60 A GRAMMAR OF THE
VERBS.
85. Malayalim Verbs are of four kinds: Intransitive, Transitive,
Causal, and Passive.
86. The construction of the Malayalim Verb is very simple, and except
in the imperative mood, and poetic writings, admits of no inflection to
express number, or person; these are determined by the subject that governs the verb; as,
| നാം, or ഞാൻ | സ്നെഹിക്കുന്നു, | I love. |
| നീ, or താൻ | സ്നെഹിക്കുന്നു, | Thou lovest. |
| അവൻ | സ്നെഹിക്കുന്നു, | He loves. |
| നാം, ഞങ്ങൾ | സ്നെഹിക്കുന്നു, | We love. |
| നിങ്ങൾ | സ്നെഹിക്കുന്നു, | You love. |
| അവർ | സ്നെഹിക്കുന്നു, | They love. |
87. The Malayalim verb, with the assistances of auxiliary verbs, is in
some tenses, capable of a greater degree of precision than the English verb
will admit of.
DERIVATION OF VERBS.
88. Malayalim verbs are formed in various; as,
1st. From their own roots, which, abstracted from the changes they
undergo in forming the different tenses, merely indicate the general idea
of the verb; as, അടി, Beat; നട, Walk; പൊ, Go; വാ, come;
പറ, speak; &c.
The present tense of these verbs is made by adding ഉന്നു, യുന്നു,
കുന്നു, or ക്കുന്നു, to the root.
2nd. A great many verbs are made from neuter nouns, derived from
the Sanscrit, and correspond in meaning to the word from which they are
formed. These verbs are made by dropping the last letter of the conso-
nant, and adding ഇക്കുന്നു, or പെടുന്നു for the present tense; as,
പ്രസംഗിക്കുന്നു, To preach; from പ്രസംഗം, A sermon, discourse.
പ്രിയപ്പെടുന്നു, To delight; „ പ്രിയം, Delight, desire.
In some instances other slight changes take place in nouns when formed
into verbs by the help of ഇക്കുന്നു; as,
മൊഷ്ടിക്കുന്നു, To steal; from മൊഷണം, Robbery.
