Causative Verbs

Causative Verbs¶

Kacc 438, 540. dhātūhi ṇe ṇaya ṇāpe ṇāpayā kāritāni hetvatthe.

What does “ṇe” mean?

After roots, there are causative *e *aya *āpe *āpaya when the meaning is cause.

√car + *e > cāre (causative base) > cāreti

√car + *aya > cāraya (causative base) > cārayati

√car + *āpe > cārāpe (causative base) > cārāpeti

√car + *āpaya > cārāpaya (causative base) > cārāpayati

When you make a verb into a causative,

1. intransitive verbs become transitive, e.g.

tassa cittaṃ na kampati

his mind does not shake (intransitive)

mahāvātā vāyantā udakaṃ kampenti

great blowing winds causes the water to shake (transitive)

2. transitive verbs may become di-transitive.

In the following sentence, the verb takes two objects, a direct and indirect object:

rājā purisaṃ rukkhaṃ chindāpeti

rukkhaṃ is the direct object

purisaṃ is the indirect object

The indirect object can also be in the instrumental case

rājā purisena rukkhaṃ chindāpeti

3. di-transitive verbs may become multi-transitive (in theory anyway)

Please remember a whole family of related words can be built from one causal base, e.g. √bhū + *e > bhāve