Diathesis

Diathesis is normally a fancy, Grammaric word for the 'voice' of verbs and clauses. For example, Peter eats the apple is an active sentence, because the 'doer' or Agent (Peter) is the Subject of the sentence, and the 'doee' or Patient (the apple) is the Object of the sentence. Thus, we would say that the diathesis or voice of this sentence is active. In contrast, the apple is eaten is a passive sentence, because the 'doer'/Agent is omitted, and the 'doee'/Patient (the apple) is the Subject of the sentence, even though it still suffers the consequence of the verbal action (it is being eaten). Thus, we would say that the diathesis/voice of this sentence is passive.

The number of logical roles in the stem is called the valency of the stem, and the concept of diathesis is determined by how these logical roles in the verbal action (Actor, Agent, Patient) are bound to the grammatical functions (Subject, Object) in the sentence.

In the present dictionary, we use the concept of diathesis in a slightly different way, because stems and affixes can have a preference for how these roles are bound or dropped. We have the following classifications:

• Subjective: The stem is avalent or monovalent. It has (at most) only a single, logical role, Actor, so the stem can only be used with intransitive endings. Example: {sinək}V, 'sleep' ⇒ sinippoq, 'he sleeps'.

• Agent-preserving (AP): The stem is at least divalent, i.e. it contains at least an Agent and a Patient role, so it is normally used with transitive endings, which will yield a verb with active meaning. However, if used with intransitive endings without an intervening HTR-morpheme, it may drop its Patient role, so the resulting verb retains an active meaning. Alternatively, it may preserve both roles by equating them, in which case the meaning becomes reflexive, or reciprocal, if used with plural endings.

• Patient-preserving (PP): The stem is at least divalent, i.e. it contains at least an Agent and a Patient role, so it is normally used with transitive endings, which will yield a verb with active meaning. However, if used with intransitive endings without an intervening HTR-morpheme, it may drop its Agent role, and the Patient role is instead promoted to the Subject of the sentence. The resulting meaning therefore becomes passive. Alternatively, it may preserve both roles by equating them, in which case the meaning becomes reflexive, or reciprocal, if used with plural endings.

There is an overlap between the sets of agent-preserving and patient-preserving stems. These stems are both agent-preserving and patient-preserving; hence, we denote them as both-preserving (BP). This gives us a subdivision of the divalent stems as follows:

• Agentive: The stem is divalent and non-patient-preserving (NPP). It can be used with intransitive endings, without an intervening HTR-morpheme, without altering the diathesis, because the Agent role is preserved and bound to the Subject of the sentence. Thus, the diathesis/voice remains active. Example:

  • {atuvaq}V, 'Agent reads Patient' ⇒ atuarpaa, 'he reads it' ⇒ atuarpoq, 'he reads (something)'.

• Patientive: The stem is divalent and non-agent preserving (NAP). When used with intransitive endings without an intervening HTR-morpheme, the Patient role is preserved and bound to the Subject of the sentence. Thus, the diathesis/voice becomes passive. Example:

  • {atuq}V, 'Agent uses Patient' ⇒ atorpaa, 'he uses it' ⇒ atorpoq, 'it is used (by someone)'.

• Reflexive/reciprocal: The stem is divalent and both-preserving (BPP). When used with intransitive endings without an intervening HTR-morpheme, both the Agent and Patient roles are preserved and equated, and are both bound to the Subject of the sentence. Thus, the diathesis/voice becomes reflexive (Subject Vb himself); or, if used with a plural ending, reciprocal (Subjects Vb each other). The reflexive meaning is usually further emphasised by using the reflexive pronoun imminut. Example:

  • {tuqut}V, 'Agent kills Patient' ⇒ toquppaa, 'he kills it' ⇒ (imminut) toquppoq, 'he kills himself'.