THE VERB. 
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Tlie last not in all cases, because a verb hlobces, to learn, seems to 
exist: hhas hlobba zum, learn by heart. 
Thus it comes that the transitive or intransitive force of the sentence 
no longer lies in the subject alone, but has been partly transferred to the 
verb. 
From the above it follows, that the Ladakhi verbs fall into two great 
groups, transitive and intransitive, according as they take the nominative 
or instrumental. According as they denote an action or a condition, they 
can be divided into active and neuter verbs. 
There are these four groups formed : 
(1) active transitive . . . . 
v ' . • i construed with the instrumental. 
(2) neuter transitive J 
(3) active intransitiv e ^ 
\ ' . , > construed with the nominative. 
(4) neuter intransitive J 
This rule is observed strictly by educated people. Others are not 
always quite strict. Though they will never use the instrument a 
with intransitive verbs, they may occasionally use the nominative with 
transitive verbs. Thus we may hear: nga cospin, I did it ; nga shesdug, 
I know it. 
Occasionally transitive neuter verbs, especially in Lower Ladakhi, may 
take the dative instead of the instrumental. Examples: ngala thsorsong, 
ngala shessong , I heard it, I knew it. 
On the whole the views of Ladakhis as to which group a verb should 
be placed under agree with those of Europeans. An exception is thadces, 
to like, which always takes the nominative. Example : nga dela thaddug, 
I like it. 
Stems of the Verb. 
The Ladakhi verb in many cases shows three distinct stems. They are 
the following 
1. The present stem. —It is found by rejecting the termination of the 
infinitive. Thus the present stem of tangoes , to give, is tang. The present 
stem is used in the following forms: Present tense, future tense, 
negative imperative, infinitive, present participle, gerund in in, and 
supine. 
2. The perfect stem. —It is formed out of the present stem by 
adding s to the latter. Thus the perfect stem of tangoes, to give, is 
