On the transitivity dynamic in the Zuberoa dialect: bivalent verbs with double casual in Maister's Jesu Kristen imitazionea

• Published in: Fontes linguae vasconum Vol. 42; no. 112; pp. 87 - 104
• Main Author: Battittu Coyos, Jean-Baptiste
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: Basque
• Published: 01-01-2010
• ISSN: 0046-435X

In this article certain bivalent verbs are examined in Martin Maister's book written in Basque souletine dialect, Jesu Kristen imitazionea (1757), more precisely the bivalent verbs which have nowdays in Soule a double (sometimes triple) casual marking construction. It is observed that in this text the author uses mainly constructions with the verbal auxiliary izan "to be" more frequently than currently. The construction of these verbs by Maister is very close to that of Athanase Belapeyre (Catechima laburra..., 1696); Jusef Egiategi uses a little more the auxiliary *edun "to have" (Lehen liburia..., 1785). Certain fluctuations in the construction of verbs are raised in Martin Maister's text. It is the case of ahatze "to forget" (izan (absolutive+dative) or *edun (ergative+absolutive)), gozatu "to appreciate," "to enjoy" (izan (absolutive+instrumental) or *edun (ergative+absolutive)), and uduri "to resemble" (some constructions with izan or *edun (ergative+absolutive)). At this beginning of 21st century, construction in *edun (ergative+absolutive) especially and that in *edun (ergative+dative) are more frequent, to the detriment of that in izan (absolutive+dative) or izan (absolutive+instrumental). To continue the started comparison here (see FLV, 2005, n(degrees) 100, 633-660), one examines the text of the pastoral which was given this year, in 2010, Xahakoa pastoral. The author of Barcus, Patrick Queheille, uses construction in *edun (ergative+absolutive) when Martin Maister uses that in izan with the following verbs: behatu "to hear," iseatu "to try," jarraiki "to follow." With ahatze "to forget," Queheille uses only construction in *edun (ergative+absolutive). In this direction, the comparison confirmes the highlighted tendency, certain bivalent verbs are more and more used in souletine dialect with the verbal auxiliary *edun to have. In the last centuries the auxiliary of these verbs was izan to be. Adapted from the source document