Definition
Formation
of the version forms
Version
of the active voice verbs
Version
of the passive and the middle voice verbs
Definition
Version is a category of the Georgian verb which shows
whether the result of an action, fulfilled by the subject,
belongs
to the subject itself (subject
version) or to the indirect object (object
version) or is expressed as neutral (neutral
version).
There is a a vowel prefix found just before the
root of a Georgian verb. In our course it has been called a vowel
prefix
or relation marker. Version is expressed by this marker.
Formation of the version forms
Version is attested both in active, passive and middle voice verbs.
Active voice verbs can express the category of version only in the forms of the first and the second series. In the third series, the category of version can be expressed only syntactically.
Middle and passive voice verbs have only neutral and
object
versions.
Version of the active voice verbs
The neutral version is expressed either by the prefix a- a- or by the lack of any vowel prefix in the verb form. If the neutral version verb has both forms -- one with the prefix a- a- and another -- without any prefix -- the form without a prefix expresses the neutral version, while the form with the prefix a- a- can express the so-called superessive situation.
The subject version is expressed by means of the vowel prefix i- i-.
The object version is formed by means of the vowel prefix u- u- (by means of the vowel prefix i- i- when it is preceded by the first and the second object person markers).
Forms of the three versions when the neutral version is expressed without a vowel prefix (this is possible when the active voice verb has forms both with and without a vowel prefix).:
| v-ø-wer | v-ø-c'er | I am writing | Neutral version |
| v-a-wer | v-a-c'er | I am writing on smth. | Neutral version (with the nuance of superessive situation: the prefix a- shows that the action is being fulfilled on the surface of an object) |
| v-i-wer | v-i-c'er | I am writing something for myself | Subject version |
| v-u-wer | v-u-c'er | I am writing something for him/her | Object version |
Forms of the three versions when the neutral version
is
expressed by means of the vowel prefix a-
a-
(when the active voice verb has no form without a vowel prefix).
| v-a-keT-eb | v-a-k'et-eb | I am doing smth. | Neutral version (without a nuance of superessive situation) |
| v-i-keT-eb | v-i-k'et-eb | I am doing something for myself | Subject version |
| v-u-keT-eb | v-u-k'et-eb | I am doing something for him/her | Object version |
Example of conjugation:
| v-i-keT-eb (me sayures) | v-i-keT-eb-T (Cven sayures) |
| i-keT-eb (Sen sayures) | i-keT-eb-T (Tqven sayures) |
| i-keT-eb-s (is sayures) | i-keT-eb-en (isini sayures) |
Transliteration
| v-i-k'et-eb (me saq'ures) | v-i-k'et-eb-t (chven saq'ures) |
| i-k'et-eb (shen saq'ures) | i-k'et-eb-t (tkven saq'ures) |
| i-k'et-eb-s (is saq'ures) | i-k'et-eb-en (isini saq'ures) |
The object version
(The subject person changes, but the object person
remains
unchanged)
| v-u-keT-eb me mas sayures | v-u-keT-eb-T Cven mas sayures |
| u-keT-eb Sen mas sayures | u-keT-eb-T Tqven mas sayures |
| u-keT-eb-s is mas sayures | u-keT-eb-en isini mas sayures |
Transliteration
| v-u-k'et-eb (me mas saq'ures) | v-u-k'et-eb-t (chven mas saq'ures) |
| u-k'et-eb (shen mas saq'ures) | u-k'et-eb-t (tkven mas saq'ures) |
| u-k'et-eb-s (is mas saq'ures) | u-k'et-eb-en (isini mas saq'ures) |
The object version
(The object person changes, but the subject person
remains
unchanged)
| m-i-keT-eb-s (is me mas) | m-i-keT-eb-en (isini me mas) |
| g-i-keT-eb-s (is Sen mas) | g-i-keT-eb-en (isini Tqven mas) |
| u-keT-eb-s (is mas mas) | u-keT-eb-en (isini mas mas) |
Transliteration
| m-i-k'et-eb-s (is me mas) | m-i-k'et-eb-en (isini me mas) |
| g-i-k'et-eb-s (is shen mas) | g-i-k'et-eb-en (isini tkven mas) |
| u-k'et-eb-s (is mas mas) | u-k'et-eb-en (isini mas mas) |
Version
of the passive and the middle voice verbs
The passive formed by means of the vowel prefix i-
i-, has the same meaning as the neutral version, while the passive,
formed
by means of the vowel prefix e- e- can
express
the object version.
i-wer-eb-a i-c'er-eb-a
it is being written -Neutral version
e-wer-eb-a e-c'er-eb-a
it is being written for smb. - Object version
In all other cases the object version is formed by means of the vowel prefix u- u-, and the neutral version -- without a prefix. The forms of the passive and the middle voice verbs, formed by means of the vowel prefix a- a-, usually express the superessive situation.
The dynamic passive formed by the suffix
d- d-
The object version of the passive having the suffix
d- d-, is formed by the vowel prefix u-
u-
keT-d-eb-ak'et-d-eb-a
It
is being done- Neutral version
u-keT-d-eb-a u-k'et-d-eb-a
It
is being done for smb. - Object version
The passive voice (stative-passive)
s-wer-ia s-c'er-ia it
is written Neutral version
a-wer-ia a-c'er-ia
It is written on smth. Neutral version, Superessive /situation/
u-wer-ia u-c'er-ia
It is written for smb. - Object version
The middle voice (middle-active):
duRs dugs
It is boiling - Neutral version
u-duRs - u-dugs
It is boiling for him / something that belongs him is boiling - Object
version
The middle voice (middle-passive):
dgas dgas It is
standing
- Neutral version
a-dgas a-dgas It is
standing on smth. - Neutral version, Superessive /situation/
u-dgas u-dga-s It
is
standing for him / something, that belongs him/her, is standing -
Object
version
© Manana Kock Kobaidze & Karina Vamling