A SYNOPSIS OF ROLE AND REFERENCE GRAMMAR 71(57) a. Mavuto a-na-umb-a mtsuko. Chichewa
Mavuto suBj-PAST-mold-MooD waterpot
"Mavuto molded the waterpot."
b. Mavuto a-na-umb-ir-a mfumu mtsuko.
Mavuto suBj-PAST-mold-APPL-MooD chief waterpot
"Mavuto molded the waterpot for the chief."
(58) a. Umukoôbwa a-ra-som-a igitabo. Kinyarwanda
girl suBj-PRES-read-MooD book
"The girl is reading a book."
b. Umukoôbwa a-ra-som-er-a umuhuûngu igitabo.
girl suBj-PRES-read-APPL-MOOD boy book
"The girl is reading the boy a book."One of the intriguing features of applicative constructions with beneficiaries
is that in many Bantu languages the derived benef active undergoer as well
as the other direct core arguments of the verb can function as pivot in a pas
sive construction. This is illustrated in (59) from Kinyarwanda.
(59) a. Umugóre a-rá-hé-er-a umugabo ímbwa ibíryo.
woman suBj-PREs-give-APPL-MooD man dog food
"The woman is giving food to the dog for the man."
b. Ibíryo bi-rá-hé-er-w-a umugabo ímbwa
food suBj-PREs-give-APPL-PAss-MOOD man dog
n'umugóre.
by woman
"The food is being given to the dog for the man by the
woman."
ímbwa i-rá-hé-er-w-a umugabo ibíryo
dog suBj-PREs-give-APPL-PAss-MOOD man food
η'umugóre.
by woman
"The dog is being given food for the man by the woman."
d. Umugabo a-rá-hé-er-w-a ímbwa ibíryo
man suBj-PREs-give-APPL-PAss-MOOD dog food
ri umugóre.
by woman
"The man benefits from the woman giving food to the dog."
[Lit: "The man is being given food to the dog by the
woman."]