16.2. ‘Do what with?’
Models
| 1) | S¸ISTW̱ SW̱? | ‘What did you do with/to it?’ |
| 2) | S¸ISTW̱ SW̱ TŦE TÁLE? | ‘What did you do with/to the money?’ |
| 3) | S¸ISTEṈ TŦE TÁLE? | ‘What was done with the money?’ |
| 4) | EN¸ STÁṈEN OĆE? | ‘What did you do with it?’ |
| 5) | EN¸ STÁṈEN OĆE ¸E TŦE TÁLE? | ‘What did you do with the money?’ / |
| ‘What did you use the money for?’ |
‣ 1 As you can see in the models, there are two words in SENĆOŦEN that translate something like ‘do what with’ in English: S¸ISTW̱ and STÁṈEN. Although they can be translated the same, these two words differ both in grammar and in meaning in SENĆOŦEN.
‣ 2 S¸ISTW̱ is a transitive verb. Like EWETW̱ (§12.6) and SQȺTW̱ (§14.2), it has the ‑TW̱ causative suffix (§40). The second model shows that it is transitive because it has both a subject, SW̱, and a direct noun phrase object (§8.1), TŦE TÁLE.
‣ 3 These S¸ISTW̱ sentences mean either ‘do what with?’ or ‘do what to?’ For example, the first model sentence could be translated as either ‘What did you do to it?’ or ‘What did you do with it?’
‣ 4 The direct object of S¸ISTW̱ is always the thing that something has happened to—the thing that has undergone something. In the second model, for example, something has happened to TŦE TÁLE ‘the money,’ and the speaker is asking what happened to it.
‣ 5 In contrast, STÁṈEN is intransitive. It cannot take a direct object. The thing that you are asking about must be mentioned as the object of the preposition ¸E, as in ¸E TŦE TÁLE of model 5.
‣ 6 STÁṈEN is what in §49 is called a ‘possessed verb.’ The subject of this type of verb is marked by the possessive prefix or suffix (§5.1). In the two models here, what translates as the subject ‘you’ in English is marked by the ‘your’ prefix EN¸ in SENĆOŦEN.
‣ 7 Unlike S¸ISTW̱ SW̱ ‘What did you with/to it?’, EN¸ STÁṈEN OĆE cannot be translated as ‘What did you do to it?’ Remember the problem of English ‘with’ that was discussed in §11.1. We have that same problem here. English ‘What did you do with the money?’ can be answered:
‘I put it away’
‘I kept it’
‘I used it to buy shoes’
‘I used it to patch my shoes.’
EN¸ STÁṈEN OĆE ¸E TŦE TÁLE? can be answered with one of the last two translations but not with either of the first two. EN¸ STÁṈEN OĆE ¸E TŦE TÁLE? could also be translated ‘What did you use the money for?’
‣ 8 STÁṈEN refers to something being used for a purpose—as a tool or instrument. This word is actually STÁṈ ‘what’ (§15.1) with the ‑EN ‘instrument’ suffix (§37.2).
‣ 9 Remember that tense is optional. Since none of these models is marked specifically for past or future tense, they could all be translated with the past as well as the future. For example, the first model sentence could be translated ‘What will you do with it?’ As usual, it is possible to mention past or future tense specifically, so, for example, EN¸ STÁṈEN SE¸ OĆE? means ‘what will you do with it?’ and S¸ISTW̱ LE¸ SW̱? means ‘What did you do with it?’
 | S¸ISTW̱ SE¸ SW̱ TŦE EN¸ SḴÁXE¸? | ‘What will you do with your dog?’ |
 | SXȽÁU¸TW̱TW̱ SEN. | ‘I’ll take him to the hospital.’ |
| EN¸ STÁṈEN OĆE ¸E TŦE COO? | ‘What will you do with the car?’ |
| ĆOȻES SEN SE¸ Ȼ NE SYÁ¸. | ‘I’ll use it to go.’ |
| 16.2A. Translate each of the following into English. 1. S¸ISTW̱ LE¸ SW̱ ȻSE NE SNEW̱EȽ? 2. EN¸ STÁṈEN SE¸ OĆE ¸E ȻSE NE SNEW̱EȽ? 3. S¸ISTW̱ SEN SE¸? 4. NE STÁṈEN LE¸ OĆE? 5. S¸ISTW̱ LE¸ ȽTE ŦTE TÁLE ȽTE? | 16.2B. Translate each of the following into SENĆOŦEN. 1. What did you do to your dog? 2. What will I do with you folks? 3. What will you do with your dog? 4. What did you do to it? 5. What did you use your dog for? |
| 16.2C. Make up four more sentences using S¸ISTW̱ and four using STÁṈEN. | |