MOFO - Examples

Examples

Meaning

Agent lets/causes Patient to Vb

Notes

The meaning of this affix is to signal causation. It is a valency increasing affix, so it will yield a divalent stem when affixed to a monovalent stem, but if affixed to a divalent stem, it will yield a trivalent stem. In this case, the Agent of the stem is demoted to an underlying agent (which can be specified in the allative case), whilst the agent of V{tət}V becomes the Agent of the resulting stem. The Patient of V{tət}V is identified with the Patient of the stem, or the Actor of the stem, if it is monovalent.

Kalaallisut Translation Notes

ilinniartippaa he teaches him (something) From ilinniarpoq, 'he is learning' or 'getting an education'. In this example, the monovalent stem {əlitniaq}V is turned into a divalent stem, and the former Actor of {əlitniaq}V becomes the Patient of {əlitniaqtət}V.

takutippaa

he exhibits it

Kalaallisut	Translation	Notes
ilinniartippaa	he teaches him (something)	From ilinniarpoq, 'he is learning' or 'getting an education'. In this example, the monovalent stem {əlitniaq}V is turned into a divalent stem, and the former `Actor` of {əlitniaq}V becomes the `Patient` of {əlitniaqtət}V.
takutippaa	he exhibits it	Literally 'he lets/causes (someone) to see it', from {taku}V (takuaa), '`Agent` sees `Patient`'. In this example, the former `Agent` of the stem, {taku}V, becomes an underlying `Agent` of the resulting stem, denoted by (someone) in the translation. It can then be specified explicitly in the allative case: Suppose for example we had the sentence Piitap illu takuaa, 'Piitaq saw the house'. By adding V{tət}V, we can transform this into the new sentence Piitamut illu takutippaa, 'he showed the house to Piitaq', where 'he' is some new, unnamed subject. The house, illu remains the object, but the former subject, Piitaq has now changed role.

Literally 'he lets/causes (someone) to see it', from {taku}V (takuaa), 'Agent sees Patient'. In this example, the former Agent of the stem, {taku}V, becomes an underlying Agent of the resulting stem, denoted by (someone) in the translation. It can then be specified explicitly in the allative case:

Suppose for example we had the sentence Piitap illu takuaa, 'Piitaq saw the house'. By adding V{tət}V, we can transform this into the new sentence Piitamut illu takutippaa, 'he showed the house to Piitaq', where 'he' is some new, unnamed subject. The house, illu remains the object, but the former subject, Piitaq has now changed role.

Back