26: Verbs: The Causative Form

26.1: Most verbs take on a causative sense when the suffix << አ >> (a-) is added to them. This sense includes causing directly, ordering, permitting, suggesting etc.  This suffix can give a causative sense to any of the verbal bases, producing Bc, Dc, Lc, Qc.

BASE		CAUSATIVE
B	ሞተ to die	Bc	አሞተ to put to death
	ሐዘነ to be sad		አሕዘነ to sadden
	ሐየወ to live		አሕየወ to restore to life
	ነበረ to reside		አንበረ to deposit
	ሮጸ to run		አሮጸ to cause to run
	ርእየ to see		አርአየ to show
	ሰምዐ to hear		አስምዐ to announce
	ነደ to burn		አንደደ to set aflame

Note in the Bc construction the medial vowel disappears, so: ወደቀ (wadaqa – he fell) becomes አውደቀ (awdaqa– he cast down).

BASE		CAUSATIVE
D	ሠነየ to be beautiful	Dc	አሠነየ to decorate
	ገበረ to pay taxes		አገበረ to impose tribute
	ነሰሐ to repent		አነሰሐ to lead to repentance
L	ማሰነ to perish	Lc	አማሰነ to destroy
	ቤዘወ to redeem		አቤዘወ to have someone redeemed
Q	ደንገፀ to be disturbed	Qc	አደንገፀ to disturb

26.2: Note the slight phonetic change in the negation of causative verbs from “iʾa” to “iya”:

አሠነየት፡ቤቶ።         :         ኢየሠነየት፡ቤቶ።

ašannayat beto                               iyašannayat beto

She decorated his house             She didn’t decorate his house.

አርአይክዎ፡ሎቱ።     :         ኢየርአይክዎ፡ሎቱ።

arʾaykəwwo lotu                              iyarʾaykəwwo lotu

I showed it to him                            I did not show it to him

26.3: Consider the following sentences that use causative verbs:

አሕዘነት፡ሞቱ፡ነገዶ፡ወአቅበርዎ፡ኀበ፡ሞተ።

aḥzanat motu nagado wa-aqbarəwwo xaba mota

His death saddened his family and they had him buried where he died.

አማሰነ፡ንጉሥ፡ሀገረ፡ወአቅተሎሙ፡ለንቡራን፡ወአገበረ፡በምድር፡ዘሞዐ።

amāsana nəguš hagara wa-aqtala nəburānā wa-agabbara ba-mdər za-moʿa.

The king destroyed the city and ordered all its inhabitants killed, and he imposed a tax on the land he conquered.

አንበረ፡እግዚእነ፡አብርሃምሃ፡ውስተ፡ግብጽ፡ወአርከቦ፡ብዙኀ፡እጓለ፡ወብዕለ።

anbara əgzi’əna abrəhāmha wəsta gəbṣ wa-arkabo bəzuxa əgʷala wa-bʿəla

Our Lord settled Abraham in Egypt and he caused him to acquire great progeny and wealth.

አስምዕኩ፡ቃላተ፡ነቢይነ፡ለንቡራነ፡ሀገርየ፡ወባሔቱ፡ኢየብከይዎሙ።

asməʿku qālāta nabiyna la-nəburāna hagar wa-bāḥəttu iyabkayewwomu.

I announced the words of our prophet to the residents of the city but they did not move them to tears.

አንደደ፡ኵሎሙ፡ተርጐምያተ፡ዋንጌል፡እለ፡አጽሕፎሙ።

andadna kʷəllomu targʷamyāta wāngel əlla aṣḥafomu.

All the translations that he has ordered written, we set on fire.