Additional VTA verb classes

• Double goals
• Causatives
• Inverse

Double goals

Observation

ᐧᐋᐱᐦᑎᔮᐤ		waapihtiyaau	S/he shows him/her something
ᒫᑎᔑᒧᐧᐋᐤ		maatishimuwaau	S/he cuts it for him

Some transitive verbs that involve giving to another or doing something for another actually have three roles: an actor and two goals. Such verbs are called double goals. In the verb ᐧᐋᐱᐦᑎᔮᐤ waapihtiyaau there are three participants: the canoe, John, and Louise. The focus is on John the animate recipient or beneficiary of the action:

ᐧᒑᓐᐦ ᐧᐋᐱᐦᑎᔮᐤ ᓘᐃᔅ ᐅᑑᑦ

Johnh waapihtiyaau Louise utuut

Louise shows her canoe to John

The other goal of the verb can be inanimate (like the canoe) or animate, (like the child):

ᒋᐧᐋᐱᐦᑎᔨᑎᓐ ᓂᑑᑦ		chiwaapihtiyitin nituut	I am showing you my canoe
ᒋᐧᐋᐱᐦᑎᔨᑎᓐ ᓂᑎᐧᐋᔑᔒᒻ		chiwaapihtiyitin nitiwaashishiim	I am showing you my child
ᒥᓯᓂᐦᐄᑭᓂᔨᐤ ᒥᔮᐤ		misinihiikiniyiu miyaau	S/he give him/her a book
ᐁᓪᓰ ᒌᐧᐋᒥᔮᐤ ᒥᓯᓂᐦᐄᑭᓂᔨᐤ ᓘᓰᐦ		Elsie chii waamiyaau misinihiikiniyiu Lucih	Elsie is returning the book to Luci

Verbs like ᒫᑎᔑᒧᐧᐋᐤ maatishimuwaau are TA verbs derived by insertion of a -uw suffix after a TI verb (ᒫᑎᔑᒻ maatishim ‘she cuts it’). They focus on the person who benefits from what happens (the beneficiary), and they can take animate or inanimate goals, in addition to this beneficiary goal. Such verbs are sometimes called benefactive or applicative verbs. Some other examples are:

ᑭᓂᐧᐋᔨᐦᑎᒧᐧᐋᐤ ᐅᑎᐧᐋᔑᔒᒥᔨᐤᐦ		kiniwaayihtimuwaau utiwaashishiimiyiuh	S/he is looking after his children for him
ᑭᓂᐧᐋᔨᐦᑎᒨᐦ ᓂᑑᑦ		kiniwaayihtimuuh nituut	Look after my canoe for me!
ᒋᑭ ᑭᓂᐧᐋᔨᐦᑎᒧᐧᐋᐤ ᑫᓃᐦ ᐅᑖᐹᓈᔅᒄᐦ		chiki kiniwaayihtimuwaau Kennyh utaapaanaaskwh	You will look after Kenny’s sled for him
ᒋᑭ ᑭᓂᐧᐋᔨᐦᑎᒧᐧᐋᐤ ᐧᒑᓐ ᐅᑑᑦ		chiki kiniwaayihtimuwaau John utuut	You will look after John’s canoe for him

These verbs have a different form in the inverse uwin > aatin / uwaau > aakiu.

ᒋᑭ ᑭᓂᐧᐋᔨᐦᑎᒫᑎᓐ ᑰᑖᐹᓈᔅᒄ		chiki kiniwaayihtimaatin kuutaapaanaaskw	I will be looking after your sled for you
ᒋᑭ ᑭᓂᐧᐋᔨᐦᑎᒫᑭᐤ ᐅᑑᑦ		chiki kiniwaayihtimaakiu utuut	He (obviative) will be looking after her canoe for her
ᒋᑭ ᑭᓂᐧᐋᔨᐦᑎᒫᒄ ᑫᓃ ᑰᑖᐹᔅᒄᐦ		chiki kiniwaayihtimaakw kenii kuutaapaanaaskwh	Kenny will look after your sled for you

The applicative verbs should not be confused with the relational forms of VTI and VAI verbs.

Causatives

Observation

ᓃᒥᐦᐋᐤ

niimihaau

S/he causes him to dance

Many TA verbs ending in ᐦᐋᐤ -haau have a causative meaning. They indicate that someone is making someone else do something. They can be derived from TI or AI verbs.

ᑭᔅᒑᔨᐦᑎᒻ		kischaayihtim	VTI	S/he is frustrated about it
ᑭᔅᒑᔨᐦᑎᒥᐦᐋᐤ		kischaayihtimihaau	VTA-causative	S/he causes him to be annoyed
ᓃᒥᐤ		niimiu	VAI	S/he dances
ᓃᒥᐦᐋᐤ		niimihaau	VTA-causative	S/he causes him to dance
ᐹᐦᐱᐤ		paahpiu	VAI	S/he laughs
ᐹᐦᐱᐦᐋᐤ		paahpihaau	VTA-causative	S/he causes him to laugh
ᒫᑎᐧᐋᐤ		maatiwaau	VAI	S/he is playing
ᒫᑎᐧᐋᐦᐋᐤ		maatiwaahaau	VTA-causative	S/he makes him play

Not all causative verbs are derived:

ᒨᐦᐋᐤ		muuhaau	VTA-causative	S/he makes him/her cry
ᒫᑑ		maatuu	VAI	S/he cries

Inverse

Observation

ᑭᔥᑭᒥᑰ

kishkimikuu

It is tight and digs into him

Some VTA verbs almost always appear in the inverse with an inanimate subject. Some, like ᑭᔥᑭᒥᑰ kishkimikuu above or ᐋᓯᐦᒑᔨᐦᑎᒥᐦᐄᑰ aasihchaayihtimihiikuu below are never found in the direct.

ᐋᓯᐦᒑᔨᐦᑎᒥᐦᐄᑰ		aasihchaayihtimihiikuu	It interests or motivates her
ᑯᑖᐧᐄᔥᑖᑰ		kutaawiishtaakuu	The porcupine quill goes deep into her skin