Chichewa voice

Chichewa marks its valency-changing voices with verbal extensions, suffixes that follow the root: the causative -its-, the applicative -ir-, the reciprocal -an- and the passive -idw-, as on mang- 'tie', mang-its- 'cause to tie', mang-ir- 'tie for, with, at', mang-an- 'tie each other' and mang-idw- 'be tied'. The applicative introduces a benefactive, an instrument, a location or a circumstance.

Main definitions

• Chichewa.causative, applicative, reciprocal, passive: the voices.

References

• [HM92]

def Chichewa.causative : Voice

The causative -its- makes a causer the A of a transitive construction.

Equations

• Chichewa.causative = Voice.causative.marked [Morphology.Morph.suff "its"]

def Chichewa.applicative : Voice

The applicative -ir- adds an applied participant as a second P beside the A and the P.

Equations

• Chichewa.applicative = Voice.applicative.marked [Morphology.Morph.suff "ir"]

def Chichewa.reciprocal : Voice

The reciprocal -an- makes the A and the P the single S of an intransitive construction.

Equations

• Chichewa.reciprocal = Voice.reciprocal.marked [Morphology.Morph.suff "an"]

def Chichewa.passive : Voice

The passive -idw- makes the P the subject and demotes the agent.

Equations

• Chichewa.passive = Voice.passive.marked [Morphology.Morph.suff "idw"]