öt-

See also: Appendix:Variations of "ot"

Ye'kwana

Variant orthographies
ALIV	öt-
Brazilian standard	ät-
New Tribes	ät-

Alternative forms

ö'-, ö-, ot-, o'-, o-, at-, a- (allomorphs)

Etymology

From Proto-Cariban *ôte-; cognate to Apalaí ot-, Kari'na ot-, Trió ët-, Wayana ët-, Hixkaryana os-, Waiwai et-, Akawaio è-, s-, Macushi es-, Pemon es-.

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): [ət-]

Prefix

öt-

Converts a transitive verb into an intransitive verb with an agent-like argument, variously with reflexive, reciprocal, or passive meaning.

Usage notes

The allomorphs with -t- appear when attaching to an initial vowel in a closed or long initial syllable. Before an initial consonant the allomorphs with -'- are used. Before an initial vowel in a short open syllable the prefix usually becomes a bare vowel, but a small collection of roots allow either a form with -t- or a form without, with each variant form having a different meaning.

The allomorphs with ö- are used if the first vowel of the verb stem is e and the next is unrounded. If the next is rounded, or if the first vowel is o, an allomorph with o- is used instead. If the first vowel is a, then the vowel of the prefix is likewise a-. This prefix further triggers ablaut on verbs with first vowel e or ee, backing them to ö and öö, respectively.

Derived terms

Ye'kwana terms prefixed with öt-

References

Cáceres, Natalia (2011) “öt-”, in Grammaire Fonctionnelle-Typologique du Ye’kwana‎^[1], Lyon, pages 131–133