attuativi

Attuativi is a term used in linguistic typology to denote a class of verbal constructions that foreground the manner or mode in which an action is carried out, often with implications for an affected participant or resulting state. In many descriptions, attuative forms are treated as a type of valency-changing device that can alter the relationship between the verb and its arguments, frequently by increasing transitivity or by specifying a particular way the action is performed.

Origin and usage: The word attuativo derives from Italian linguistic terminology, where the concept has been discussed in descriptive grammars and typological surveys since the mid-20th century. In cross-language studies, attuativi are described with varying definitions and realizations, which reflects broader debates about how best to classify causative, applicative, and related valency-changing phenomena.

Morphology and syntax: Attuative constructions may appear as affixes on a verb (suffixal or prefixal) or as periphrastic constructions that provide additional information about how an action is executed. They commonly contribute to making an event more transitive by introducing or emphasizing a patient or recipient, or they may encode the manner of execution without strictly adding a new patient.

Semantics and cross-linguistic variation: Semantically, attuatives are often linked to causative or applicative readings, where the subject causes or enables the action to impact a participant. In some languages the attuative reading focuses on the instrumental or purposive way the action is performed, while in others the distinction from similar categories like causative or applicative can be subtle and language-specific.

See also: causative, applicative, valency, transitivity.