Verbal modes

Wistrish verbs can have one of two modes: agentive mode and objective mode. Mode determines which noun the verb agrees with and bears an active / stative meaning.

Modes are not fixed, meaning that any verb can have any of them depending on the context.

In intransitive verbs, mode determines the case of the intransitive subject.

Note that the mode does not affect the case of a transitive verb's agent, even if there is no direct subject / object present in the sentence.

Agentive mode

Agentive mode or active mode is the main mode of a verb. Agentive verbs agree with the nominative case substative.

Subject of an intransitive verb in agentive mode takes nominative case.

Usages of the agentive mode stated below apply to both intransitive and transitive verbs. Transitivity only affect the change in subject's case or lack thereof.

1. Verbs of intent

Agentive verbs with an animate subject usually imply that the action was intended. In case of unknown intent, active mode is still generally preferred.

Examples

饜尳饜尮饜尶饜尵饜尠饜尳饜尶
"a new"
饜尳饜尮饜尶饜尵饜尮饜崈 - new
ja-stem
str. masc. nom. sg.
饜尫饜尠饜尯饜尶饜尰
"coat"
饜尫饜尠饜尯饜尶饜尰饜崈 - coat
m. a-stem inan.
acc. sg.
饜尣饜尠饜尡饜尠饜尶饜崌饜崉饜尠
"I bought"
饜尡饜尶饜尣饜尵饜尠饜尳 - buy
H-II-饜尣饜尠
GenP BASE
past ag. ind. 1pSG
路
I bought a new coat.
饜尲饜尠饜尣饜尶饜崈
"boy"
饜尲饜尠饜尣饜尶饜崈 - boy
m. u-stem anim.
nom. sg.
饜崈饜尯饜尠虅饜尶饜尰饜尠饜尳饜尠
"from school"
饜崈饜尯饜尠虅饜尶饜尰饜尠 - school
f. 艒-stem
abl. sg.
饜尣饜尠饜尭饜尰饜尠虄饜尶饜尫
"he fled"
饜尭饜尰饜尮饜尶饜尫饜尠饜尳 - to flee
S-IIa-饜尣饜尠
GenP BASE
past ag. ind. 3pSG
路
The boy run away from the school.
饜尭饜尶
"you one"
饜尭饜尶 - thou
nom.
饜尲饜尮饜崈
"to me"
饜尮饜尯 - I
dat.
饜崍饜尶虅
"because of what"
饜崍饜尠饜崈 - who, what
irreg.
nt. caus. sg. (inan.)
饜尣饜尠饜尰饜尠虄饜尶饜崌饜崉
"you one lied"
饜尰饜尮饜尶饜尣饜尠饜尳 - to lie
S-IIa-饜尣饜尠
GenP BASE
past ag. ind. 2pSG
;
Why did you lie to me?

2. Spontaneous events

Agentive verbs with inanimate subjects are often used to mark spontaneous and generally independent events without any external force specified or implied in the context.

Examples

饜尡饜崏饜尯饜崈
"book"
饜尡饜崏饜尯饜尠 - book
f. sc-stem
nom. sg.
饜尡饜崅饜尮饜尦饜尠饜尳饜尠饜崉
"from on shelf"
饜尡饜崅饜尮饜尦 - shelf
nt. a-stem inan.
abl. (del.) sg.
饜尫饜尠虅饜尶饜尡饜尶饜尦饜尠饜尭饜尠饜崉
"onto head"
饜尫饜尠虅饜尶饜尡饜尶饜尦 - head
nt. d-stem inan.
all. (subl.) sg.
饜尲饜尮饜崈
"to me"
饜尮饜尯 - I
dat.
饜尣饜尠饜尦饜崅饜尠虄饜尶饜崈
"it fell"
饜尦饜崅饜尮饜尶饜崈饜尠饜尳 - to fall
S-IIa-饜尣饜尠
GenP BASE
past ag. ind. 1pSG
路
A book fell from the shelf onto my head.
饜崈饜尶饜尳饜崈
"soon"
饜崈饜尶饜尳饜崈 - soon
饜尠饜尳饜崅饜尮饜尣饜尳饜尮饜尭
"it will start raining"
饜崅饜尮饜尣饜尳饜尠饜尳 - to rain
S-III-饜尣饜尠
IncP BASE
pr. ag. ind. 3pSG
,
饜尣饜尠饜崅饜尦饜尮饜尭
"into home"
饜尣饜尠饜崅饜尦饜崈 - home
m. i-stem inan.
all. sg.
饜尣饜尠饜尣饜尣饜尠饜尯饜尠饜尶
"you few shall go"
饜尣饜尠饜尣饜尣饜尠饜尳 - to go
supl. S-VIIc1-饜尣饜尠
Imp BASE
I ag. imp. 2pPA
!
Go home, it will start raining soon!
饜尰饜尠虄饜尶饜崈饜尠
"the empty"
饜尰饜尠虄饜尶饜崈 - empty
a-stem DS
weak m. nom. sg.
饜崊饜尠饜尣饜尳饜崈
"car"
饜崊饜尠饜尣饜尳饜崈 - car
m. a-stem inan.
nom. sg.
饜崌饜尰饜尠虅饜尮饜尳饜尠饜尳饜尠饜崉
"from on hill"
饜崌饜尰饜尠虅饜尮饜尳饜崈 - hill
m. a-stem inan.
abl. (del.) sg.
饜尠饜尳饜崊饜尠饜尮饜崊饜尠饜尰饜崊
"it started rolling"
饜崊饜尠饜尰饜崊饜尠饜尳 - to roll (intr.)
S-VIIc1-饜尣饜尠
IncP BASE
past ag. ind. 1pSG
路
The empty car rolled down the hill.

