ma- / na-

Unintended or Resulting Events

Level 3

An affected participant can be central without an expressed actor. Attested completed counterparts use na-, with root-specific additional morphology.

How It Works

The ma- family includes events arising by chance or natural causes and potential actions. Learn complete lexical forms: malungsot describes spoiling, while maladaman includes -an and describes being scorched. The dictionary attests completed naladaman and nalipit ‘was crushed’. These witnesses support particular forms, rather than unrestricted prefix substitution.

In an actorless event clause, the affected thing receives central marking. A cause or instrument can still be expressed. Potential mabasa with an actor means ‘can read’ and need not describe an accident. Contrast mabasak ti libro ‘I can read the book’, with a noncentral actor, and makabasaak iti libro ‘I can read a book’, with a central actor.

Voice and lexical meaning therefore matter together. Participant marking supplies person and number; the illustrated verbs have no gender agreement. Descriptive na- adjectives belong to a separate construction.

Examples (3)

  1. Malungsot ti mangga idiay kahon.

    The mango will spoil in the box.

    The mango is the central affected participant; no actor is expressed.

  2. Naladaman ti kurtina iti plantsa.

    The curtain was scorched by the iron.

    The attested completed verb retains -an; the iron is expressed in an oblique phrase.

  3. Nalipit ti lapis idiay ridaw.

    The pencil got crushed in the door.

    The clause presents an affected object without naming an actor.

How It Connects

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ma- / na-Level 3Unintended or Resulting Events

Learn This First

Ma- / na- can describe affected states, unintended events or potential actions; interpret the whole construction.