Transitivity Indicators -Yu and -Wi in Hualapai

Abstract

The distribution of Hualapai auxiliary verbs -yu and -wi cannot be explained only by the presence or absence of an object, or by the active or stative feature of the matrix verb. This paper proposes that it can be explained in terms of Transitivity, in that -wi corresponds to 'high' Transitivity and -yu to 'low' Transitivity of the clause. Several grammatical processes, e.g., the Causative, Applicative and Passive, are examined and it is shown how they interact with the Transitivity of the clause, which correlates with the auxiliary alternation. The speaker’s attitude with regard to the nature of the event also affects the evaluation of Transitivity in Hualapai. This suggests that the degree of Transitivity is determined subjectively by the speaker.