Re: Vjatjackwa (the result of all those sound changes!)

Amanda Babcock wrote:
> Applicatives promote an oblique argument of the verb to the direct
> object position.  I do not think they are restricted to intransitive
> verbs, although the things I'm calling "applicatives" in Witicku will
> be.  Basically, they change the meaning of the verb in a way that in
> English would involve a preposition - changing "give (something)" to
> "give to (someone)",
Indonesian can do something like this _in a few cases_, esp. with the verb
"beri" 'give'-- the forms are beri and berikan.  Unfortunately, it's never
been clear to me which was which :-((((.  One form leads to a S
corresponding to Engl. "I gave a book to John", the other to "I gave John a
book" -- both can be passivized.

for example; changing "report (something)" to
> "brief (someone)", changing "go (somewhere, by some road)" to "travel
> (some road)".  This is done via a bound morpheme on the verb.
Again, Indonesian can do something similar, with a few verbs, with
suffix -i, more or less "locative focus"--
kunjung 'pay a call/make a visit' : berkunjung di (jakarta) 'make a visit in
Jakarta' ~ kunjungi Jakarta/is 'visit Jakarta/him~her'

and (active vs. passive difference)
tidur di.... 'sleep-on' > passive ditiduri as in
tikar jang mana ditidurinya [di-...-i-nya]
mat REL which  PASS-sleep-LOC-3sg[
'which mat did he sleep on?'

and tanam 'plant', which we've been discussing:
tanam (~menanam) bunga di kebun
plant (~correct "active" form) flower(s)  LOC garden

tanami kebun dengan bunga
plant-- garden with flower(s)

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