Typological Database of the Volga-Kama Finno-Ugric Languages

(Udmurt)

IntPfrCC

IntPfrCC: Causatives are expressed through the use of a nonfinite verb form, special verbal mood, and either a verbal case affix or a special particle in the clause expressing the caused event. This type is known as an intentional causative construction.

(1)	maša	saša-jez	kńiga	lydʒ́y-ny	kos-i-z.
	Masha	Sasha‑ACC	book	read‑INF	order‑PST‑3SG
	’Masha ordered Sasha to read a book.’ (Tánczos 2015: 130–131)

(2)	maša	saša-jez	kńiga	lydʒ́y-ny	leź-i-z.
	Masha	Sasha‑ACC	book	read‑INF	allow‑PST‑3SG
	’Masha let Sasha read a book.’ (Tánczos 2015: 130–131)

(3)	saša	töl-en		jyrśi-ez	kuaśty-ny	leź-i-z.
	Sasha	wind‑INSCOM	hair‑ACC	dry‑INF		let‑PST‑3SG
	‘Sasha let the wind dry his hair’. (Tánczos 2015: 133)

(4)	mon	kos-i,	saša	med	ekt-o-z	šuysa.
	I	order‑PST.1SG	Sasha	PCL	dance‑FUT‑3SG	that
	’I ordered Sasha to dance.’ (Tánczos 2015: 134)

(5)	mon	saša-jez	kos-i,	so	kńiga	med	lydź-o-z.
	I	Sasha‑ACC	order‑PST.1SG	he	book	PCL	read‑FUT‑3SG
	’I ordered Sasha to read the book.’ (Tánczos 2015: 136)

According to Tánczos (2015: 130–154), in Udmurt, two verbs are used to form periphrastic causative constructions: kosyny ’order’ and leźyny ’let’. These are permissive verbs but Tánczos claims that they can also be considered lexicalised causative verbs, defining causativity as a process increasing the valency of the predicate (cf. Tánczos 2015: 131). The construction can have an infinitival complement (1)–(3), or, alternatively, causation and the caused event can be expressed in different clauses where the predicate of causation is in the main clause and the caused event in the subordinate clause (4)–(5). In the presence of an infinitival complement the causee has an accusative case suffix (1)–(2), or, in case of indirect causation (i.e. inanimate causee), an instrumental-comitative case suffix (3). In the subordinate construction the causee is in the nominative case in the subordinate clause when the lexical verb of causation is intransitive (4). When it is transitive, the causee is in the main clause in an accusative form (5) (Tánczos 2015: 130–136, 155–156, Bradley – F. Gulyás – Czentnár 2022).

Author: Laura Horváth

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