(Udmurt)

IntrpassAkt & NoAgIntrpassSub & NoAgIntrpassNonSub & IntrpassPass

IntrpassAkt: The language does have intransitive passive constructions (= noun + passive form of an intransitive verb), where the noun representing the agent is treated identically to the agent in standard active constructions.

NoAgIntrpassSub: The language does have intransitive passive constructions, but no noun representing the agent appears in them and the subject of the passive intransitive verb is not an agent.

NoAgIntrpassNonSub: The language does have intransitive passive constructions, but no noun representing the agent appears in them and the passive intransitive verb does not have a subject.

IntrpassPass: The language does have intransitive passive constructions (= noun + passive form of an intransitive verb), where the noun representing the agent is treated identically to the agent in standard passive constructions.

(1) perepeć śij-emyn (anaj-en).
perepechieatPTCP.PASS mumINSCOM
’The perepechi is eaten (mum ate it) /"The perepechi has been eaten (by mum)".’ (F. Gulyás–Speshilova 2014: 70)

(2) perepeć śi-iśk-i-z (anaj-en).
perepechieatPASS3SG mumINSCOM
’The perepechi is eaten (mum ate it) / "The perepechi has been eaten (by mum)".’ (F. Gulyás–Speshilova 2014: 68)

(3) pudo-os bert-emyn.
livestockPLgo_homePTCP.PASS
’The livestock went home.’(Asztalos 2011: 53)

(4)ma-izkeno ćig-emyn kaď sosnov-lenpušk-a-z.
whatDET PCLalsobreakPTCP.PASS as_if SzosznovGEN insideINE3SG
’Something seems to have broken inside Sosnov.’ (Shklyayev 2000: 94–95)

(5)sogožt-i-z"jaratonnovoźan".
hewritePST3SG loveandjealousy
’He wrote Love and Jealousy.’ (Udmurt corpus)

(6)tatynekt-emyn.
heredancePTCP.PASS
‘Somebody danced here./There was dancing here.’ (F. Gulyás–Speshilova 2014: 69)

(7) tatyn jegit-jos-ynekt-iśk-i-z.
hereyoungPLINSCOM dancePASSPST3SG
‘Young people danced here./There was dancing here by young people.’ (Y. S.)

In Udmurt, there are two ways to form a passive construction with a transitive verb: using the suffix -(e)myn (1) (a suffix deriving predicative non-finites), or the suffix -(i)śk- (2). The agent can be expressed with an optional noun or pronoun in instrumental-comitative case (1)–(2). Both suffixes can be used to form intransitive passive constructions as well. (3)–(4), (6)–(7) (cf. Asztalos 2008, 2011, F. Gulyás–Speshilova 2014).

In constructions with the -(e)myn suffix the subject argument of intransitive verbs expressing involuntary events or referring to the end-point of movement (identified as unaccusative verbs in Asztalos 2011) appears in nominative case irrespective of whether it has the semantic role of agent (3) or patient (4). That is, the construction may contain an agent (3), in which case it has the same form as the agents of standard active sentences (5), or it may be agentless (4). When the suffix -(e)myn is added to an unergative verb to form an intransitive passive, the agent cannot appear in the construction (6) (Y. S.).

In intransitive passives formed with the suffix -(i)śk- the agent can be expressed using a noun or pronoun in instrumental-comitative case (7), similarly to passive constructions with a transitive verb (1)–(2).

Author: Erika Asztalos


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