Use of Auxiliary Verbs in Ro7nancc Languages. 21 



primary meaning, and expresses an action. Every verb has 

 the inherent power of being used as transitive or intransitive; 

 consequently verbs intransitive in modern French may have 

 been formerly, and can be used in the future as, transitive ; 

 verbs intransitive in some of the Romance languages have 

 been, are, or may be used as transitive in some other Romance 

 languages. Compare jouir, prosperer, courir, obeir, dormir, 

 renoncer {intransitive in French), and godere, prosperare, 

 correre, ubbidire, domi're, rinunciare {transitive in Italian), 



Ex. — Ed allora gode la fortuia (Bocc). 

 Ex. — Mai hai i tuoi maestri uhbiditi, etc. 



A verb is not necessarily transitive or intransitive ; it is 

 made the one or the other according to the development of 

 its own meaning, and according to the peculiar genius, stage, 

 and tendency of the language in which it is used. Hence all 

 verbs in their nature are active verbs, and express an action ; 

 in their use they are divided into two classes, viz. : transi- 

 tives, affecting an external object ; and intransitives, or semi- 

 transitives, affecting the subject. Foit brevity's sake, the 

 verbs of the first class may be called objcctivc-transitives ; 

 and those of the second, subjective-transitives. The verbs of 

 the first class, expressing an activity directed towards an 

 external object, are conjugated with avoir ; the verbs of the 

 second class, expressing an action affecting the subject itself, 

 partake of the nature of passive verbs, and thus take etre. 



But later on the second class of verbs was developed into 

 two classes : subjunctive transitives fully expressed : Je me 

 rcpens ; and subjunctive transitives elliptically expressed : ye 

 incurs (for J^e me meurs). Compare Spanish, Italian, Portu- 

 guese. , " 



Secondly: N^enter Verbs. TJieir Origin. 



To the second of the above classes belong the so-called 

 neuter verbs ; they are nothing but elliptical reflexive verbs, 

 or subjunctive transitives elliptically expressed. As a conse- 

 quence, they form in several cases their compound tenses 

 with etre, according to the principle described above. 



51 



