| Voice marking | Proper marker | yes | The detransitivizing suffix -za derives intransitive verb stems from some transitive and ambitransitive verb stems that index objects only using suffixes (Wegener 2012: 171).
There are a couple of morphemes that change the transitivity of a verb stem, namely the transitivizing suffix -vi and the detransitivizing suffix -za. The former can be used with some intransitive verbs only, the latter with some transitive and some ambitransitive verbs (Wegener 2012: 50).
The object marking affixes and the detransitivizing suffix -za are in complementary distribution (Wegener 2012: 162).
Option 2 (see below):
The detransitivizing suffix -za derives intransitive verb stems from some transitive and ambitransitive verb stems that index objects only by means of suffixes. It is lexically determined what changes will occur in the argument structure of a given verb when -za is added. There are three possibilities:
1. SBJ is demoted and removed, OBJ is promoted to subject position.
2. SBJ is unchanged, only the OBJ is removed.
3. Both SBJ and OBJ are removed and are replaced by a subject that is a semantic cognate of the verb, e.g. ‘a shout’ in case of a verb ‘to shout’ (Wegener 2012: 171).
It is here worth remarking that the Solomons East Papuan language Savosavo (pn) in the
language sample has a “detransitivizing” suffix -za, one function of which is anticausative
(e.g. pili ‘to turn sth. around’ ↔ pili-za ‘to turn around’, Wegener 2012: 275, 376). Wegener (2012: 171) also describes another function of the suffix which is reminiscent of an antipassive (Bahrt 2021: 87)/ |
| Voice marking | Lookalike marker | no | |
| Voice marking | Synthetic marker | yes | The detransitivizing suffix -za derives intransitive verb stems from some transitive and ambitransitive verb stems that index objects only using suffixes (...). The subject is unchanged. Only the object is removed (Wegener 2012: 171). |
| Voice marking | Analytical marker | no | |
| Flagging | S-argument flagging | yes | Savosavo is a language with a “marked nominative” case system (Dixon 1979; Haspelmath 2009), overtly marking the subjects of transitive and intransitive verbs as well as some non-verbal clauses on the NP, but leaving object NPs unmarked (Wegener 2012: 133).
Nominative (=na): subject of verbal clauses (Wegener 2012: 132). |
| Flagging | P-oblique flagging | n/a | |
| Flagging | P-oblique unflagging | n/a | |
| Flagging | P-oblique flagging variation | n/a | |
| Indexation | S-argument indexed | no | (t)here is no subject marking but obligatory object marking for transitive and transitively used ambitransitive verbs (Wegener 2012: 133).
The pattern of NP-marking is reversed in the marking of core participants on the verbs: there is no subject marking but obligatory object marking for transitive and transitively used ambitransitive verbs (Wegener 2012: 133).
INTRANSITIVE verb stems cannot take object marking (unless transitivized), and AMBITRANSITIVE verb stems can occur either with or without object marking (Wegener 2012: 49).
FYI: The second-largest verb class (300, or 38.3%, of a total of 784) are intransitive verbs. They are defined by their inability to occur with object marking affixes (Wegener 2012: 55). |
| Indexation | S-argument indexation conditioned | n/a | |
| P-individuation properties | Incorporated P is generic (non-specific) | n/a | |
| P-individuation properties | Incorporated P is indefinite (non-specific) | n/a | |
| P-individuation properties | Incorporated P can be referential | n/a | |
| P-individuation properties | Oblique is generic (non-specific) | n/a | |
| P-individuation properties | Oblique is indefinite (non-specific) | n/a | |
| P-individuation properties | Oblique can be referential | n/a | |
| P-individuation properties | Eliminated P is generic (non-specific) | yes | (Wegener 2012: 171)
a.
...te=zeSubj ghogho-li te=ze...
CONJ=3PL.NOM swear-3SG.M.OBJ CONJ=3PL.S
‘...and they swear at him and they...’
b.
Ai lo taemu=la=zeSubj mane oma ghogho-za(-a)=ze.
this DET.SG.M time=LOC.M =3PL.NOM consecutively not swear-DETR(-SIM)=3PL.NOM
‘This time they don’t swear.’
|
| P-individuation properties | Eliminated P is indefinite (non-specific) | yes | (Wegener 2012: 255)
[ze-va sara kavua-za-tu] lo taemu
3PL-GEN.M reach spread-DETR-REL DET.SG.M time
‘the time they arrived (and) spread out’
|
| P-individuation properties | Eliminated P can be referential | no | |
| Oblique affectedness | Less affected oblique | n/a | |
| P-constraining properties | Animacy constrains oblique demotion | n/a | |
| P-constraining properties | Person constrains oblique demotion | n/a | |
| P-constraining properties | Number constrains oblique demotion | n/a | |