46.2. Noncontrol middle -núŋət
hiyaʔnúŋət cn. | ‘I managed to finally go.’ |
hiyinúŋət cn. | ‘I managed to stay alive.’ |
ʔiɬənnúŋət cn. | ‘I finally got to eat.’ |
štəŋnúŋət cn. | ‘I finally walked.’ |
kʷiʔnúŋət cn. | ‘I dreamed.’ |
ƛ̓kʷnúŋət cn. | ‘I managed to grab (something).’ |
ŋəq̓núŋət cn. | ‘I accidentally swallowed (something).’ |
čukʷnúŋət cn. | ‘I accidentally shot myself.’ |
x̣čnúŋət cn. | ‘I managed to find out’ or ‘I found out about myself.’ |
► 1 It should be clear from the examples that the primary meaning for this suffix is noncontrol. Other noncontrol suffixes have been introduced in §7.2, §11.2.2, and §31.2. Noncontrol here means the same as in those previous sections: ‘accidentally’ or ‘manage to succeed after trying’ or ‘finally get to.’ In all of these, the agent does something without being in complete, direct control.
► 2 The ‑núŋət suffix is not always translated with ‘finally’ or ‘accidentally.’ The fifth model, for example, kʷiʔnúŋət cn ‘I dreamed,’ is not translated this way, but the noncontrol meaning can be easily seen in the idea of dreaming where the dreamer is not in control of the situation.
► 3 The ‑núŋət suffix is similar in meaning to the ‑nəxʷ ‘noncontrol transitive’ (§7.2). The difference is that ‑núŋət is intransitive.
► 4 The ‑núŋət suffix is also similar in meaning to the ‑əŋ ‘middle’ suffix (§44). The difference is that ‑núŋət adds the noncontrol meaning.
► 5 Just like the ‑əŋ ‘middle,’ the ‑núŋət noncontrol middle can sometimes be interpreted as a reflexive. The last two models show this. The last model shows that the interpretation could be either reflexive or simply noncontrol. The reflexive interpretation is rarer for the ‑núŋət noncontrol middle than it is for ‑əŋ ‘middle.’
► 6 As the models show, the ‑núŋət suffix attaches to the verb root and only to verbs. The fourth model štəŋnúŋət shows the noncontrol middle suffixed onto a one-participant middle (§44.3) stem.
► 7 The ‑núŋət suffix is always stressed.
![]() | ƛ̓iw̓núŋət cə nəsqáxaʔ. | ‘My dog managed to run away.’ |
![]() | č̓əŋ̓núŋət caʔ. | ‘It will manage to get home.’ |