Proto-Rathmosian: Difference between revisions

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===Voice===
===Voice===
Voice is marked exclusively by suffixes, which follow the root or aspectual suffixes.
Voice markers function in different ways for different verbs. They are distinguished primarily for the ways in which they focus the subject or object of the verb.


* '''''-a-''''' is used to mark verbs where the subject is not the semantic agent, i.e. is not considered to have control over the action of the verb. This includes intransitive verbs of actions and states, or verbs with a passive meaning, e.g. ''plusa-'' "is sick", ''kekera-'' "was ruled"
* '''Patient focus''' is marked with '''''-a-''''' and is mainly used with intransitive verbs in which the subject is the patient of the verb (i.e. Classes I-III), e.g. ''dreha-'' "be red", ''tuma-'' "fall". Used with semantically transitive verbs of Class V, it is effectively a passive marker e.g. ''keyka-'' "is seen". The subject of patient focus verb is in the Abs. case and there can be no direct object.
* '''''-i-''''' is used with transitive verbs, where both the subject and object are stated, e.g. ''keri-''
* '''Agent-Patient focus''' is marked with '''''-i-''''' and is used only with Class V (transitive) verbs in which both the subject and direct object are stated, e.g. ''keri-'' "rule". The subject of the verb is in the ergative case and the direct object in the absolutive.
* '''''-u''''' is used with intransitive verbs where the subject is considered to have control over the action, or with transitive verbs where the object of the verb is not stated, e.g. ''yuru-'' "run", ''kuku-'' "eats"
* '''Agent focus''' verbs are marked with '''''-u-''''' and are used with Class IV and V verbs, where the subject is the agent of the verb, but where no direct object is stated e.g. ''kuku-'' "eat", ''yuru-'' "run". The subject is in the ergative case for both transitive and intransitive verbs
* '''''-e-''''' is used to give the verb a '''reciprocal''' or '''reflexive''' meaning, e.g. ''sape-'' "wash oneself".
* '''Medial''' verbs are marked with '''''-e-''''' and are used with Class V transitive verbs when the agent and the patient refer to the same entity, creating a reciprocal or reflexive meaning, e.g. ''sape-'' "wash oneself".
* '''''-e-''''' is used to give the verb a '''reciprocal''' or '''reflexive''' meaning, e.g. ''sape-'' "wash oneself". The subject here is in the ergative case.  
* '''''-im-''''' is a '''causative''' suffix, meaning "cause to do", e.g. ''kukim-'' "feed s.o.", ''mlagnim-'' "kill".
* '''''-im-''''' is a '''causative''' suffix, meaning "cause to do", e.g. ''kukim-'' "feed s.o.", ''mlagnim-'' "kill".
* '''''-am-''''' is an '''anticausative''' suffix, describing an action forced upon someone or something, e.g. ''kukam-'' "force feed"
* '''''-am-''''' is an '''anticausative''' suffix, describing an action forced upon someone or something, e.g. ''kukam-'' "force feed"
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