Fluid-S in Alsoran Common (Updated): view article

Ok. So case in XAS is denoted by circumfixes around the noun or noun phrase - a--a for NOM, e--e for ACC (should I call it ABS instead? Probably but I don't care), y--y for GEN, plus a bunch of circumpositions doing the job of, well, normal spatial/temporal/conceptual adpositions.

So there are 3 basic ways you can have a sentence:

1. Transitive - both NOM subject and ACC object
a-maa-a xii·chaa e-oo-e
NOMNominative (case)
TRANS subject, INTR argument-2SSecond person singular (person)
addressee (you)-NOMNominative (case)
TRANS subject, INTR argument betray ACCAccusative (case)
TRANS direct object; patient-1SFirst person singular (person)
speaker, signer, etc.; I-ACCAccusative (case)
TRANS direct object; patient
you betray me

2. Intransitive - NOM patient
a-maa-a xii·chaa
NOMNominative (case)
TRANS subject, INTR argument-2SSecond person singular (person)
addressee (you)-NOMNominative (case)
TRANS subject, INTR argument betray
you betray (could also be read as you are a traitor or you are treacherous)

3. Passive - ACC patient
e-maa-e xii·chaa
ACCAccusative (case)
TRANS direct object; patient-2SSecond person singular (person)
addressee (you)-ACCAccusative (case)
TRANS direct object; patient betray
I am betrayed

That's how it works for any verb that in English we would think of as being able to be transitive. So what about the normally-intransitive ones, like for instance...stative verbs? Well for those it's slightly different.

1. Causative - NOM subject causes ACC object to [verb], NOM makes ACC be [adj]
a-oo-a aabv e-chos-e
NOMNominative (case)
TRANS subject, INTR argument-1SFirst person singular (person)
speaker, signer, etc.; I-NOMNominative (case)
TRANS subject, INTR argument purple ACCAccusative (case)
TRANS direct object; patient-house-ACCAccusative (case)
TRANS direct object; patient
I make the house purple

2. Antipassive - NOM patient [verb]s, NOM makes implied object be [adj]
a-oo-a aabv
NOMNominative (case)
TRANS subject, INTR argument-1SFirst person singular (person)
speaker, signer, etc.; I-NOMNominative (case)
TRANS subject, INTR argument purple
I make [something] purple
The most common dropped object in XAS is the second person pronoun, so "you" is usually going to be the implied object.

3. Stative/Inchoative - ACC patient is [verb]ed, ACC is [adj]
e-chos-e aabv
ACCAccusative (case)
TRANS direct object; patient-house-ACCAccusative (case)
TRANS direct object; patient purple
the house is purple or the house becomes/is made purple
The stative meaning is more likely, but context is required in order to differentiate between the two. Technically, the word "zin" (start, begin, beginning) or the allative circumposition "ll" should be added to indicate an inchoative, but it's often dropped when referring to the past or future.
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