Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.1 6/24/83; site boulder.UUCP Path: utzoo!linus!decvax!harpo!seismo!hao!cires!boulder!richard From: richard@boulder.UUCP (Richard Byrd) Newsgroups: net.nlang Subject: Re: reposting of Bi-directional verbs Message-ID: <143@boulder.UUCP> Date: Fri, 17-Feb-84 12:33:45 EST Article-I.D.: boulder.143 Posted: Fri Feb 17 12:33:45 1984 Date-Received: Sun, 19-Feb-84 03:00:40 EST References: <703@linus.UUCP> Organization: University of Colorado, Boulder Lines: 15 What you call bidirectional verbs seem to verbs which are ambiguous as to the relation between subject and object. Here are a few more examples: rent "I rented a boat," could mean I paid money to use a boat or that I let someone use my boat in return for money. "Lease" has the same ambiguity. By contrast we have the pairs "buy-sell" and "borrow-lend" which avoid the ambiguity as to who is doing what to whom. marry You have to go by the context. "Rev. Jones married John and Jane." differs from "Brigham Young married Jane and Joan." Here again it would be useful to have two different words. learn "She learned me how to read" is not standard English but is common in some areas.