Re: not un-/anti-passive

On Thu, 19 Jun 2008 10:30:03 +0300, JR <fuscian@...> wrote:
>
>On Thu, Jun 19, 2008 at 4:38 AM, Jeffrey Jones <jsjonesmiami@...>
>wrote:
>
>> In Naisek, there are some grammatical voice prefixes, including a causative
>> and two kinds of passive. Another one adds a dative subject, usually
>> indicating
>> a perceiver, to verbs which otherwise have patientive subjects. I had first
>> mistakenly called it an antipassive prefix (I don't know why, except that
>> it is
>> the opposite of a passive). This was hastily changed to unpassive when I
>> looked at it later. It turns out that unpassive is also already used for
>> something else, so I need a new term. Does anybody know?
>>
>> Jeff
>
>
> Do I understand correctly that this is used to de-emphasize an
> already-existing patientive subject, and not to add a new argument?
No, it adds a new argument, although the role of the dative may be implicit.

> Does the new dative trigger agreement in the verb (if there is agreement at
> all)?
Yes.

> Can it be used with any verb with a patientive subject? If not, how is its
> range limited?
I think so. I forgot to say it's also used with modal auxiliaries.

> When you say the dative subject "usually" indicates a perceiver, what are
> the other possibilities?
Someone shaded or rained on, as in examples (1) and (2), and another role I
don't know the name for in (5).

> Can you give some examples?
Note: ABS = patientive, ERG = agentive

(1) Ho-paldu-bwe.
    ???-rain.PRS.IND-1NPD
    "It's raining on us."
Technically, paldax is impersonal, but there can still be a patientive argument.
(2) Hi korilo su-bwe ho-naus-in.
    DEF-INA.S.ABS hazel.S.ABS COP.PRS.IND-1NPD ???-shade-VN
    "The hazel shades us."
(The COP copula + VN verbal noun construction = habitual aspect.)
(3) T-a-m matse t-i ho-jad-en-ti xiskw-e.
    3-ANI.S-GEN mother.S.DAT 3-INA.S.ABS ???-seem-FUT.IND-3SD terrible-
SPO
    "It will seem terrible to her mother."
(4) Ho-laun-os-t-ki gaut-a daxme tep nu.
    ???-beautiful-CMP-VRB-1SD NUL-ANI.S.ABS woman.S.ABS than 2S.ABS
    "There's no woman more beautiful to me than you."
(5) T-i juku ho-laip-ti-twe.
    3-INA.S.ABS very ???-easy-VRB-3PD
    "It's very easy for them."
(6) Johanna-i ho-bof-ti lo Tomas-a disp-ax-ta.
    Joan-DAT ???-modal.PRS.IND-3SD CPL Tom-ERG dance-SUB-3SE
    "Joan thinks Tom should dance."

> Josh

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