An Event Used as a Noun Phrase

Level 3

Ti can introduce what someone bought, the person who cooks, or an activity noun.

How It Works

A noun marker such as ti allows a verbal expression to occupy a noun-phrase position. Its interpretation depends on its form: ti ginatangna identifies what that person bought, whereas ti agluto identifies someone who cooks. An activity noun such as panagtaray names running itself.

Read the outer predicate first, then interpret the marked expression. In Kayatmi ti ginatangna, what was bought is the object of liking; na still identifies the buyer. An activity expression can instead be described or placed in time. Nominal use does not make every verb mean 'the event', and it does not remove voice distinctions. Participant-identifying expressions retain their voice roles; action nouns can identify participants through possessive forms. Neither the buyer pronoun nor the nominal expression distinguishes grammatical gender.

Examples (3)

  1. Kayatmi ti ginatangna.

    We like what he or she bought.

    Na identifies the buyer; mi excludes the addressee.

  2. Ni Rosa ti agluto inton bigat.

    Rosa is the one who will cook tomorrow.

    The marked actor-oriented expression identifies the cook.

  3. Idi kalman ti panagtaray ni Leo.

    It was yesterday that Leo ran.

    The activity phrase occupies the nominal slot in a time-identifying frame.

How It Connects

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An Event Used as a Noun PhraseLevel 3

Learn This First

A marked verbal expression can function as a noun phrase.