sociative causative

[Francoise Rose]

Dear LingTypers,

 

In some apparently rare languages, one of the causative markers is
specialized in indicating that the causer not only makes the causee do an
action, but also participates in it. It pertains to a type of causative,
variably called sociative causative (Shibatani and Pardeshi 2002),
comitative causative (Tupi-Guarani tradition, Cf. Rodrigues 1953), causative
of involvement (Dixon 2000).

This type of causative function is more frequently conveyed by a causative
morpheme also coding direct or indirect causation. We are curious to know
more about languages showing a device to express sociative causative, and
especially languages displaying a specific associative causative marker
(along other causative markers), such as below.

 

Emerillon (Tupi-Guarani, French Guiana)

 

(1) pe-lo-polahadj-kom.

    2pl-CAUS.SOC-dance-PL.O

    You made them dance with you.

 

(2) o-elo-kwa         ba’eza’u.

    3-CAUS.SOC-pass   food

    She distributed food (she passes by and have food pass with her).

 

(3) zawal-enam        ka        o-(w)elo-nan.

    dog-Top.Switch    wasp      3-CAUS.SOC-run

    The dog runs with the wasps (The dog makes the wasps “run” with him.)

 

(4) zawal     o-elo-’al         tupaw?l.

    dog       3-CAUS.SOC-fall   box

    The dog makes the box fall (when falling himself).

 

Cavineña (Tacana, Bolivia)

 

(5) E-ra      e-kwe     e-bakwa      tawi-kere-ya.

    1SG-ERG   1SG-GEN   1-child      sleep-CAUS.SOC-IMPFV

    I (will) make my child sleep with me.

 

(6) E-ra     =tu     ara-kere-chine          torta   Don Francisco.

    1SG-ERG  =3SG    eat-CAUS.SOC-REC.PAST   cake    Mr.  Francisco

    I invited Mr. Francisco to eat a cake with me. (I made Mr F. eat a cake
with me).

 

  Shibatani & Pardeshi (2002) distinguish 3 semantic types of sociative
causation :

  - joint-action (Mother is making the child play)

  - assistive (Mother is making the child pee)

  - supervision (Mother is making the child read a book)

 

  Depending on the language, sociative causative may be restricted to
intransitive bases (Tupi-Guarani languages) or may also apply to transitive
bases (Cavineña).

 

  Sociative causative differs from the applicative construction, where a
comitative participant is promoted to an object position, in having a
causative meaning (and probably in the fact that the causee/object is the
main agent of the action, and the causer/subject the “comitative”
participant). Indeed, there are languages which display a distinction
between a comitative applicative and a sociative causative, as is the case
in Wolof, for example.

 

  There is however in many languages a formal syncretism between causative
and applicative: Shibatani & Pardeshi (2002) underline the fact that “in a
fair number of languages, causative morphemes are associated with the
applicative function of introducing a comitative, instrumental or
benefactive argument.” To summarize, whereas applicative markers can not
take the sociative causative function (but just the comitative one),
causative markers may overlap the applicative function.

 

  Apart from Tupi/Tupi-Guarani languages, Cavineña and Wolof, we have read
about specific sociative causative markers in the Peruvian Pre-Andine Arawak
languages Nomatsiguenga, Amuesha and Piro (Wise 1986: 593-594) and Asheninca
(Payne 2001), as well as in the Equatorian Barbacoan language Awa Pit
(Timothy Curnow, p.c.), and in Alamblak– Sepik, New Guinea, (Bruce 1984 :55,
155-156).

 

  Our questions are:

- Do you know any other language displaying sociative causative?

- Does it have a specific sociative causative marker?

- What exact meaning does it carry?

- On what type of verbs is it found? (valence + meaning)

- In this language, how do(es) the other type(s) of causative function? Is
there any applicative construction? Is it an “and-language” or a
“with-language” (Stassen 2000)?

 

        Françoise ROSE, CELIA (CNRS/IRD), France, rose at vjf.cnrs.fr

        Antoine GUILLAUME, Université Lyon, France,
aguillau at ish-lyon.cnrs.fr

 

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