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5 - The Causative/Inchoative Alternation

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  15 April 2026

Ane Berro
Affiliation:
University of Deusto
Beatriz Fernández
Affiliation:
University of the Basque Country
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Summary

In this chapter, our analysis will focus on the causative/inchoative alternation within Basque. Firstly, we will concentrate on the diverse root types that generate causative/inchoative alternating verbs. As we will demonstrate, most verbs that participate in the causative/inchoative alternation appear to derive from other categories, consisting of either (i) a PROPERTY-naming root, (ii) a root combined with the adverbializer morpheme -ka, or (iii) a root paired with an allative or instrumental adposition. Secondly, we will investigate the semantic classes of (derived and non-derived) verbs that exhibit the causative/inchoative alternation and examine their relation to the meaning of causation. Thirdly, we will analyze verbs exclusively exhibiting either the causative or inchoative variant, along with the specific contexts enabling some of them to alternate. Finally, we will explore the metaphorical meaning of some verbs and observe how these meanings facilitate their transitive use.

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