‘Locative’ -e 285
not the location is the subject. The theme can be subject of the object voice
clause only when the verb lacks the subject, in which case the location must be
in a PP.
(7) Paket rowa e-kerem ka Ebu' bi' Embuk.
package that OV-send-LOC to mother by eld.sister
‘The package was sent to mother by Big Sister.’
(8) Paket rowa e-saba' neng meja bi' Ebu'.
package that OV-put at table by mother
‘The package was put on the table by mother.’
Likewise, the theme cannot be the direct object when the verb carries the suffix.
(9) *Embuk ngerem-e paket ka Ebu'.
eld.sister AV.send-LOC package to mother
(Big Sister sent a package to mother.)
(10) *Ebu' nyaba'-i paket neng meja.
mother AV.put-LOC package at table
(Mother put the package on the table.)
The theme is object only when the verb lacks the locative suffix, as in (1a) and
(2a).
Therefore, the locative suffix occurs with ditransitives only when the
location is a core argument, i.e. subject or object. Further examples with the
verbs keba ‘carry’ and toles ‘write’ are in (11) and (12).
(11) Ali e-keba-i kothak bi' Hasan.
Ali OV-carry-LOC box by Hasan
‘Hasan carried the box to Ali.’
(12) Tang buku anyar e-toles-e bi' Ale'.
my book new OV-write- LOC by yngr.sibling
‘Little Brother wrote in my new book.’
As before, the structures are much more common when the location is the sub-
ject.
It should be noted that the goal of kerem ‘send’ must be human in order
for it to be a core argument, as it is in (1b) and (3). When the goal is inanimate,
as in (13b), it cannot occur as a core argument in the presence of -e.