Vector Verbs of Bengali

Author Soma Paul

Definition

A Bangla CV sequence is a two-member construction in which the first member (V1) chooses between the usual conjunctive participial form –-e and the (rare, for this construction) infinitive form –-te while the second member (V2) bears the inflection. For simplicity it is normal to consider finite examples:

āshā ekamāse ekaṭā goṭā bai likhe phelala

“Asha wrote a whole book in one month (implying Asha's ability to do so)”

āshā

āshā

Asha

N

ekamāse
ekamās	e
one_month	ATV
N

ekaṭā
eka	ṭā
one	CL
N

goṭā

goṭā

whole

ADJ

bai

bai

book

N

likhe
likh	e
write	CONJPTCP
V1

phelala
phela	la
drop	3PPAST
V2

Example of Compound verbs

sandhe haye elo

“Evening approached”

sandhe

sandhe

evening

haye
ha	ye
become	CONJPTCP
V1

ela
e	la
come	3PPAST
V2

ritu rāmake ekaṭaa bāṛi khuMje dilo

“Ritu found Ram a house ”

ritu

ritu

Ritu

rāmake
rāma	ke
Ram	OBJ

ekaṭaa
eka	ṭā
one	CL

bāṛi

বাড়ি

house

khuMje
khumj	e
search	CONJPTCP

dilo
di	lo
give	3PPAST

ritu nijera janya ekaṭā bāṛi khuMje nila

“Ritu found out a house for herself”

ritu

ritu

Ritu

nijera
nij	era
self	GEN

janya

janya

forBEN

PPOST

ekaṭā
eka	ṭā
one	CL

bāṛi

বাড়ি

house

khuMje
khuMj	e
search	CONJPTCP

nila
ni	la
take	3PPAST

tāka theke paṛe glāsaṭā bheṁe gela

“The glass broke fell down from the shelf and broke”

tāka

tāka

shelf

N

theke

theke

fromSRC

PPOST

paṛe
paṛ	e
fall	PTCP
V

glāsaṭā
glāsa	ṭā
glass	CL
N

bheṁe
bheṁ	e
break	CONJPTCP
V1

gela
ge	la
go	3PPAST
V2

ritu ghumiye paṛala

“Ritu fell asleep”

ritu

ritu

Ritu

N

ghumiye
ghumi	ye
sleep	CONJPTCP
V1

paṛala
paṛa	la
fall	3PPAST
V2

ribhu āsara jamiye tulala

“Ritu warmed up the party”

ribhu

ribhu

Ribhu

N

āsara

āsara

party

N

jamiye
jami	ye
warm_up	CONJPTCP
V1

tulala
tula	la
lift	3PPAST
V2

lokaṭā ritura kācha theke hājāra ṭākā niye chāṛala

“The man did not give up before he managed to extort thousand rupees from Ritu”

lokaṭā
loka	ṭā
man
N

ritura
ritu	ra
Ritu	GEN
N

kācha

kācha

theke

theke

fromSRC

PPOST

hājāra

hājāra

thousand

QUANT

ṭākā

ṭākā

rupee

N

niye
ni	ye
take	CONJPTCP
V1

chāṛala
chāṛa	la
leave	3PPAST
V2

ritu saba kāja kare rākhala

“Ritu completed all (her) work (in advance)”

ritu

ritu

Ritu

N

saba

saba

all

QUANT

kāja

kāja

work

N

kare
kar	e
do	CONJPTCP
V1

rākhala
rākha	la
keep	3PPAST
V2

ritu rāmake ḍeke pāṭhāla

ritu

ritu

Ritu

N

rāmake
rāma	ke
Ram	OBJ
N

ḍeke
ḍek	e
call	CONJPTCP
V1

pāṭhāla
pāṭhā	la
send	3PPAST
V2

ritu gharadora prāya guchiye eneche

ritu

ritu

Ritu

N

gharadora

gharadora

house

N

prāya

prāya

almost

ADVm

guchiye
guchi	ye
put_in_order	CONJPTCP
V1

eneche
en	eche
bring	3PPRESPRF
V2

ritu ghure beṛāya

“Ritu strolls about (idly)”

ritu

ritu

Ritu

N

ghure
ghur	e
loiter	CONJPTCP
V1

beṛāya
beṛā	ya
wander_about	3PPRES
V2

ritu sakalera sāmane kathāṭā bale basala

“Ritu broke the secret unexpectedly amidst all”

ritu

ritu

Ritu

N

sakalera
sakal	era
all	GEN
PN

sāmane

sāmane

in_front_of

PPOST

kathāṭā
kathā	ṭā
word	CL

bale
bal	e
say	CONJPTCP
V1

basala
basa	la
sit	3PPAST
V2

ritu kayeka ghanṭāra modhye kājaṭā kare phelala

ritu

ritu

Ritu

N

kayeka

kayeka

few

QUANT

ghanṭāra
ghanṭā	ra
hour	GEN
N

modhye

modhye

inATV

PPOST

kājaṭā
kāja	ṭā
work	CL
N

kare
kar	e
do	CONJPTCP
V1

phelala
phela	la
drop	3PPAST
V2

ritu hese uṭhala

“Ritu burst into laughter”

ritu

ritu

Ritu

N

hese
hes	e
laugh	CONJPTCP
V1

uṭhala
uṭha	la
rise	3PPAST
V2

byāpāraṭā khuba jaṭila haye dāMṛāla

byāpāraṭā
byāpāra	ṭā
matter	CL
N

khuba

khuba

very

ADVm

jaṭila

jaṭila

difficult

ADJ

haye
ha	ye
become	CONJPTCP
V1

dāMṛāla
dāMṛā	la
stand	3PPAST
V2

mā sārājībana saṁasārera janya kheṭe maralena

“Mother worked the whole of her life for the family (in vain)”

mā

mā

mother

N

sārājībana

sārājībana

all_life

N

saṁasārera
saṁasār	era
family
N

janya

janya

forBEN

PPOST

kheṭe
kheṭ	e
work_hard	CONJPTCP
V1

maralena
mara	lena
die	3PPAST
V2