Causativization and valency in Asuriní do Xingu

Abstract

Causativization is a recurrent phenomenon in languages. It is conceived as a morphosyntactic mechanism that affects both the structure and the functioning of a sentence, with the valency increase being one of the most visible and discussed effects in the literature on causativization.  The objective of this work is to discuss how it affects valency in the Asuriní do Xingu, Tupí-Guaraní language, spoken by the Asuriní do Xingu people, who live in the municipality of Altamira, state of Pará. The work starts from the use of different verb types in the basic and derived forms by causativization, verifying the semantics and morphosyntax of the derived sentences, especially those effects directly linked to verbal valency. There are three morphological causatives found in the language: {mu-}, {eru-} and {-ukat}, express different types of causativization and affect the valency of the construction. When they are attached to a verb, they introduce a new participant in the discourse, who assumes the role of CAUSER, giving rise to yet another argument in the sentence: monovalent verbs become bivalent and the latter become trivalent. Thus, the work supports the existence of a close relationship between causativization, transitivity and valency increase in the language.