Applicative

An applicative is a derived verb stem denoting an action with an additional participant which is not an actor-like argument. If the non-applicative verb is already transitive the old direct object can be replaced by the new argument and is then pushed into an adjunct or secondary object position.

Examples

German (with replacement of the direct object):

Horst	be-läd-t	den	Wagen	mit	Heu
PN	APPL-load-3s	DEF.ACC.ms	trolley	with	hay
‘Horst loads hay on the trolley.’

Hakha Lai (Peterson 2002) (without replacement):

ʔa-law	ʔa-kan-thloʔ-taak
3s.POSS-field	3s.A-1p.P-hoe-RELINQUITIVE.APPL
‘He left us and hoed his field.’

Comments

Many languages with applicative constructions have different applicative morphemes depending on the former role of the attached argument. Hakha Lai, for instance, has different suffixes for Comitative, Instrumental, Allative/Malefactive, Benefactive/Malefactive, Additional Benefactive, Prioritive and Relinquitive.

Origin

The name “applicative” is of Latin origin (applicātum ‘attached’). The first linguistic researchers who made use of this term in today’s sense were missionaries in Meso America in the 17th century. They found applicative constructions in some Uto-Aztecan languages and called them verbos applicativos.

See also

• Verbal morphology
• Causative
• Valence change

References

• Bußmann, Hadumod (2002) Lexikon der Sprachwissenschaft. Stuttgart: Kröner. ISBN 3-520-45203-0.
• Peterson, David A. (2002) Applicatives (extended version of the PhD dissertation). Will probably be published in 2006.

Other languages

• German Applikativ