
Torque is force applied over distance. Transitivity is force applied by a verb to its complement. A directly transitive verb has accusative torque; it slams directly into its object. Wham-Bam. A non-transitive verb influences its complement via a preposition; it has genitive torque. Wham-prep-Bam. Languages diverge flagrantly on transitivity. That’s how they roll: divergently. Transiting between English and Arabic is an adventure in navigation. If you sail by the seat of your pants, you end up where there be dragons. You gotta steer by your Hans Wehr dictionary, close to the wind.
Down I lay me now to sleep and pray
For come who might to whats-it in the sky.
Not dead before I wake may I be found.
To sleep and pray now down I do me lay.
The ocean’s mighty large and wet, they say.
Please find it, Guadalupe. By and by
Shall I lay me down to sleep and pray
For come who might to whats-it in the sky.
(c) 2025 JMN — EthicalDative. All rights reserved
Oh you are very clever Jim! A lovely post.
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Thank you, Sue!
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