-tojo
Ye'kwana edit
Alternative forms edit
Pronunciation edit
Suffix edit
-tojo
- Forms instrumental nouns from transitive and intransitive verbs, referring to a thing, place, or person that helps with carrying out the action of the verb.
Usage notes edit
This suffix causes syllable reduction and can trigger changes of ö in the stem to o via the usual vowel harmony. It takes the form -chojo after stems that end in i and -to' when followed by the plural suffix -komo or the attributivizer -me.
Verbs converted with this suffix can take series II person markers referring to the argument of an intransitive verb or the patient argument of a transitive verb. Intransitive verbs must also bear the intransitive prefix w-. However, person marking is optional for them; this is the only type of deverbal nominalization where person marking is optional.
One of the two attributivizers -je and -me can follow this suffix in order to make the word function as a predicate in a subordinate clause of purpose with the meaning ‘in order to X’, ‘for X-ing’. The difference in meaning when used with one attributivizer versus the other is unclear.
Derived terms edit
References edit
- Cáceres, Natalia (2011) “-tojo”, in Grammaire Fonctionnelle-Typologique du Ye’kwana[1], Lyon, pages 144–146