Chapter published in:
Antipassive: Typology, diachrony, and related constructions
Edited by Katarzyna Janic and Alena Witzlack-Makarevich
[Typological Studies in Language 130] 2021
► pp. 447–480

Chapter 14
The profile and development of the Maa (Eastern Nilotic) antipassive

| University of Oregon | SIL International
Maa (Eastern Nilotic) language varieties have nominative/accusative syntactic patterns, but also an antipassive construction marked by the verb suffix -ɪshɔ(r). This suffix turns an otherwise transitive construction into an intransitive one that can no longer express the P. Semantically the -ɪshɔ(r) construction focuses on the action of the verb or profiles long-term characteristics or ability of the agent. It is not required in imperfective situations, but most commonly does correlate with them. Interestingly, -ɪshɔ(r) may occur on some intransitive roots where it appears to highlight imperfectivity. The -ɪshɔ(r) antipassive construction does not appear to reconstruct to proto-Eastern Nilotic, though a verb root cognate with Maa ɪshɔ(r) ‘give’ does go back to a Proto-Maa-Lotuko-Lopit genetic node (though non-Maa languages within this group may lack the antipassive function). Given similarities between ɪshɔ(r) ‘give’ and the suffix -ɪshɔ(r), the possibility of an antipassive developing from ‘give’ is explored. Potential “drift” or borrowing under Kalenjin (Southern Nilotic) influence is also noted.
Keywords: valence, aspect, nominative alignment, diachrony, contact
Article outline
  • 1.Introduction
  • 2.Basic Maa morphosyntax
  • 3.The Maa antipassive
    • 3.1Syntax and propositional semantics of the -ɪshɔ(r) construction with (di)transitive roots
    • 3.2Functional profile of the -ɪshɔ(r) construction
      • 3.2.1Properties of the P
      • 3.2.2Focus on the action or static situation
      • 3.2.3Imperfective aspect situations
      • 3.2.4Long-term characteristics: ‘Ability to x’
      • 3.2.5 agent orientation
  • 4.-ɪshɔ(r) with intransitive roots
  • 5.Origin of the Maa antipassive
    • 5.1Parallels with the Maa verb root ɪshɔ(r) ‘give’
    • 5.2Possible cognacy with other Nilotic antipassive(-like) morphology
      • 5.2.1Potential cognates in Eastern Nilotic languages
      • 5.2.2Borrowing or drift influenced by Southern Nilotic?
  • 6.Conclusions
  • Notes
  • Abbreviations
  • References
Published online: 23 March 2021
https://doi.org/10.1075/tsl.130.14pay
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