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The Ergative in Action: -ma with the Aorist
Producing the ergative: transitive aorist subjects take -ma/-m, objects shift to nominative; intransitives stay nominative.
Learning Goal
I can mark aorist subjects correctly - ergative for transitive, nominative for intransitive verbs.
Exam Skills:NAEC Georgian B1: SpeakingNAEC Georgian B1: Writing
Look at these examples. Can you spot the grammar pattern?
áááááá áááá áááá á®ááááá£á á ááááááªá®á.
Grandma baked a delicious khachapuri.
ááá áá¥áá áá¡? - ááááá áá¥áá.
Who said that? - Dato said it.
áááášááááá á§áááá ááááªá®ááá á ášáááááá¡.
The children ate all the cakes.
Pay attention to the highlighted parts. What do they have in common?
The famous Georgian switch
In the aorist, the subject of a TRANSITIVE verb takes the ergative -áá/-á, while the object moves to the nominative: áááá á¬áá á¡ á¬áá ááá¡ (present) â ááááá ááá¬áá á á¬áá ááá (aorist). Intransitive subjects keep the nominative: áááá á¬ááááá. This case switch happens ONLY in the aorist series.
Apply this grammar in B1 course exercises
Practice Exercises
Dropping -ma on the transitive subject (*Nino dats'era), over-marking intransitives (*Ninom ts'avida), and keeping the object in the dative (*ts'erils dats'era).
Common Error Patterns
Missing -ma/-m on transitive aorist subjects or marking intransitive subjects
Transform drills present-to-aorist with subject re-marking; contrast transitive vs motion verbs.
áááááá áááá áááá á®ááááá£á á ááááááªá®á.
Grandma baked a delicious khachapuri.
bebia + -m = bebiam: the ergative subject of a transitive aorist.
ááá áá¥áá áá¡? - ááááá áá¥áá.
Who said that? - Dato said it.
Even the question word goes ergative-compatible: vin tkva, and the answer Datom takes -m.
áááášááááá á§áááá ááááªá®ááá á ášáááááá¡.
The children ate all the cakes.
Plural ergative: bavshvebma; the object namtskhvari stands in plain nominative.
Practice in course
Apply this grammar in B1 course exercises
Frequently asked questions
- When is áááá®á ááááá áá á£ááá á¬á§ááá¢ááááá used?
- á¬á§ááá¢ááášá ááá áááááááá ááááá¡ á¡á£áááá¥á¢á -áá/-á ááášááá¡ ááŠááá¡, ááááá¥á¢á áá á¡áá®ááááááášá ááááááá¡.
- What are common mistakes with áááá®á ááááá áá á£ááá á¬á§ááá¢ááááá?
- Dropping -ma on the transitive subject (*Nino dats'era), over-marking intransitives (*Ninom ts'avida), and keeping the object in the dative (*ts'erils dats'era).