-maa
An Event Without an Expressed Causer
Bilaabaa ‘starts something’ → bilaabmaa ‘something begins’.
How It Works
The reference describes anticausatives as derived from other verbs with an m element. Compare bilaabaa, ‘starts something’, with bilaabmaa, ‘begins’, and dhaawacaa, ‘injures someone’, with dhaawacmaa, ‘gets injured’.
No causer is explicitly introduced. This need not mean that the event has no physical cause. Compare a manager starting a meeting with Shirku wuu bilaabmaa, ‘The meeting begins’: the second simply describes the meeting’s beginning.
These verbs follow first-conjugation sound alternations. Bilaabmaa serves I/he, while bilaabantaa serves you singular/she; compare dhaawacmaa/dhaawacantaa. Past forms include bilaabmay/bilaabantay. The change involves both vowel insertion and m/n alternation. With injury, ka can link an affected body part. Indefinite-subject la instead retains an unspecified agent. Learn attested pairs rather than adding m freely.
Examples (3)
- Shirkii wuu bilaabmay.
The meeting began.
The meeting is the subject; no causer is expressed.
- Shaqadii way bilaabantay.
The work began.
The feminine past form shows vowel insertion and m/n alternation.
- Cali wuxuu ka dhaawacmay gacanta.
Ali was injured in his hand.
Ali undergoes the injury; ka links the affected body part.
How It Connects
Learn This First
Recognize verb-class behavior before learning lexically supported anticausative formation in -maa.
Related Patterns
- laAn Unspecified Person Doing It
Contrasts an unspecified agent with an event whose causer is unexpressed.
Level 3 - Sound Changes in Class One Verbs
Explains vowel insertion and m/n alternation.
Level 3 - -oobaaBecoming a State
Compares noun-derived changes of state with verb-derived anticausatives.
Level 5 - kaThe Preposition Ka
Links an injury predicate to the affected body part.
Level 2
Practice -maa in Bubblegum
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