3. Transferred agency

Things controlled by someone / something from inside. In case of transferred agency, agency of the sentence subject merges with the agency of a specified / implied source of agency.

Most frequently encountered with words of transport.

Examples

饜尣饜崅饜尨饜尮饜崈饜尠
"the gray"
饜尣饜崅饜尨饜尮饜崈 - gray
a-stem DS
weak m. nom. sg.
饜崊饜尠饜尣饜尳饜崈
"car"
饜崊饜尠饜尣饜尳饜崈 - car
m. a-stem inan.
nom. sg.
饜崌饜尰饜尨饜尮饜尦饜尶饜尲饜尠饜尭
"into left"
饜崌饜尰饜尨饜尮饜尦饜尶饜尲饜尠 - left
f. 艒-stem
all. sg.
饜崈饜尣饜尠饜崊饜尠饜尳饜尦
"it suddenly turned"
饜崊饜尮饜尳饜尦饜尠饜尳 - to turn (intr.)
S-III-饜尣饜尠
GenP BASE
past ag. ind. 3pSG
+ sudden marker
路
The gray car suddenly turned left.
饜崁饜尮饜尶饜崈饜崈
"train"
饜崁饜尮饜尶饜崈饜崈 - train
m. i-stem DS inan.
nom. sg.
饜崍饜尨饜尮饜尰饜尶
"hour"
饜崍饜尨饜尮饜尰饜尠 - hour
f. 艒-stem
acc. sg.
饜崈饜尮饜尡饜尶饜尳饜尦饜崏饜尳
"seventh"
饜崈饜尮饜尡饜尶饜尳饜尦饜尠 - seventh
an-stem, no strong
acc. sg.
饜尶饜尳饜尦
"until"
饜尶饜尳饜尦 - until
饜尳饜尮
"not"
饜尳饜尮 - not
饜尣饜尠饜尩饜尠饜尲
"it came"
饜尩饜尮饜尲饜尠饜尳 - to come
S-V-饜尣饜尠
GenP BASE
past ag. ind. 3pSG
路
The train didn't come until 7 o'clock.
饜尣饜崅饜尠饜尳饜尶饜崈
"crane"
饜尣饜崅饜尠饜尳饜尶饜崈 - crain
m. u-stem inan.
nom. sg.
饜崉饜尮饜尲饜崅
"building materials"
饜崉饜尮饜尲饜崅 - building material
nt. a-stem inan.
acc. sg.
饜尣饜尠饜崅饜尠虅饜尮饜崈饜尮饜尦饜尠
"it caused to rise"
饜崅饜尨饜尮饜崈饜尠饜尳 - to rise
S-I-饜尣饜尠
GenP CAIN
past ag. ind. 3pSG
路
The crane lifted the building materials.

4. Unspecified external force

When something is being influenced by an external force, which is has not yet been specified within the context and not being a topic of discussion. If the external force gets specified later, the subject loses its agency in further sentences / clauses.

