Yukatek Maya Derivational Operator Inventory #
The four derivational suffixes that determine Yukatek root salience
classes ([Luc94]). The first three are transitivisers, used
diagnostically to identify a root's salience profile; the fourth
(-tal, allomorph -lah) is the positional inchoative that carves out a separate
class of stative roots.
[Luc94] characterises the diagnostic by which of =t, =∅,
or =s is required to form a transitive stem from an underived root:
| Required suffix | Lucy's class | Lexical content of root |
|---|---|---|
=t (AFCT) | agent-salient | activity / manner-of-action; one (agent) argument salient |
=∅ (root) | agent-patient salient | lexically transitive ("require two arguments") |
=s (CAUS) | patient-salient | spontaneous state change; one (patient) argument salient |
The structural conditions are over (B&K-G kind signature × Coon
arity): zero derivation tracks root transitivity
(Root.Arity.selectsTheme); the two intransitive transitivisers split
by signature (manner vs result). Each condition is the corresponding
named predicate of Roots/SalienceClass.lean applied to the root's
signature and the fragment's arity assignment, so operator
applicability matches predicted salience by construction.
The four operators #
Affective =t: forms a transitive stem from an agent-salient
root by adding a patient argument. Per [Luc94], applies
to roots whose underived form is intransitive and refers to
"actions or activities that some entity undertakes" — manner
without inherent result.
Equations
- Yukatek.Operators.affectiveT = { name := "=t", applies := fun (r : Verb.Root) => Verb.IsAgentSalient r.kinds (Yukatek.Roots.arity r), decApplies := inferInstance }
Instances For
Zero derivation =∅: signals that the root is already lexically
transitive — it "require[s] two arguments and refer[s] to events
involving the action of one entity on another" ([Luc94]).
The condition is root transitivity (Root.Arity.selectsTheme),
not any feature configuration: root transitives like p'is
'measure' entail no change of state.
Equations
- Yukatek.Operators.zeroDeriv = { name := "=∅", applies := fun (r : Verb.Root) => Verb.IsAgentPatientSalient (Yukatek.Roots.arity r), decApplies := inferInstance }
Instances For
Causative =s: forms a transitive stem from a patient-salient
root by adding an agent argument. Per [Luc94], applies
to roots whose underived form is intransitive and refers to "state
changes that some entity undergoes more or less spontaneously" —
result without specified manner.
Equations
- Yukatek.Operators.causativeS = { name := "=s", applies := fun (r : Verb.Root) => Verb.IsPatientSalient r.kinds (Yukatek.Roots.arity r), decApplies := inferInstance }
Instances For
Positional inchoative -tal (allomorph -lah): forms a positional stem from a
positional root (a stative root denoting orientation, posture,
or configuration). Per [Luc94], applies to roots that
"denote relational states and assume two arguments that are in the
relation" — encoded here as a pure stative root with no manner,
result, or cause atoms.
Equations
- Yukatek.Operators.positionalTal = { name := "-tal", applies := fun (r : Verb.Root) => Verb.IsPositional r.kinds (Yukatek.Roots.arity r), decApplies := inferInstance }