Summary of the theory so far

So we have, in the earlier grammar posts, the basics of an tentative understanding of the grammar of verbs which builds on a kind of "ladder" of meanings. The first rung, locative verbs, or at-verbs, tell where, in some broad conceptual sense, things are. The second rung, simple events or goto-verbs, expands on the locative and tell how things change to or from locations. The third rung, causative verbs, or cause-verbs, assert that, in some sense, such a change in locations are caused by someone or something.

So summarize, the structure is:

AT-verbs
· AT
· ABSENT
GOTO-verbs
· GOTO
· STAY
· LEAVE
· AVOID
CAUSE-verbs
· CAUSE
· LET
· PREVENT

The idea is that all (or at least most) verbs can be analyzed in terms of these nine verb "atoms", in some cases in combination with incorporated nouns, as in the example "she kicked the ball", the verb "kick" is understood a incorporating a noun "kick" (a strike with the foot) for something like "CAUSE a kick to GOTO", where "a kick" is in the grammar of the underlying simple verb meanings is actually the Theme (what changes state) of the GOTO verb.