Passive and middle in Indo-European : Reconstructing the early Vedic passive paradigm

(2006) Passivization and Typology — ISBN: [978-90-272-2980-9], p. 62-81, published

Files

Kulikov_Vedic_passive_middle_REC.pdf
  • Open Access
  • Adobe PDF
  • 334.65 KB

Details

Authors
Abstract
The present paper deals with the passive function of the middle diathesis in Sanskrit, one of the most ancient attested Indo-European languages. It gives a general survey of passive formations of the three main tense systems (present, aorist and perfect) and discusses forms which are traditionally considered non-characterized middle formations (‘bare middles’). It will be argued that these forms should be grouped with those formations which have specialized markers of passive. I will further inventory the actually attested present passives with the suffix -yá-, discussing the defective character of the passive paradigm of the present, aorist and perfect tense systems. In conclusion, I briefly discuss possible Proto-Indo-European sources of the Vedic passive paradigm and the historical relationships between the categories of perfect, stative and middle, as well as perspectives of a diachronic typological study of valency-changing categories, such as passive and causative, outlining the main tendencies in the evolution of the Proto-Indo-European middle.
Affiliations

Citations

Kulikov, L. (2006). Passive and middle in Indo-European : Reconstructing the early Vedic passive paradigm. In Werner Abraham; Larisa Leisiö (eds.) (ed.), Passivization and Typology (p. p. 62-81). https://doi.org/10.1075/tsl.68.06kul