Alternations of Yucatec Maya
Alternation name | Coded? | Description | Examples | Verbs |
---|---|---|---|---|
C
|
y |
Generic causative construction: [ [ Pn ]PC.i [ [ W ]V.intr_inact -Caus ]V.tr -Absj [ P ]NP.j [ A ]NP.i ]VCC "A causes V to happen to P." This is a subtype of the basic transitive construction. P is the causee and A is added to W's valency. If W is an adjective or a positional, the factitive derivation (suffix ) applies. If it is an inactive intransitive verb root, the causative derivation proper (basic allomorph -s ) applies. More dynamic bases do not causativize. Variants of this construction (e.g. #37, 40, 89) have an additional verbal dependent. |
19 | |
C
|
y |
Deagentive construction: [ [ Pn ]i [ [ W ]V.tr -Deag ]V.intr_inact [ P ]NP.i ]VCC "P undergoes W (without an agent)" Deag is a high tone on the base and P is the direct object of W, but the subject of the derived verb. (what some call anticausative) |
10 | |
C
|
y |
Extraversive construction: [ [ Pn ]PC.i [ [ W ]V.intr_act -t ]V.tr -Absj [ P ]NP.j [ A ]NP.i ]VCC "A acts on P". The intransitive active base W is converted into a transitive verb by the -t suffix. A is the subject of both the base and the derived verb, and the direct object P is often unforeseeable from the point of view of the base construction. It is almost an applicative, except that no promotion is involved, and instead it is a generic transitivization process, even with non-verbal bases W. This is a subtype of the basic transitive verb construction. |
18 | |
C
|
y |
Fientive verb construction: [ [ Pn ]PC.i [ [ W ]N/Adj -tal ]V.intr [ S ]NP.i ]VCC "S is in the state or process W" where W is a nominal (adjectival or, if semantically suitable, substantival) base or a verbal base of a certain class. X's valency does not change, but its aktionsart may change from static to dynamic. |
9 | |
C
|
y |
[ [X]V - [Y]N ]V.intr instead of [ X ]V ([ Z ]Prep) [ Y ]NP where Y is either the direct object or the instrument of X. The incorporative verb is basically intransitive, but is in most cases "retransitivized" by extraversion. |
25 | |
C
|
y |
[W]V [ [ possX Y ]NP [ X ]NP ]NP [Z]NP where Z is subject, Y is direct object, and X is conceived as Y's possessor [thus participating in W only indirectly], instead of [W]V [ Y ]NP [ti' X]PP [Z]NP where X is conceived as partipating in W. This alternation is not coded on the verb and instead in nominal morphology. |
13 | |
C
|
y |
Introversive construction: [ [ Pn ]PC.i [ [ W ]V.tr introv ]V.intr-act [ S ]NP.i ]VCC "S does the action W". where introv is one of the allomorphs of the introversive morpheme, S is the subject of both the base and the derived verb, and there is no way to include what was the direct object of W. |
16 | |
C
|
y |
Passive construction: [ [ Pn ]i [ [ W ]V.tr -Pass ]V.intr_inact [ P ]NP.i [ tuméen [ A ]NP ]PrepP ]VCC "P undergoes W by A" |
98 | |
C
|
y |
Reciprocal construction: [ [ Pn ]PC.i [ (paaklan) WV.tr ] ([ possi báah ]NP.j) [ A ]NPi ]VCC "The As W each other." where the adverb paaklan 'together, each other' immediately precedes W (and optionally forms a compound with it) and the reflexive phrase takes the stead of W's direct object. The ditransitive reciprocal construction is analogous, with the reflexive pronoun depending on ti'. Either paaklan or the reflexive phrase is optional in the construction. If the former is omitted, then the reciprocal construction is an interpretation of the reflexive construction. If the latter is omitted, the reciprocal construction is an interpretation of a 'together'-construction. |
52 | |
C
|
y |
Reflexive construction of a transitive verb: [ [ W ]V.tr [ possA báah ]NP ] [ A ]NP "A does W to himself" Báah 'self' takes possessive clitics cross-referencing the subject (as in English). The phrase poss báah ('A's self') takes the stead of W's direct object, A is the subject and poss codes person and number of A. Since báah is the direct object, this is a subtype of the basic transitive construction. |
30 | |
C
|
y |
[ [ X ]N -int ]V.tr [ Y ]NP [ Z ]NP 'Z has Y as (an) X' instead of [ [ poss X ] [ Z ]NP ] [ Y ]NP 'Y is Z's X' where X is a (typically inalienable) noun. It amounts to a verbalization of a possessive predication. |
2 | |
U
|
n |
With a set of Yucatec three-argument verbs, either of the non-first arguments may be direct object, while the other non-first argument is preferably omitted. This alternation is called direct object shift. The set may be further subdivided as follows: 1. only bivalent (monotransitive) construction possible: hat ‘tear P off L’, tix ‘rinse P off L’, tíit ‘shake P off L, púust ‘remove P (dust) from L’, ts'ik ‘shave L’s P’ and ts’íil ‘peel P off L’; 2.trivalent construction possible: a. with locative shift: but’ ‘stuff P into L, fill L with P’, bak’ ‘wind P around L, wrap L in P’, b. with irregular valency alternation: okol ‘steal P from L’, ka’ns ‘teach L P’. |
5 |