Re: Antipassive

Nik Taylor wrote:

> Antipassives exist in languages with ergativity.  An antipassive
> converts the ergative into an absolutive.  It is used if the verb has no
> patient, or to focus on the agent, in much the same way that passives
> are used when there is no agent or to focus on patient.  For instance,
> from Uatakassí:
> Fakapátas nlakúsal natassáma
> Hit-past  man-erg  brother-his-abs
> "The man hit his brother"
> Sufkapátas  nlakús
> Hit-AP-past man-abs
> "The man hit [someone or something]"
> OR
> Faguatiátas ku  sufkapátas  nlakús  pikaatúli
> Fell        and Hit-AP-past man-abs rock-inst (instr is used for patient
> in an AP)
> "The man fell and hit a rock"
This is sort of beside the point, but it seems odd to me that "nlakus" is
deleted from the first conjunct instead of the second one.  Is there any
particular reason why it's "Faguatiatas ku sufkapatas nlakus pikaatuli" and
not "Faguatiatas nlakus ku sufkapatas pikaatuli"?  Just curious.  (Forgive
the absence of diacritics...)

Matt.

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