Is there a Greek word for "intransitive" in this sense? Some dictionaries indicate "αμετάβατος" as a translation, but the definition of "αμετάβατο ρήμα"
here excludes objects of any kind, not only the direct objects.
Firstly, I apologize for the number of comments, but I didn’t happen to read the specific thread earlier.
Αγαπητέ διαφορετικέ,
Regarding Greek syntax, I hope the following will help eliminate a misunderstanding.
With impersonal verbs (like φαίνεται, χρειάζεται, πρέπει etc) and impersonal expressions (like είναι εύκολο, είναι δύσκολο, είναι αδύνατο etc), but also with intransitive [as here αρέσει is] and transitive verbs, a genitive of a noun or, usually, a personal pronoun,
which is not their object, is often connected. It shows that a person emotionally participates in what the verb denotes or receives benefit or undergoes harm from what the sentence means and is called
γενική προσωπική (=genitive personal). Because the emotions of this personal participation are usually joy/pleasure or discontent, benefit or harm, this genitive is called
γενική χαριστική or
αντιχαριστική accordinly (=freely translated as “genitive pleasing” or “harmful”). Consequently, this genitive as in "
Μου αρέσει το φαγητό" should never be confused with an indirect object.
Indicative examples: Να
μου φιλήσεις τα παιδιά.
Σου χαϊδεύει ποτέ το κεφάλι η μαμά σου;
Μου είναι δύσκολο να έρθω. -Η Μαρία αγόρασε καινούργιο φόρεμα. -Ναι, αλλά
της είναι στενό.
Του χάλασαν τα σχέδια.
Του λείπει η γυναίκα του.
Note that this structure comes down from AG, where the dative case (as dative personal) had the place of the MG genitive, e.g. Ὡς καλός
μοι ὁ πάππος (=What a handsome man -
for my pleasure- my grandpa is!) Πᾶς ἀνὴρ
ἑαυτῷ πονεῖ (=Every man strives
for himself).
See Συντακτικό της Αρχαίας Ελληνικής, Α, Β, Γ Λυκείου, Α. Β. Μουμτζάκης
Συντακτικό της Νέας Ελληνικής, Α, Β, Γ Γυμνασίου, Συντακτική Ομάδα
Συνοπτική Γραμματική της Νέας Ελληνικής, Δομολειτουργική- Επικοινωνιακή, Χρ. Κλαίρης-Γ. Μπαμπινιώτης
Or you can use the structure with a preposition.
