18 R. M. W. Dixon6.1.2. Different possibilities for transitivity
In Fijian, almost every verb can be used either intransitively (then not bearing a
suffix) or transitively (with a transitive suffix). For some verbs the intransitive sub-
ject (S) relates to the transitive subject (A), and for others S relates to the transitive
object (O). For example (full details are in Dixon 1988: 200-19):
(16) Intransitive Transitive
type S = A lab go' lab-va go for'
dredre 'laugh' dredre-va'ina 'laugh at'
type S = O corf 'be tied' corf-fa 'tie'
rogo 'be audible' rogo-ca 'hear'
Unlike verbs, adjectives do not take a transitive suffix; that is, adjectives only occur
in intransitive—not in transitive—predicates. (There are a few verbs which are only
used intransitively, includinggaadee 'stroll' and bona 'stink'. These are distinguished
from adjectives by other tests, for example the co-occurrence with rui 'more than
a usual amount', illustrated above.)
It is interesting to study the allocation of adjectival concepts into word classes in
Fijian. Words from the DIMENSION, AGE, VALUE, COLOUR, PHYSICAL PROPERTY, and
SPEED types are adjectives, but HUMAN PROPENSITY items are placed in the verb
class. It is not hard to see why this should be so.
Most adjectives in English just describe a property of some thing (for example,
'big', 'new', 'heavy', 'sharp'). However, HUMAN PROPENSITY adjectives describe an
attitude on the part of one participant towards someone or something else. When
they function as copula complement, this second argument may be shown by an
optional prepositional phrase; for example 'happy (about)', clever (at)', 'jealous (of)',
'afraid (of)', 'brave (at)', 'angry (at/about)'.
These ideas are coded in Fijian by verbs, each of which can be used intransitive-
ly (with no suffix) or transitively (with a suffix); they are all of type S = A. The O
of the transitive verbs corresponds to the prepositional argument in English. For
example:
(17) Intransitive Transitive
maarau 'be happy' maarau-ta'ina 'be happy about'
vu'u 'be clever' vu'u-ta'ina 'be clever at'
vuuvuu 'be jealous' vuuvuu-ta'ina 'be jealous of
rere 'be afraid' rere-va'ina 'be afraid of
dou 'be brave' dou-va'ina 'be brave at'Now some verbs in Fijian may choose between two transitive suffixes, which
bring different participants into the second core argument slot. For example:(18) Intransitive Transitive 1 Transitive 2
dabe 'sit' dabe-ca 'sit on dabe-va 'sit (waiting) for'
vana 'shoot' vana-a 'shootat' vana-ta'ina shoot with (e.g. agun)'