Agentive verbs

[Danielle E. Cyr]

In Micmac (Eastern Algonquian) the transitive verbs have animate subjects, with
either animate or inanimate objects. They are thus to be considered agentive.

The figures are as such:

Transitive animate verbs: 1116
Transitive inanimate verbs:  1095

Intransitive animate verbs: 3352
Intransitive inanimate verbs: 1113

We have to keep in mind that Algonquian languages don't have a category
adjective. That semantic role is carried out by intransitive verbs mostly. That
fact can play a role on the proportion of agentive verbs versus non-agentive
verbs

Best,

Danielle Cyr


P.S. These data are drawn from the "Metallic Migmaq-English Reference
Dictionary", (Metallic, Cyr, Sevigny 2005) which has 11,000 words in entry. 
Anyone interested in the dictionary can order it at http://www.ulaval.ca/pul

___________________________________________________________________________
"The only hope we have as human beings is to learn each other's languages.  Only
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Professor Danielle E. Cyr
Department of French Studies
York University
Toronto, ON, Canada, M3J 1P3
Tel. 1.416.736.2100 #310180
FAX. 1.416.736.5924
dcyr at yorku.ca