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Up-rooting the prefix maha- in Malagasy

This thesis explains why the prefix maha- in Malagasy (a Western Austronesian language) can have either an abilitive or causative meaning. It is not the case that there is a causative maha- prefix and an abilitive maha- prefix. There is, in fact, only one prefix which is both causative and abilitive. The apparent difference in meaning arises because of a difference in the emphasis placed on what I shall suggest are the two components of this prefix: stativity and causation. Whether maha- receives an abilitive or a causative reading depends on whether it attaches to what I term an "eventive" root or a "non-eventive" root. In the former case, it receives an abilitive reading, in the latter case, a causative reading.

Identiferoai:union.ndltd.org:LACETR/oai:collectionscanada.gc.ca:QMM.26752
Date January 1996
CreatorsPhillips, Vivianne.
ContributorsTravis, Lisa (advisor)
PublisherMcGill University
Source SetsLibrary and Archives Canada ETDs Repository / Centre d'archives des thèses électroniques de Bibliothèque et Archives Canada
LanguageEnglish
Detected LanguageEnglish
TypeElectronic Thesis or Dissertation
Formatapplication/pdf
CoverageMaster of Arts (Department of Linguistics.)
RightsAll items in eScholarship@McGill are protected by copyright with all rights reserved unless otherwise indicated.
Relationalephsysno: 001557716, proquestno: MQ29562, Theses scanned by UMI/ProQuest.

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