attuative

Attuative is a term used in linguistics to describe a grammatical category that marks the initiation of an action with the goal or result of producing a subsequent state. It is often discussed as a subtype or related concept to causative voice, but its precise characterization varies across languages and grammars. In some traditions, attuative is treated as a specific causative subtype that highlights the agent’s role in starting a process leading to a change of state; in other accounts, it is treated as a distinct semantic-pragmatic category such as factitive or applicative.

Morphology and syntax of attuative constructions can differ widely by language. Marking may be realized through affixation on the verb, through periphrastic constructions, or via other morphosyntactic strategies. Interactions with tense, aspect, mood, or voice can vary, and in some descriptions attuative forms influence the valency of the verb or the alignment of arguments. The exact criteria that distinguish attuative from other causative or resultative patterns are not uniform across grammars.

Cross-linguistic status of attuative is limited and not universally recognized. It appears in a subset of descriptive grammars and typological surveys, often in discussion of how languages encode initiation of causation and resultant change. In some analyses, attuative overlaps with causative, applicative, or factitive constructions; in others, it is presented as a distinct label for particular ways of encoding initiation and outcome.

See also: Causative, Valency, Applicative, Resultative, Factitive, Voice.