Minor verb-class changes Derivational morphology 275

66 A GRAMMAR OF THE MUNA LANGUAGE a partitive reading, whereas with an a-inflection a completive meaning is suggested. Compare the following examples: 63 a. ae-fo-ndawu tonde I drop a glassglasses 1sR-CAUS-fall glass b. a-fo-ndawu tonde-ku I drop my glassglasses 1sR-CAUS-fall glass-my c. ae-fo-ndawu tonde-ku I drop one of my glasses 1sR-CAUS-fall glass-my 64 a. a-runsa mie-no lambu-ku I divorce my wife 1sR-divorce person-POS house-my b. ae-runsa mie-no lambu-ku I divorce one of my wives 1sR-divorce person-POS house-my 65 a. a-mbolaku doi-no sabhangka-ku I will steal my friends 1sI-steal money-POS friend-my money b. ae-mbolaku doi-no sabhangka-ku I will steal some of my 1sI-steal money-POS friend-my friends money This opposition only seems to take place with direct objects that have been made definite by nominal modification such as a possessive suffix or another noun. With pronominal suffixes this option is not open: 66 a. a-fo-ndawu-e I have dropped it 1sR-CAUS-fall-it b. ae-fo-ndawu-e 3. The verbs wurawora see and rabu make. Both are ae-verbs, but with definite objects such as modified nouns they regularly do not shift to a- verbs. The reasons for this are still unclear. In spite of the regularity of the definiteness shift and its exceptions, there remain a number of cases in the text material where the shift does take place and the object is not definite, or alternatively, where the shift does not take place while the object is definite. See, for example, Appendix text 3, sentences 1 and 23. These residual problems need further study.

4.7. Minor verb-class changes

In addition to the definiteness shift, there is a small class of verbs that displays another shift from ae- to a-inflection, a process which is some kind of detransitivization. With these ae-verbs, the verb can shift to the a-class when the object is generic and is almost incorporated in the verb. To this class belong such verbs as mooru weave, tisa plant, hulo hunt, chase and possibly others. 67 a. ae-mooru bheta I am weaving a sarong 1sR-weave sarong 4 VERBAL INFLECTION 67 b. a-mooru bheta I am weaving a sarong 1sR-weave sarong 68 a. de-hulo rusa they are hunting deer 3pR-hunt deer b. do-hulo rusa they are hunting deer 3pR-hunt deer This is clearly not a definiteness shift. Rather, the opposite is true. The noun is generic and the activity is seen as a whole; the object is incorporated in the verb. Other possible translations of 67b and 68b are: I am sarong- weaving and They are deer-hunting. Because of this object incorporation the verb is treated as an intransitive verb and therefore changes to the a-class, which is typically intransitive. Furthermore, the object of such verbs can be left out while the verb remains in the a-class: 69 a. a-mooru I am weaving 1sR-weave b. no-tisa he is planting 3sR-plant c. do-hulo they are hunting 3pR-hunt Certain other transitive verbs also allow this object suppression, but then the verb remains in the ae-class: 70 a. ae-basa boku I am reading a book 1sR-read book b. ae-basa I am reading 1sR-read 71 a. ne-gau ghoti she is cooking rice 3sR-cook rice b. ne-gau she is cooking 3sR-cook The circumstances under which this detransitivization shift takes place are not fully understood. Possibly this shift indicates a completive or habitual aspect. Compare the following two short dialogues, which were provided to illustrate the differences: A. 72 a. ome-afa itu? what are you doing? 2sR-do.what that b. a-mooru I am weaving 1sR-weave c. o-mooru hae? what are you weaving? 2sR-weave what 68 A GRAMMAR OF THE MUNA LANGUAGE Instead of c, d is also possible: d. ome-mooru hae? what are you weaving 2sR-weave what e. ae-mooru bheta I am weaving a sarong 1sR-weave sarong Afa do what? is an ae-verb; mooru is an ae-verb, but in b no object is specified, hence the change to a- detransitivization. In c the a-inflection is remarkable, since a questioned direct object can hardly be called a case of detransitivization or object incorporation. The alternative inflection with ae- in d is also well-formed in this context. e has the normal ae-inflection, the emphasis being on the object the questioned constituent. B. 73 a. ome-afa indewi? what did you do yesterday? 2sR-do.what yesterday b. a-mooru bheta I wove a sarong 1sR-weave sarong In b the a-inflection is used, since the emphasis is on the activity as a whole and not just on the object; hence we get object incorporation and an intransitive a-inflection.

4.8. Direct and indirect object inflection