Kyrgyz phrasal verbs

V + V

There are many cases in Kyrgyz where two (or more) verbs occur in a sequence. Usually this is in combinations where there's a sequence of events (each one represented by a verb) or additional aspectual or mood information being added to an event (where a second verb is an auxiliary conveying that aspectual/mood information).

V + V as a single verb

There are, however, a few V + V combinations which can be interpreted (and certainly translated) as if they are behaving as a single verb.

• алып кел- < ал- ‘take’ + кел- ‘come’ = "bring"
• алып бар- < ал- ‘take’ + бар- ‘go (+dest)’ = "take / bring (over)"
• алып кет- < ал- ‘take’ + кет- ‘leave’ = "take away"
• алып жүр- < ал- ‘take’ + жүр- ‘go’ = "carry (in some contexts)"

Some of these have abbreviated forms in speech:¹

• апкел- = алып кел-
• апар- = алып бар-

¹ In Kazakh, the forms әкел-, апар-, and әкет- are the standard written forms of these words, and only in very high registers are they written as two separate verbs.

There are some other verbs

• басып чыгар- < бас- ‘press’ + чыгар- ‘make come out’ = "print (out)"

V1 + V2 with V2's valency

In most instances of V1 + V2 (+ V3, etc.), the main verb is V1 and the valency of the compound verb is that of V1. However, in some [rather rare] scenarios, V2 is treated as the main verb and the valency of the compound verb is that of V2.

• Сени барып алып келем
• Тамакты жыргап жеп жатат

FIXME: example

N + V

N with possessive morphology

N is 3rd person subject

• ич+[pos] айлан- < ич ‘inside’ + айлан- ‘spin (v.i.)’ = "have an upset stomach"
• баш+[pos] айлан- < баш ‘head’ + айлан- ‘spin (v.i.)’ = "be/get dizzy / confused"
• жүрөк+[pos] айлан- < жүрөк ‘heart’ + айлан- ‘spin (v.i.)’ = "be/get nauseous / grossed out"
• көңүл+[pos] түш- < көңүл ‘feelings’ + түш- ‘fall’ = "be/get down"
• көңүл+[pos] сууп кал- < көңүл ‘feelings’ + суу- ‘get cold’ + кал- ‘[perfect aspect]’ = "stop liking [a person]" (+ABL)
• кол+[pos] тий- < кол ‘hand’ + тий- ‘touch’ = "have free time"
• суук тий- < суук ‘cold’ + тий- ‘touch’ = "catch a cold" (+DAT - for the one who got the cold)

N is object

• баш+[pos]+[acc] айлант- < баш ‘head’ + айлант- ‘spin (v.t.)’ = "make dizzy / confuse"
• жүрөк+[pos]+[acc] айлант- < жүрөк ‘heart’ + айлант- ‘spin (v.t.)’ = "make nauseous / gross out"
• көңүл+[pos]+[acc] түшүр- < көңүл ‘feelings’ + түшүр- ‘make fall’ = "get [someone] down"

N is in other cases

• моюн+[pos]+[dat] ал- < моюн ‘neck’ + ал- ‘take’ = "accept/recognise/admit" (+ACC)

N without possessive morphology

"N" is limited in use to compound

• кабыл ал- < кабыл ‘???’ + ал- ‘take’ = "accept" (+ACC)
• жөнгө сал- < жөн ‘~straight?’ + сал- ‘set / put in’ = "repair" (+ACC)

N is indefinite object

• кол кой- < кол ‘hand’ + кой- ‘put’ = "sign" (+DAT)
• кол сал- < кол ‘hand’ + сал- ‘set / put in’ = "attack" (+DAT)
• сакал ал- < сакал ‘beard’ + ал- ‘take’ = "shave"
• баш тарт- < баш ‘head’ + тарт- ‘pull’ = "withdraw (from)" (+ABL)
• тамак ич- < тамак ‘food’ + ич- ‘drink’ = "eat / dine"
• баш ий- < баш ‘head’ + ий- ‘bend’ = "comply with / obey" (+DAT)
• баш кош- < баш ‘head’ + кош- ‘add’ = "become spouses"
• баш кой- < баш ‘head’ + кой- ‘put’ = "commit oneself (to something)" (+DAT)
• телефон чал- < телефон ‘telephone’ + чал- ‘~strike against’ = "call" (+DAT)
• буюртма бер- < буюртма ‘order’ + бер- ‘give’ = "place an order"

N is in other cases

• турмушка чык- < турмуш ‘lifestyle’ + dative + чык- ‘leave’ = "get married (for women)" (+DAT)
• камакка ал- < камак ‘captivity’ + dative + ал- ‘take’ = "arrest" (+ACC)
• жумушка ал- < жумуш ‘work’ + dative + ал- ‘take’ = "hire" (+ACC)
• башка кел- < баш ‘head’ + dative + кел- ‘come’ = "come up unexpectedly"
• жолго чык- < жол ‘way’ + dative + чык- ‘depart’ = "set off"
• жолго сал- < жол ‘way’ + dative + сал- ‘put in’ = "send off" (+ACC)
• жумушка сал- < жумуш ‘work’ + dative + сал- ‘put in’ = "set to work" (+ACC)
• сөзгө кел- < сөз ‘something said’ + dative + кел- ‘come’ = "come to an agreement"
• колдон кел- < кол ‘hand’ + possessive (person for whom its doable) + ablative + кел ‘come’ = "be doable for someone" (+GEN & POSS)

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