Chapter 2 - LOT publications

Chapter 2
a double causative derivation. Some instances of –sis- represent a double causative
derivation –s-is; others are to be considered as a single morpheme. Some agentive
intransitive verbs and many transitive verbs permit only the suffixation of –sis-. For
instance, causatives deem-sis- ‘make go’ and kolf-isiis- ‘make laugh’ are single
causatives because forms such as *deem-is- and *kolf-is- are not acceptable. Similarly
single causatives of transitive verbs such as bar- ‘learn’, arg- ‘to see’, hoɗ-
‘embroider’ are bar-sis- ‘teach’, arg-sis- ‘show’ and hoɗ-siis- ‘make embroider’
respectively. The same morpheme could be productively used as a double causative.
For instance, a double causatives of single causatives fiig-s- ‘make run’, gog-s-
‘make dry’, dab-s- ‘make bend’ are fiig-s-is- ‘make somebody to make run someone’,
gog-s-iis- ‘make somebody to dry something’, dab-s-iis ‘make somebody to
bend something’. The /i/ between the two -s-’s varies between short and long. Such
variation is accounted for in terms of vowel length dissimilation rule (see also Lloret
1987:146).
The consequence of using –sis- as a single causative morpheme is that the number
of underlying agents are not always directly linked to the number of –s-’s because
-sis- has two –s-’s; yet, it functions as a single causative morpheme as has
been shown above in causatives such as deem-sis- ‘make go’ and kolf-isiis- make
laugh’. Moreover, there is a geminated form, namely –ss- which is used as a single
causative marker (see also 2.8. in this chapter).
2.2.2. The Morpheme –eess (CAUS 3 )
The morpheme –eess- is one of the of causative morphemes which is suffixed to
adjectival stems such as add- ‘white’ and jab- ‘strong’ to derive add-eess-
‘whiten’ and jab-eess- ‘strengthen’ respectively (see section 2.8.5 in this chapter).
The form –ess and –eess are are accounted for in terms of vowel dissimilation rule
(see Kebede 1994). The morpheme -eess- is distinct from -s-, -is- and –sis- and
cannot be suffixed to bases of intransitives and transitive verbs. The causative morpheme
–eess- is a verbalizing morpheme which is suffixed to adjectival bases such
as guraačča ‘black’, fagoo ‘far’, ɗiyoo ‘near’, etc. This analysis is confirmed when
we observe related Cushitic languages such as Kambaata, Hadiya, Sidama and Afar.
2.3. Structure of the Causative
2.3.1. Double Causatives
In Oromo all causative bases can be doubled. Double causatives refer to indirect
causative events. When one more causative morpheme is suffixed to the causative
base always another external causer is introduced. This is true for causatives of nonagentive
intransitives, agentive intransitives and transitive verbs as shown below:
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