Alternation ‘Telicity alternation’ (Coded)

S(A) = A. With this highly productive alternation, a telic complex predicate has an atelic counterpart with a UV derived from that employed in the telic counterpart by means of the continuous suffix -mayan or one of several non-productive counterparts e.g. -ja, -ib, -b. In other words, this alternation is not solely coded by means of a change of inflecting verb, but in addition morphologically coded on the uninflecting verb. The inflecting verb in the atelic combinations is invariably the intransitive stative/durative verb gagba 'be' or, less frequently, the verb gajgany 'go' in a 'prolonged durative' reading. The A or S argument in the telic alternant always corresponds to the sole absolutive argument (S) in the atelic alternant. With bivalent UVs, the atelic alternant may in addition also have an absolutive P.

Verb Meaning Verb form Basic coding frame Derived coding frame Occurs Comment # Ex.