Torrence, HaroldTamba, Khady2011-01-032011-01-032010-06-142010http://dissertations.umi.com/ku:10978https://hdl.handle.net/1808/6995The causative/anticausative alternation in Wolof follows four distinct patterns. I show that a derivation approach to Wolof verbs cannot work as a unified approach because of the presence of directed, labile and equipollent alternations. I argue that the (anti) causative alternation can be accounted for within the framework of Distributed Morphology. Within this framework verbs are created in the syntax when a root selected in the lexicon merges with a "verbifiying" head. In Wolof that head can be either silent or overt with both the causative and anticausative verbs. I also show that the suffix -u found in certain types of anticausatives have different properties depending on the type of verb it is attached to. Indeed with some verbs it has a pure anticausative property (no implicit agent) whereas in other contexts it does have an implicit agent.73 pagesenThis item is protected by copyright and unless otherwise specified the copyright of this thesis/dissertation is held by the author.Language, linguisticsAnticausativeCausativeDistributedMiddleMorphologyRootWolof language-- syntaxThesisopenAccess