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INDONESIAN LINGUISTICS
95. Many of the formatives that serve to make word-bases may also perform other functions in the economy of language. Thus in several languages the above-named prefix ka- forms the passive.[1] Thereby it may happen that one and the same root carries two ka-'s, the one forming the word-base and the other the passive. So from the root sut, which occurs, e.g., in Old Jav. kusut, “to move oneself to and fro”, there is also formed an Old Jav. kasut, “to shake”, and the passive thereto is kakasut. — But most of the formatives that serve to make word-bases are, in fact, confined to that function; thus the prefix lis-, wherever it occurs, only creates word-bases, and is nowhere employed in inflexion, etc. Examples:
Karo: listaṅ, “vertical”, root tan, whence also Karo rintaṅ, “in a (straight) line”.
Iloko: lisdak, “to liquefy”, root dak, whence also Karo mĕdak, “liquid”.
96. In the languages that possess a higher style (see § 49) the latter is often formed by adding to the root a different formative from the one used in the common style. “Paunchy” in Day. is haknai in ordinary speech, baknai in the language of religion; and in precisely the same way Sund. expresses the idea of “to rise out of the water” by “hanjat” in the common style and “banjat” in polite language.
Prefixing the Pĕpĕt.
97. In some languages which possess monosyllabic roots used as word-bases, these roots also often appear with a pĕpĕt prefixed. Thus “kite” " in Mal. is laṅ or ĕlaṅ, “bend” is luṅ or ĕluṅ , etc. — Common IN duri, ruri, etc., “thorn”, appears in Old Jav. as rwi, from an older rui from which the second r has disappeared in accordance with the law in § 18; Modern Jav. turns the word into ri, and alongside of that we find a form ĕri. — This pĕpĕt is also added to monosyllabic loan- words, thus the Dutch paal, a certain measure of length, appears in Mai. either as pal or as ĕpal.
- ↑ [See Essay III, § 65.]
