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Article published In:
International Journal of Chinese Linguistics
Vol. 6:2 (2019) ► pp.238–259

Causatives and causativation in Tangut language

| University of Hawaiʻi System

This paper focuses on the causative verb 𘃡 wji1 and 𗟻 phji1 in the Tangut language. Causatives can be subcategorized as adversity causatives, transitive verbs (lexical causatives of intransitive verbs), analytic causatives of intransitive verbs, and causatives of transitive verbs. I argue that adversity causatives are expressed by 𘃡 wji1, while 𗟻 phji1 serves as the verb marking causatives of transitive verbs. Causatives of intransitive verbs can be divided according the directness of the action: direct actions, which often apply on inanimate objects, are causativized by 𘃡 wji1 (or use other transitive verbs), and indirect actions, which usually apply on animate objects, are causativized by 𗟻 phji1.

Keywords: causatives, analytic causatives, lexical causatives, adversity causatives, Tangut
Article outline
  • 1.Brief introduction
  • 2.Causatives in modern Japanese and English
  • 3.Variations of causatives with 𘃡 wji1 and 𗟻 phji1 in Tangut
    • 3.1Causatives of transitive verbs
    • 3.2(Analytic) causatives of intransitive verbs
    • 3.3Adversity causatives
    • 3.4Transitive verbs/lexical causatives
    • 3.5Conclusion of Section 3
  • 4.Some examples requiring discussion
  • 5.Comparison between the two types of causativization
  • 6.Phonological issues
  • 7.Typological evidence
  • 8.Discussions on the perfective marker
  • 9.Conclusion
  • Acknowledgements
  • Notes
  • References
Published online: 14 January 2020
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https://doi.org/10.1075/ijchl.18010.lim
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