Increase and Decrease Processes of Verbal Valency in Oro Wari’ (Wari’/Pacaa Nova, Txapakura)

Abstract

In this paper, we aim to offer a brief description and analysis of the valence-changing operations observed in the Oro Wari’ Language (Pacaa Nova, Txapakura family). We will show two valence-increasing categories: the causative and the applicative. In the descriptive terms, the particle {ara?} conveys the meaning of causation and adds a new agent argument (the causer) to the valence pattern. The language also has the following applicative particles: {win}, {miÊ”}, {het}, {ka} and {pe}, which introduce an argument in the verbal structure with the semantic functions of comitative, benefactive, source, direction/goal and locative. We will investigate three valence-decreasing categories: the reflexive {ʃiye-}, the reciprocal {kaɾakan} and the intransitivizer {maw}. In reflexive and reciprocal verbs, a syntactic structure is used to indicate that someone or something is performing an action on or for itself, but since subject and object arguments are referentially identical, only one participant is expressed. Finally, the particle {maw}, which derives stative-resultative structure, is the valence-changing category which removes the agent argument from the subject position, and the patient argument must take up the subject position instead.