nepatia Re: [Nahuat-l]

[David Wright]

Matthew:

>>From what I've been able to gather, the indefinite reflexive prefix -ne can
substitute the more usual reflexive prefixes n(o)-, t(o)- and m(o)- in
passive and impersonal forms of verbs, in derived causative and applicative
verbs, and in deverbal nouns.

Andrews gives a good example of a reflexive verb transformed into an
applicative verb using the applicative/causative sufix -lia:.
Nicneihya:nilia (ni + c + ne + ihya:na (a > i) + lia: (a: > a)), "I hide
from him/her/it".

The prefix ne- appears with patientive deverbal nouns constructed from
passive or preterite forms of verbs. These have absolutive suffixes (-tli or
-li). The resulting nouns mean "he/she/it that has received the action (or
experienced the state) of the verb". When these verbs are transitive, they
take an object prefix (te:- or tla-) or the reflexive prefix (ne-). Carochi
gives the example ne:machti:lli (sic for nemachti:lli, "learning and study",
from the verb machtia:, "to learn or study"): (ne + (machtia: - a:) (i > i:)
+ (lo: - o:) + li). The passive suffix is lo:, which looses its vowel before
taking the absolutive suffix -li; that explains the double 'l'.

It can also show up in deverbal action nouns with the suffix -liztli (liz +
tli), meaning "the act of (verb)". Carochi gives nepo:hualiztli, "the act of
being arrogant" ("arrogance"), from the verb po:hua, "to be arrogant" (ne +
po:hua + liz + tli).

Saludos,

David

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