21: Verbs: The Passive Voice etc.

21.1: Most active verbs assume the passive voice when the prefix << ተ >> (ta-) is added to them. This prefix also sometimes produces a reflexive or a reciprocal meaning. The ta-prefix be added to any of the four types of verbs, making Bt, Dt, Lt and Qt.

ACTIVE		PASSIVE
B	ሐነጸ to build	Bt	ተሐንጸ to be built
	ገብረ to do		ተገብረ to be done to be made
	ረከበ to find		ተረክበ to be found to exist
	ነገረ to speak		ተነግረ to be said to be proclaimed
	ወሀበ to give		ተውህበ to be given

Note that oftentimes, in Bt, the medial vowel disappears, so: ሰገደ (sagada – he worshipped) becomes ተሰግደ (tasagda – he was worshipped.) Also, not every Bt, Dt, Lt and Qt form verb has a corresponding “active” form.

ACTIVE		PASSIVE
D	ገሠጸ to instruct	Dt	ተገሠጸ to be admonished
	ፈነወ to send		ተፈነወ to be sent
	ፈወሰ To cure		ተፈወሰ to be healed
L	ሣቀየ to torment	Lt	ተሣቀየ to suffer
	ባረከ to bless		ተባረከ to receive benediction
	ቤዘወ to redeem		ተቤዘወ to be redeemed
Q	ተርጐመ to translate	Qt	ተተርጐመ to be translated to be interpreted

21.2: Dt verbs, especially those derived from stative verbs, can also have the meaning of “to show / regard oneself as something”, so:

ጸደቀ To be righteous	Dt	ተጸደቀ (taṣaddaqa) to feign righteousness
ዐብየ to be powerful		ተዐበየ (taʿabbaya) to be arrogant
ሀይመነ to be a believer		ተሀይመነ (tahaymana*) to portray oneself as a believer
*not Dt, but same idea

21.3: Lt verbs that are derived from B verbs often denote reciprocal, repeated or iterated actions, so:

D	ነጸረ to see	Lt	ተናጸረ (tanāṣara) to look at each other
	ነገረ to say		ተናገረ (tanāgara) to converse
	ወለደ to bear		ተዋለደ (tawālada) to procreate
	ጸብአ to make war		ተጻብአ (taṣābʿa) to fight one another

21.4: Some nouns appear verbalized in Dt form, so:

Noun	ነቢይ a prophet	Dt	ተነበየ (tanabbaya) to prophesy
	ሰብእ a man		ተሰብእ (tasabbəʾ) to become a man
	ምስጢር a secret		ተመስጠረ (tamasṭara*) to be kept secret
*not Dt, but same idea.

21.5: Bt, Dt, Lt, Qt verbs take direct and indirect objects. In verbs that take both, figuring out the subject can be a little tricky:

ተመሀረት፡ሕጋግ	vs.	ተመሀረት፡ሕጋገ
tamahharat ḥəgāg		tamahharat ḥəgāga
The laws were taught.		She was taught the laws.