The suffix -agi 305
(92) a. Sale a-koto' dha' Romlah bab jawab-an.
Sale AV-whisper to Romlah about answer-NOM
‘Sale whispered the answer to Romlah.’
b. Sale ngoto'-agi jawab-an dha' Romlah.
Sale AV.whisper-AGI answer-NOM to Romlah
‘Sale whispered the answer to Romlah.’
In (91b) and (92b), the subject matter which is object of the preposition bab
‘about’ in the corresponding a-sentences is a bare NP object in immediate post-
verbal position. As with beneficiaries, the immediate postverbal bare NP of the
suffixed actor voice clauses is the subject in the object voice clauses.
(93) Ebu'-na e-careta'-agi Wati ka Marlena.
mother-DEF OV-tell-AGI Wati to Marlena
‘Wati told Marlena about her mother.’
(94) Jawab-an-na e-koto'-agi Sale dha' Romlah.
answer-NOM-DEF OV-whisper-AGI Sale to Romlah
‘Sale whispered the answer to Romlah.’
Many verbs of communication take clausal subject matter arguments ra-
ther than simple nominals. In the object voice, when the clause is the subject,
the verb characteristically has the -agi suffix, as in the b-sentences in (95) and
(96).
(95) a. Bapa' a-lapor dha' polisi ja' sapedha motor-ra e-keco' maleng.
father AV-report to police COMP motorcycle-DEF OV-steal thief
‘Father reported to the police that his motorcycle had been stolen.’
b. Ja' sepadha motor-ra e-keco' maleng e-lapor-agi Bapa' dha'
COMP motorcycle-DEF OV-steal thief OV-report-AGI father to
polisi.
police
‘Father reported to the police that his motorcycle had been stolen.’
(96) a. Anom a-janji ka Bibbi' ja' labang-nga e-pa-becce'-a are
uncle AV-promise to aunt COMP door-DEF OV-CS-good-IRR day
Sennen.
Monday
‘Uncle promised Auntie that the door would be fixed by Monday.’