cotransitive

Cotransitive is an adjective used in linguistics and grammar to describe verbs that require two objects, both of which are essential to the meaning of the verb. The term is derived from the prefix “co-,” indicating joint participation, and “transitive,” referring to a verb that transfers an action to an object. In a cotransitive construction, the verb transfers an action from one object (often the indirect object or recipient) to another (often the direct object or theme). Because both objects are integral, the sentence cannot typically be interpreted as having only one object without altering the semantics.

In English, common cotransitive verbs include give, send, show, and tell. For example, in the sentence “She gave her friend a book,” the verb ‘gave’ requires both the recipient (her friend) and the theme (a book). Removing either part or moving them changes the meaning: “She gave a book” omits the recipient; “She gave her friend” omits the theme. Some cotransitive verbs allow optional omission of the indirect object under specific conditions, which often results in ambiguity or a different implicature.

Cotransitive verbs are contrasted with ditransitives, which may allow one object to be omitted or to be expressed as a prepositional phrase. Ditransitive analysis emphasizes a subject, indirect object, and direct object, whereas cotransitive analysis emphasizes that the two objects are jointly required. Not all languages have a syntactic distinction between the two; many exhibit either a single two-object construction or separate clausal interpretations.

In typological studies, cotransitive verbs are analyzed for their argument structure, voice alternations, and syntactic behavior. Some languages encode the cotransitive structure via case marking, particles, or word order. The study of cotransitive constructions sheds light on the interaction of semantics, syntax, and morphology in human language.