In various languages Impersonal verb

1 in various languages

1.1 indo-european

1.1.1 in english
1.1.2 in spanish
1.1.3 in french


1.2 tai-kadai

1.2.1 in thai


1.3 in other natural languages
1.4 in constructed languages

in various languages

in languages such english, french, german, dutch , swedish, impersonal verb takes impersonal pronoun (it in english, il in french, es in german, het in dutch, det in swedish) syntactical subject:

it snowed yesterday. (english)
il neigé hier. (french)
es schneite gestern. (german)
het sneeuwde gisteren. (dutch)
det snöade igår. (swedish)

occasionally impersonal verb allow object appear in apposition impersonal subject pronoun:

it raining diamonds.

or instrumental adjunct:

it pouring rain. (british english)
Весь декабрь лил дождь. (russian)

in other languages (necessarily null subject languages , typically pro-drop languages), such portuguese, spanish, occitan, catalan, italian, romanian, in hungarian , slavic languages, impersonal verb takes no subject @ all, conjugated in third-person singular, though had third-person, singular subject.

nevó ayer. (spanish)
nevou ontem. (portuguese)
ha nevicato ieri. (italian)
a nins ieri. (romanian)
sniježilo je jučer. (croatian)
havazott tegnap. (hungarian)
Вчера вееше снег. / včera veeše sneg. (macedonian)

other languages, require subject, may permit adjunct assume role.

unfortunately next day poured rain.

indo-european
in english

the following sentences illustrate impersonal verbs:

(1) rains.
(2) cold.
(3) growing dark.
(4) seems there no end this.
(5) unclear why cut rope.

the expletive pronoun in these sentences not denote clear entity, yet meaning clear. in other words, pronoun has no clear antecedent. english strict requiring subject supplies them verbs not require them. in sentences (4) , (5), in subject position, while real subject has been moved end of sentence.

a simple test can done see if sentence contains impersonal verb. 1 checks see if given subject pronoun takes antecedent in previous clause or sentence, e.g.

bukit timah 163.63 metres tall. highest point in singapore.






bukit timah 163.63 metres tall. rains there.

the 2 examples may seem similar, pronoun in first example links previous subject. pronoun in second example, on other hand, has no referent. hill (bukit timah) not rain, rains. demonstrates rain impersonal verb.

in spanish

there no equivalent of dummy subject in spanish. in spanish, there few true impersonal avalent verbs. of them atmospheric verbs :

llueve
it s raining
ha helado
it froze

most impersonal constructions in spanish involves: a) using special verb in third-person defective verb direct object argument. b) use of impersonal se (not confused other uses of se).

there 2 main impersonal verbs in spanish: haber (to exist) , hacer (to do). haber irregular verb. when used impersonal verb in present tense, has special conjugation third person singular (hay). clauses verb haber not have explicit subject; argument direct object noun phrase not agree verb. haber has natural meaning of tener have .

hay un libro (aquí).
there book (here)
hay muchos libros.
there many books
hubo muchos libros (que no se vendieron).
there many books (that left unsold).

less frequent, , in expressions limited number of nouns in singular, verb hacer in 3rd singular used impersonal (hacer common verb meaning ).

hace frío
it s cold
hizo frío ayer
yesterday cold
hace viento
it s windy

spanish add pronoun se in front of verbs form general sentences. impersonal voice using se use singular verb since se can replaced uno.

¿cómo se escribe apple ?
how spell apple ?

the passive voice in spanish has similar characteristics following of impersonal se. formed using se + third person singular or plural conjugation of verb, similar impersonal se. use of se confused medial se.

active voice:
mis amigos comieron torta (european , american spanish)
my friends ate cake (i.e. of cake)
mis amigos comieron la torta (american spanish, less frequent in european spanish)
my friends ate cake


medial meaning:
mis amigos se comieron la torta
my friends ate cake


passive voice:
esta torta se come tradicionalmente en navidad.
this cake eaten during christmas
se vende esta casa.
this house sale

in french

the verbs impersonal in french because not take real personal subject not represent action, occurrence or state-of-being can attributed person, place or thing. in french, in english, these impersonal verbs take on impersonal pronoun—il in french.

il faut que tu fasses tes devoirs.
it necessary homework.

the il not refer in particular here. dummy form. meaning doing homework necessary. common impersonal form il y = there is, there are. note other tenses (il y avait, il y eu, il y aura, etc.).

tai-kadai
in thai

impersonal verbs in thai not allow overt grammatical subject. impersonal verbs occur transitive verbs.

kəət3 phɛɛndinwaày thîï4 yîïpùn
happen earthquake @ japan
there earthquake in japan.


*man kəət3 phɛɛndinwaày thîï4 yîïpùn
*it happen earthquake in japan
*there earthquake in japan.

there no allowance presence of non-referential subject man in case frame. in general, not allowed in formal speech, such news reports. however,the presence of non-referential subject man can occur in colloquial form.

man mii phîï nay bâan nii dûay rəə
it exist ghost in house ques
is there ghost in house?

subdivision non-inception , inception subclasses can occur depending on whether verb may occur path adverb khin .

in other natural languages

the celtic languages possess impersonal verbal forms though use translated english forms such 1 sees (welsh: gwelir), 1 did (welsh: gwnaethpwyd), 1 (irish: táthar) etc., in 1 taken empty subject. weather, personal verbs used in celtic languages, e.g. welsh mae hi n bwrw eira snowing .

verbs meaning existence may impersonal.

há livros. / há um livro. (portuguese)
hay libros. / hay un libro. (spanish)
there (some) books. / there book.

however, there intransitive verbs more or less same meaning:

existem livros. / existe um livro. (portuguese)
existen libros. / existe un libro. (spanish)
(some) books exist. / book exists.

latin has several impersonal verbs, seen in third person singular. real subject of sentence not in nominative case in dative or accusative case. these verbs include:

decet – becomes/suits; right/proper
libet – pleases
licet – permitted/allowed
oportet – proper/fitting
placet – agreed/resolved

in constructed languages

in auxiliary language interlingua, verbs not conjugated person. impersonal verbs take pronoun il:

il ha nivate heri. (interlingua)

in planned auxiliary language esperanto, verbs not conjugated person, impersonal verbs stated no subject given or implied, though esperanto otherwise not null subject language:

neĝis hieraŭ. (esperanto)

in planned logical language lojban, impersonal verbs have no first argument filled , might not have arguments filled @ all:

carvi ca lo prulamdei (lojban)

where carvi verb meaning x1 rains/showers/[precipitates] x2 x3 x1, x2, x3 numbered core arguments.