“Reflexive” N is not a detransitivizer: Evidence from Turkish and Old Turkic

Abstract

The so-called “reflexive” suffix -n- is sometimes characterized as a detransitivizer that derives anticausatives. This paper argues against this view, on the basis that some of the functions of the so-called “passive” suffix have been erroneously attributed to the “reflexive,” since the two suffixes are homophonous in certain environments across Turkic languages. Data from Turkish and Old Turkic (Old Uygur) are evaluated while controlling for phonological environment. The results show that the “reflexive” does not derive anticausatives. Instead, all affixal anticausatives are derived with the “passive” morpheme, which, unlike the “reflexive” is a true detransitivizer.