Examples

饜尭饜尶饜崈
"to you one"
饜尭饜尶 - thou
dat.
饜尠饜尮饜崁饜尮饜崈饜崉饜尶饜崈
"letter"
饜尠饜尮饜崁饜尮饜崈饜崉饜尶饜崈 - letter
f. u-stem
nom. sg.
饜尲饜尮饜崉
"because of me"
饜尮饜尯 - I
caus.
饜尠饜崉饜尣饜尠饜崋饜尠饜崅
"it arrived"
饜尠饜崉饜崋饜尠饜尮饜崅饜尠饜尳 - to arrive
S-IV-饜尣饜尠
GenP BASE
past ag. ind. 3pSG
-
饜尶
"did it?"
饜尶 - interrogative particle
;
Did my letter arrive to you?
Here the unspecified external force is postal service / whatever or whoever delivers the letter. It has not been specified in the context and is not relevant to the discussion.
饜尠虅饜尶饜尣饜尠饜尦饜尠饜尶饜崅饜尵饜尠饜尳饜尠
"from window"
饜尠虅饜尶饜尣饜尠饜尦饜尠饜尶饜崅饜尮 - window
nt. a-stem inan.
abl. sg.
饜崈饜崉饜尠饜尭饜尲饜尨饜尮饜尳饜崈
"floor's"
饜崈饜崉饜尠饜尭饜尲饜尨饜尮 - floor
f. 墨n-stem
gen. sg.
饜尭饜崅饜尮饜尦饜尵饜崏饜尳饜崈
"third's"
饜尭饜崅饜尮饜尦饜尵饜尠 - third
an-stem, no strong
f. gen. sg.
饜崌饜尠饜崅饜崉饜尨饜尮饜崈
"papers"
饜崌饜尠饜崅饜崉饜崈 - paper
f. i-stem
nom. pl.
饜尠饜尳饜尭饜尰饜尶饜尣饜尶饜尳
"they started flying"
饜尭饜尰饜尮饜尶饜尣饜尠饜尳 - to fly
S-IIa-饜尣饜尠
IncP BASE
past ag. ind. 3pPL
路
Pieces of papers started flying from the third floor's window.
Here the cause of action is unknown and therefore unspecified.
饜尫饜尶饜崋饜尠饜尭
"into yard"
饜尫饜尶饜崋 - yard
nt. a-stem inan.
all. sg.
饜尶饜尳饜崈饜尠饜崅饜尠饜尭
"into ours"
饜尶饜尳饜崈饜尠饜崅 - our
a-stem, no strong
nt. all. sg.
饜尦饜崅饜崏饜尳饜崈
"drone"
饜尦饜崅饜崏饜尳饜崈 - drone
m. a-stem inan.
nom. sg.
饜尣饜尠饜尭饜尰饜尠虄饜尶饜尣
"it flew"
饜尭饜尰饜尮饜尶饜尣饜尠饜尳 - to fly
S-IIa-饜尣饜尠
Gen BASE
past ag. ind. 3pSG
路
A drone flew into our yard.
Here the unspecified external force is whoever was controlling the drone. Based on the fact that the objective mode is used, that person is not relevant to the discussion.

5. Property display

With adjectival verbs: when the subject not only possesses a property, but also does actions related to the property.

Adjectival "饜崊饜尮饜崈饜尠饜尳" clauses do not follow the property display / property possession dychotomy, it is exclusive to adjectival verbs. Agentive / objective modes of adjectival 饜崊饜尮饜崈饜尠饜尳 clauses display agency like normal non-adjectival verbs.

Examples

Objective mode

Objective mode or stative mode is another verb mode, opposite to the agentive. Objective verbs agree with the accusative case substative.

Subject of an intransitive verb in objective mode takes accusative case.

Usages of the objective mode stated below too apply to both intransitive and transitive verbs. Transitivity only affect the subject's case change or lack thereof.

1. Involuntary actions

Objective verbs with an animate subject mark lack of intent behind the action.

Examples

2. Caused events

Objective verbs with inanimate subjects are used to mark events, directly or indirectly caused by a specified external force.

Examples

3. Property posession

With adjectival verbs: used to show that the subject simply posesses a property.

Adjectival "饜崊饜尮饜崈饜尠饜尳" clauses do not follow the property display / property possession dychotomy, it is exclusive to adjectival verbs. Agentive / objective modes of adjectival 饜崊饜尮饜崈饜尠饜尳 clauses display agency like normal non-adjectival verbs.

Examples