Aeranir: Difference between revisions

[[w:Animacy|Animacy]] can play a major role in the meaning of a verb in the middle voice.  Verbs with more animate subjects, such as people, animals, gods, etc., may be interpreted as more towards an active meaning, whilst less animate subjects, like inanimate objects or possessions, may be interpreted as more passive in meaning.

|'That wumbo sees'

|c1 = (''more animate'')}}

|'That book is seen'

|c1 = (''less animate'')}}

Sometimes, it may have a '''reflexive''' meaning, or the sense of doing something for ones own benefit.

|'They wash me in a river'

|c1 = (''active voice'')}}

|'I washed (myself) in a river'

|c1 = (''middle voice'')}}

|'Oscus sacrificed a fish'

|c1 = (''active voice'')}}

|'Oscus sacrificed a fish (for their benefit)'

|c1 = (''middle voice'')}}

Another important use of the middle voice is the '''experiential middle voice'''.  When used with sensory verbs the middle voice may be used to differentiate experiential, nonvolitional sensation (''see, hear, smell, feel, know, etc.''), as opposed to active, volitional sensation (''look, listen, sniff, touch, understand, etc.'')  Often times, the object of the sensory verb will be expressed using an oblique case, usually the ablative.

|'I like to listen to (my) friend's voice'

|c1 = (''active voice'')}}

|'I like to hear (my) friend's voice'

|c1 = (''middle voice'')}}

The middle voice may also be used with a variety of verbal compliments—usually adverbs—which describe the quality of the subject, or the result of the action.  Often times such constructions may be expressed in English as ''adjective to verb'', e.g. 'easy to love'.

====Passive====