Chapter 8: Intransitive verbs in Shilluk

Abstract

This chapter presents a comprehensive descriptive analysis of intransitive verbs in Shilluk. The analysis covers form classes, inflectional morphology, and derivational processes. We identify 25 distinct form classes of non-derived intransitive verbs, distinguished primarily by patterns of vowel length and tone across inflectional paradigms. A full account is provided of the base inflectional paradigm, which includes markers for tense-aspect-modality, subject, and voice valency. The latter include both monovalent and bivalent applicative constructions. In relation to derivational morphology, intransitive verbs can present spatial, aspectual, and valency increasing derivations. In addition to these, the chapter also describes intransitive derivations from transitive verbs and from other lexical categories. A central finding is that derivational morphology is marked through shifts between form classes, and that many synchronically non derived intransitive classes can be understood as historically shaped by derivational processes. This analysis explains both the formal diversity of intransitive paradigms and observed tendencies linking form classes to lexical semantics. The chapter also signposts analytic challenges such as indeterminacy in derivational direction and instances of back-formation.