A Diachronic Study of Anticausatives in Ainu

Authors

• Anna Bugaeva Tokyo University of Science

Abstract

This study explores the development of the Ainu anticausative markers -ke and si- and their implications for linguistic typology. The prefix si- has shifted from a reflexive to an autocausative function, with an emerging anticausative function – a common crosslinguistic pathway. The suffix -ke, originally a verbalizer, now serves as both an autocausative and causative marker, reflecting a complex grammaticalization process. Its anticausative function likely arose from ideophone roots, while its causative function developed from a denominal source. These findings provide insights into the diachronic evolution of anticausative markers across languages.