Proto-Mila Coursebook Chapter 8: view article

Chapter 8 Reflexives

In English if we use a verb such as to wash transitively then we imply that we are washing something. This is the same in Mila. So I am washing the clothes would be ‘Áljit isúza’. In English if this is intransitive, then we imply that we are washing ourselves, i.e. a reflexive. Because intransitive English verbs always contain an object in Mila we therefore fill this empty object with a reflexive in this case using the pronouns introduced for the subject. These forms are once again often shortened in informal speech. Thus to wash yourself has the following forms:

formal informal
I wash myself álup isúza ap isúza
you wash yourself lálda isúza lad isúza
he/she washes himself lulác isúza lac isúza
it (an animal) washes itself jijác isúza jac isúza
it (inanimate within reach) washes itself tidác isúza dac isúza
it (inanimate within sight) washes itself ciɟác isúza ɟac isuza
it (inanimate absent) pubác isúza bac isuza
we wash ourselves álupta isúza ápta isúza
you wash yourselves láldit isúza dat isúza
they wash themselves lulácta isúza lácta isúza
they (animals) wash themselves jijácta isúza jácta isúza
they (inanimate within reach) wash themselves tidácta isúza dácta isúza
they (inanimate within sight) wash themselves ciɟácta isúza ɟácta isúza

Reflexives can also be used for verbs where English would not use a reflexive. In Mila such reflexives give a sense of active involvement. For example he is standing in Mila is ‘tidát ilúhja’ or ‘da ilúhja’ so translated as he is standing it (within reach). However by using the reflexive form we translate he is standing up giving ‘lac ilúhja’. Similarly he is sitting is ‘da ilúka’, whereas he is sitting down is ‘lac ilúhja’. These forms can be extended to other verbs such that I am going/walking would be ‘at ilúhta’ whereas the reflexive ‘ap ilúhta’ gives the sense of I am heading off. This use of the reflexive is not always obvious. I am eating as seen above was ‘at imíjba’, but the form ‘ap imíjba’ does not mean I am eating myself, but rather means I am dining. A few more examples are given below:

at iɟíɟla I look ap iɟíɟla I consider
at iɟúhma I lose ap iɟúhma I forget
at ihúda I do ap ihúda I get ready

Note that a sentence such as ‘ap injúhma’ means I forgot, if however we want to say I forgot the pen then this is done with a preposition and roughly translates I lost myself at the pen giving ‘iɟúmla ap injúhma’. And I’m considering the problem would be ‘imícha ap iɟíɟla’ (roughly, I’m seeing myself at the problem).

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