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The aversive or evitative case (abbreviated EVIT) is a grammatical case found in Australian Aboriginal languages that indicates that the marked noun is avoided or feared.
Usage
For example, in Walmajarri:
Yapa-warnti
child-ABS.PL
pa-lu
IND-they
tjurtu-karrarla
dust-AVERSIVE
laparnkanja
ran away
natji-karti.
cave-ALL
Yapa-warnti pa-lu tjurtu-karrarla laparnkanja natji-karti.
child-ABS.PL IND-they dust-AVERSIVE {ran away} cave-ALL
The children ran into the cave because of the dust storm.
The suffix -karrarla indicates that the action (running away) was carried out in order to avoid the dust storm, tjurtu-.
The aversive may also be used to mark the object of verbs of fearing. For example, in Djabugay:
Djama-lan
snake-AVERSIVE
ŋawu
I
yarrnga-nj.
be afraid-PAST
Djama-lan ŋawu yarrnga-nj.
snake-AVERSIVE I {be afraid-PAST}
I was afraid of the snake.
The aversive may be used on a nominalized verb, to produce an equivalent of English "lest". For example, "lest they be forgotten" could be encoded as "to avoid forgetting them".
Languages
Few languages have a distinct aversive case. Usually, a single case will be used both for the aversive and other functions.
Languages with a distinct aversive case include:
- Arrernte
- Djabugay
- Gumbaynggir
- Marri Ngarr
- Marrithiyel
- Walmajarri
- Warlmanpa
- Warlpiri
- Warumungu
- the Western Desert Language
- Yidinj
References
- Dixon, R. M. W. (2002). Australian Languages: Their Nature and Development. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 0-521-47378-0.
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