Causative morphemes as non-valency increasing devices

Abstract

Causativization is typically understood as a morphologically signaled process which introduces an agent to the valency of verbs, thus yielding constructions with n+1 arguments. This clearly constitutes the core of causatives, and many languages across the globe have means of expressing this function. In addition, causative morphemes may attach to verbs without affecting the valency of verbs and/or the number of arguments in clauses in any way. These are examined in this paper. Three types of non-prototypical uses of causative morphemes will be distinguished, based on whether causativization has consequences for the number of participants in the denoted event, the degree of agency associated with the instigator, or the transitivity of the denoted event in general. These three types are labeled covert causativization, agentivization and transitivization. In addition to providing a systematic overview of non-prototypical uses of causative morphemes, the rationale behind the attested types and their relation to the causative prototype will also be discussed. The goal of the present study is to show that causativization involves more than the mere introduction of an agent. In so doing, it aims to broaden our perspective on causativization.