Tibetan Grammar, Volume 36; Volume 279

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Trub̈ner & Company, 1888 - 104 pages

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Page 40 - Instrumental case, as the case of the subject of a neutral verb, — which, in European languages, is the Nominative — , ought to be regarded, from a Tibetan point of view, as Accusative expressing the object of an impersonal verb, just as ,poenitet me' is translated by ,1 repent'. But it will perhaps be easier to say: The subject of a transitive verb, in Tibetan, assumes regularly the form of the instrumental, of a neutral verb that of the nominative which is the same as the accusative.
Page 40 - ... to pass, or, in other words, they are all impersonal verbs, like taedet, miseret etc. in Latin, or it suits etc. in English. Therefore they are destitute of what is called in our own languages the active and passive voice, as well as of the discrimination of persons, and show nothing beyond a rather poor capability of expressing the most indispensable distinctions of tense and mood. From the same reason the acting subject of a transitive verb must regularly appear in the Instrumental case, as...
Page 35 - Common to both the written and the spoken language, and used, at least in the latter, as respectful. kho ma Used in referring to ladies. sku-shabs (Literally, "respected; body-feet.") His Excellency. rin-po-che (Literally, "jewel.") His Majesty, His Holiness. "The predilection of Eastern Asiatics for a system of ceremonials in the language is encountered also in Tibetan. There is one separate class...
Page 66 - Another particle of this kind, of a merely formal value, is <3>", which is added to any word or group of words in order to single it out and distinctly separate it from everything that follows.
Page 35 - ... ni-ran, which is in modern speech the usual respectful pronoun of address, like ,Sie' in German. Note. The predilection of Eastern Asiatics for a system of ceremonials in the language is met with also in Tibetan. There is one separate class of words, which must be used in reference to the honoured person, when spoken to as well as when spoken of. To this class belong, besides the pronouns...
Page 4 - ... as e, i, o, u are in German, Italian and most other European languages, viz. -^ like ay in say, or e in ten; — like i in machine, tin; =^ like o in so, on; -^ like u in rule, putt.
Page 40 - Tibetan verb must be regarded as denoting, not an action, or suffering, or condition of any subject, but merely a coming to pass, or, in other words, they are all impersonal verbs, like taedet, miseret etc.

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