Valency-Increasing Mechanism in the Dawan Language

Abstract

This article discusses the valency-increasing mechanism in the Dawan language. The data was obtained through observation of Dawan language speakers by applying the note-taking method. Other data were obtained from literature in Dawan's language, namely Beno Alekot (bible) and Si Knino (songbook). In addition, the data is supported by intuitive data from the researcher as a native speaker of the Dawan language. Considering the variety of dialects in this language, the data and discussion are focused on the Amanuban dialect. The results show that the mechanism of valency-increasing in the Dawan language is a transitive process. This process is carried out through the strategy of adding new arguments such as in causative construction or promoting peripheral arguments into core arguments as in applicative construction. The transitive referred to is the process of making an intransitive clause into a transitive or a transitive into a ditransitive. This process does not cause morphological changes to the verb as the core of a clause.

Keywords

• applicative
• argument
• causative
• valency