen ე-" marked as RP1. Hewitt (2005, Lesson 10) calls this a "marker ე of the indirect object of intransitive verbs". Abuladze & Ludden (2006, § 36) it is the "Relationsvokal ე der intransitiven Verben".
Some Georgian grammars call the verbs in Class II 'passive verbs' or 'intransitive verbs' but there are many verbs in Class II which are neither passive nor intransitive, see Tschenkeli (1958: 254-256). Abuladze & Ludden (2006): § 44, p. 204.
Marking Objects and Subjects with Class-II Verbs
In Verbs of Class II the marking of subject and objects is quite straightforward and the same in all moods & tenses. However, in the often passive sentence constructions in class-II verbs, one can get easily confused as to what really is the subject and the object (see discussion of grammatical and semantic/logical subject in passive sentences elsewhere).
An indirect objects is often expressed in class-II verbs by the use of the ე- marker with the verb in combination with dative marking the indirect object. Or a paraphrase with a preposition with -ისთვის is used.
Below is a quick reference for how to set up the subject and objects. Note that due to the often passive nature of sentences with Class-II verbs, the syntactic subject is now the enduring part of the verb's action (patient), whereas the originator of the action (agent) is a syntactical object.
Moods & Tenses | Prepositional Object (Agent) |
Verb | Subject (Patient) |
Indirect Object (Recipient) |
---|---|---|---|---|
Present Group* | genitive + მიერ | - | Nominative | Dative or preposition + -ისთვის |
Aorist, Optative | genitive + მიერ | - | Nominative | Dative or preposition + -ისთვის |
Perfect, PluPerfect | genitive + მიერ | - | Nominative | Dative or preposition + -ისთვის |
*Present Indicative, Future Indicative, Imperfect Indicative, Conditional Mood and the Subjunctive Mood
Read more here: Abuladze & Ludden (2006): § 95, p. 232. Note that authors use grammatical subject not semantic subject.
Examples for the Present Group using the verbs იწერება, ეწერება and ეთანხმება:
Present Indicative
Prepositional Object (Agent) |
Verb | Subject (Patient) |
Indirect Object (Recipient) |
---|---|---|---|
genitive + მიერ | - | Nominative | preposition + -ისთვის |
ბიჭის მიერ | იწერება | წერილი | დედისთვის |
by the boy | is written | the letter | for mother |
Present Indicative
Prepositional Object (Agent) |
Verb | Subject (Patient) |
Indirect Object (Recipient) |
---|---|---|---|
genitive + მიერ | - | Nominative | Dative |
ბიჭის მიერ | ეწერება | წერილი | დედას |
by the boy | is written (for) | the letter | mother |
Present Indicative
Prepositional Object (Agent) |
Verb | Subject (Patient) |
Indirect Object (Recipient) |
---|---|---|---|
genitive + მიერ | - | Nominative | Dative |
-- | ეთანხმება | კაცი | პირობას |
-- | is agreeing (to) | the man | the condition |
Very rarely, Class-II verbs with ე- have a direct object:
Present Indicative
Prepositional Object (Agent) |
Verb | Subject (Patient) |
Indirect Object (Recipient) |
Direct Object |
---|---|---|---|---|
genitive + მიერ | - | Nominative | Dative | Dative |
-- | შეევედრება | ბიჭი | მამას | დახმარებას |
-- | is begging (to) | the boy | father | for help |
Two other examples with a direct object are შეეხვეწება and შეემუდარება, see Tschenkeli (2007: 410) and about Class-II ე- Verbs in general, see Tschenkeli (2007: 402-417).
Examples for Aorist and Optative:
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