The suffix -agi 299
The object voice form with -e does not have a causative interpretation;
that is, it is not ambiguous. An object voice form of a causative of this predicate
requires the use of the causative morpheme pa- rather than -e. Object voice
forms propositionally equivalent to (68) and (71) are (72) and (73), respective-
ly.
(72) Lukman e-pa-peggel Sinap.
Lukman OV-CS-angry Sinap
‘Sinap made Lukman angry.’
(73) Hosen e-pa-tako' bi' lar-olar.
Hosen OV-CS-afraid by RED-snake
‘Snakes scare Hosen.’
Causatives are discussed in some detail in section 3.
2. The suffix -agi
The other applicative-type suffix is -agi. Though it shares many of the proper-
ties of Indonesian -kan and Javanese -ake, there are some differences. The most
notable difference is in causatives, as there is a dedicated prefix pa- used in the
majority of morphological causative structures, the use of -agi is much more
circumscribed than in Indonesian or Javanese, both of which lack this prefix.
Causatives are treated in detail in section 3. The -agi suffix has a few main ef-
fects, which are detailed in what follows.
2.1 Benefactives
With transitive verbs, -agi appears to have a benefactive function. In the same
way that -e signals a locative/goal is a core argument, with canonical transitive
verbs, -agi many times indicates that a beneficiary is a core argument. Thus, the
a- and b-sentences in (74) and (75) are propositionally equivalent.
(74) a. Sa'diyah melle permen kaangguy na'-kana'.
Sa'diyah AV.buy candy for RED-child
‘Sa'diyah bought candy for the children.’
b. Sa'diyah melle-yagi na'-kana' permen.
Sa'diyah AV.buy-AGI RED-child candy
‘Sa'diyah bought the children candy.’