What is mediopassive voice?

Definition
	Mediopassive voice is a passive voice in which the
	verb has stative meaning, and actor is not expressed.

Example (Chichewa Bantu)
	In the following example, mediopassive voice is indicated by the suffix -ka: mwana wangu wapandi-ka child my beat -MEDIOPASSIVE ‘My child has been beaten.’

Generic
	Mediopassive voice is a kind of
	What is passive voice?

Source
	Foley, W. and Van Valin 1985 322–323

Context for this page:

Concept module: mediopassive voice
In overview module: Glossary (Linguistics): M
In modular book: Glossary of linguistic terms, by Eugene E. Loos (general editor), Susan Anderson (editor), Dwight H., Day, Jr. (editor), Paul C. Jordan (editor), and J. Douglas Wingate (editor)
In bookshelf: Linguistics

This page is an extract from the LinguaLinks Library, Version 5.0 published on CD-ROM by SIL International, 2003. [Ordering information.]

Page content last modified: 5 January 2004

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