Antipassive Voice

Antipassive Voice: An Overview

The antipassive voice is a grammatical construction that exists in various languages, most notably in those with an ergative-absolutive alignment. Unlike the passive voice in nominative-accusative languages, which demotes the subject and promotes the object, the antipassive typically demotes the object of a transitive verb, while the subject retains its grammatical role (often marked with an absolutive case or a similar marker).

Key Concepts

Understanding the antipassive involves several core ideas:

• Ergativity: It’s most common in ergative-absolutive languages where the subject of an intransitive verb and the object of a transitive verb share the same case marking (absolutive), while the subject of a transitive verb is marked differently (ergative).
• Transitivity Reduction: The antipassive often serves to make a transitive verb behave more like an intransitive one, changing the grammatical relations of its arguments.
• Focus Shift: It shifts the focus of the sentence away from the object and towards the subject or the action itself.

Deep Dive into Structure

The antipassive construction can manifest in different ways:

Morphological Marking

Many languages use specific affixes (prefixes, suffixes, infixes) on the verb to mark the antipassive voice. This marking signals that the direct object is being demoted.

Syntactic Changes

The patient (object) of the transitive verb may be converted into an adjunct, often appearing in an oblique case or with a preposition. The agent (subject) typically remains in or takes the absolutive case.

Example (hypothetical ergative language):
Ergative: Agent-ERG Verb-TRANS Object-ABS
Antipassive: Agent-ABS Verb-ANTIPASS Object-OBL

Applications and Functions

The antipassive serves various discourse and semantic functions:

• Topicalization: It allows the agent (subject) to be the topic of the sentence when the object is less important or unknown.
• Indefinite Objects: It is often used when the object is indefinite, generic, or not specific.
• Lexicalization: In some cases, antipassive forms become lexicalized, meaning they are the default or most common way to express a particular action.

Challenges and Misconceptions

The antipassive is often confused with the passive voice of nominative-accusative languages. However, their grammatical roles and underlying structures are fundamentally different. The antipassive does not necessarily demote the agent; rather, it restructures the relationship between the agent and the patient.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the primary function of the antipassive?

Its primary function is to restructure a transitive clause, typically by demoting the object and allowing the subject to maintain or gain prominence.

Is the antipassive related to the passive voice?

While both are voice constructions, the antipassive is distinct from the passive voice found in nominative-accusative languages. It operates within the framework of ergative grammar.

Which languages feature the antipassive?

It is found in many ergative languages, including many indigenous languages of the Americas (e.g., Mayan, Eskimo-Aleut), Australia, and the Caucasus.