SENĆOŦEN: A Grammar of the Saanich Language

35.2. Middle with both agent and patient

Models
1)ȻÁL SEN ¸E ŦE NE SÁĆS.‘I got hid by my aunt.’
2)ȻÁLET SEN ŦE NE SÁĆS.‘I hid my aunt.’
3)ȻELÁTEṈ SEN ¸E ŦE NE SÁĆS.‘I was hidden by my aunt.’
4)ȻÁLEṈ SEN ¸E ŦE NE SÁĆS.‘I hid my aunt.’

1 Compare these models with models 1, 2, 3, and 4 in §35.1. Notice that these are the same as those models, with the addition one particular participant.
2 With the bare root, as in model 1, ȻÁL SEN ¸E ŦE NE SÁĆS, the extra participant is the agent. The agent here is the object of the preposition ¸E.
3 With the transitive verb in model 2, ȻÁLET SEN ŦE NE SÁĆS, the particular participant (ŦE NE SÁĆS) is the patient. This sentence is in the active voice. Since the patient is the direct object of the sentence here, there is no preposition ¸E.
4 Model 3 shows the passive voice construction (§33.1). In the passive model, ȻELÁTEṈ SEN ¸E ŦE NE SÁĆS, the subject is the patient (SEN), and the object of the preposition ¸E is the agent (ŦE NE SÁĆS).
5 Model 4 is in the middle voice. In ȻÁLEṈ SEN ¸E ŦE NE SÁĆS, the subject is the agent, and the object of the preposition ¸E is the patient.
6 Here is a summary:
           ȻÁL      SEN            ¸E    ŦE NE SÁĆS.                          ‘I got hid by my aunt.’
          root    patient            agent

          ȻÁL-ET             SEN         ŦE NE SÁĆS.                        ‘I hid my aunt.’
          root-trans    agent     patient

          ȻELÁ-T-EṈ               SEN           ¸E    ŦE NE SÁĆS.         ‘I was hidden by my aunt.’
         root‑trans‑psv  patient            agent

         ȻÁL-EṈ              SEN        ¸E       ŦE NE SÁĆS.               ‘I hid my aunt.’
        root‑middle    agent              patient
7 Notice that models 1 and 3 have practically the same translation. Note that the passive, model 3, has the ‑TEṈ control passive ending. This suffix adds the idea that the agent is in control. The bare root in the first model does not contain the idea added by this suffix. Model 3 could be translated ‘I was hidden by my aunt on purpose.’ There is no implied controlling agent—no ‘on purpose’—in model 1. This difference is roughly translated here with ‘get hid’ of model 1 versus ‘was hidden’ of model 3.
8 Notice that models 2 and 4 have the same translation. There is a subtle difference in meaning and use that fluent speakers of SENĆOŦEN notice.
9 The active voice model 2 indicates a specific incident of ‘hiding.’ The middle voice model 4, on the other hand, implies that the action is usual or more general or even habitual.
 
EXIN OĆE ŦE EN¸ SILE¸?‘Where is your grandmother?’
YA¸ ȻE¸ KEPEṈ¸ ¸E TŦE SLEWI¸.‘She went gathering cedar bark.’
ȻENET E LE¸ TŦE EN¸ ŚTEMȻES?‘Did she take your car?’
HÁ¸E. ŚTEṈ ȽTE SE¸.‘Yes. We’ll walk.’

35.2A. Translate each into English and identify the agents and patients in each of these sentences.  
1. ȻENET SEN.
2. QENNEṈ ¸E TŦE EN¸ MÁN.
3. QENNEṈ TŦE EN¸ MÁN.
4. ȻELÁTEṈ NE SḴAXE¸ ¸E TŦE NE SĆÁ¸ĆE¸.
5. ṮELÁ¸TEṈ ȽTE ¸E ȻSE SÁĆS ȽTE.
6. Ȼ͸YEXEṈ SEN
7. KPET ȽTE TŦE XPȺ¸.
8. ȻENETEṈ TŦE SḴAXE¸.
35.2B. Make up four new active, passive, and middle sentences in SENĆOŦEN and identify the agents and patients.

 

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