jeff_l
(Jeff_L)
#1
462 8 Verbal derivation
8.1.9 Causatives of prefixally derived verbs
The combinations of Caus -s- with a following derivational prefix
predominantly involve one of the following as second suffix: Mediopassive
-m- (-n-), Reciprocal -m- (or -nvra·), or a second Causative -s-. The triple
combination -s-m-s- is also attested. The rarest combination is Caus -s-
followed by Passive -t(t)- or -tvw-. This is likely due to semantic awkwardness
rather than morphological barriers. However, I can cite (from Gao) one case of
a causative of a reciprocal of a passive, in the form of VblN a-z-ann-at-almaz
'swallow and spit up saliva', cf. -vlmvz- 'swallow'. The derivative is literally
something like 'cause to be swallowed back and forth' (see below on
distributivity).
Clear cases of causative of reciprocal are given in (472), using T-ka for
the most widespread paradigm type but adding some A-grm variants.
(472) Causative-Reciprocal
a. -s-vnvm-vyyu- 'cause (them) to leave each other' (-uyyu- 'leave')
PerfP -ass-naem-aeyya-
Imprt s-annam-ayy
LoImpfP -s-inm-ayyi-
VblN a-s-annam-ayy
b. -s-vnvm-vwvt- 'cause (them) to hit each other (-vwvt- 'hit')
PerfP -aes-naem-aewaet-
Imprt s-annam-awat
LoImpfP -s-lnm-awit-
VblN a-s-annam-awat
An example of the verb in (472.b) with lSg subject and 3MaPl plural
object clitic: ajs-nasm-aewaet-aeq-\qaen Ί made them hit each other'.
In the short imperfectives (including Imprt), as for other causatives, we
observe C,-Gemination on the first C following the -s- prefix, in this case the
inner -m- prefix, resulting in -s-vmm-V...
The examples in (472) are of the semantic type [Z cause [XY hit XY]]. I
asked whether the forms in (472) could also be interpreted as of the type [XY
cause [XY hit Z]], e.g. 'cause each other to hit (something)', but this sense was
rejected.
In theory, it should be easy to distinguish these causatives of reciprocals
from causatives of mediopassives. However, the distinction between
Mediopassive -m- (-n-) and Reciprocal -nvm- is usually neutralized in favor of
the shorter -m- (-n-) when the underived stem is already heavy (§8.4). In
combination with a preceding Caus -s-, this neutralization of Mediopassive
and Reciprocal seems to occur even with some of the shorter stems.
