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Universal 288: causative morpheme expresses permissiveness ⇒ causative morpheme expresses factitivity

Posted in Universals Archive

Universal 288: causative morpheme expresses permissiveness ⇒ causative morpheme expresses factitivity

Original
If a causative morpheme in any language can express permissiveness, it can usually also express factitivity.
Standardized
IF a causative morpheme can express permissiveness, THEN it can usually also express factitivity.
Keywords
causative, permissive, factitive
Domain
morphology, semantics
Type
implication
Status
achronic
Quality
statistical
Basis
languages mentioned in Nedjalkov & Sil’nickij 1969, Nedjalkov & Sil’nickij 1973
Source
see Vardul’ 1969, referring to Nedjalkov, Nedjalkov & Sil’nickij 1969: 29, Nedjalkov & Sil’nickij 1973: 11
Counterexamples

One Comment

  1. FP
    FP

    1. This implication can be exemplified by Adygei (N. Caucasian), Aymara (Andean), Blackfoot (Algonquian), Georgian (S. Caucasian), Quechua (Andean), Nanaian, Evenki (both Tungus, Altaic), Japanese (Japanese-Ryukyuan), Nivkh (isolate), Turkish, and Mongolian (both Altaic) languages, etc. The reverse is not always found. For example, permissiveness is not found to accompany factivitity in Arabic (Semitic, Afro-Asiatic), Basque (isolate), Zulu (Bantoid, Benue-Congo), Indonesian (Malayo-Polynesian), and Takelma (isolate) (Nedjalkov & Sil’nickij 1969: 29, 1973: 11).2. In FACTITIVE causation, the only or primary source of changes in the referential plane is the causing subject, e.g. Russian: Ja velel emu prijti ‘I ordered him to come’, ja pozval ego ‘I invited him’, ja zakryl dver’ ‘I closed the door’, ja ispugal ego ‘I frightened him’. In PERMISSIVE causation the primary source of these changes is the caused subject, and the role of the causing subject is reduced to permitting or obstructing the changes: ja [ne] razreshil emu prijti ‘I [did not] allow(ed) him to come’, ja [ne] vpustil ego ‘I [did not] let him in’, on [ne] dal dveri zakryt’sja ‘he [did not] let the door close’. 3. Cf. #1586.

    1. May 2020

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