Basic valency orientation in Gothic

The article addresses the basic valency orientation of Gothic. The data is analyzed mainly qualitatively, but, differently from previous similar studies, an insight is given into a quantitative model further supporting the findings of the former approach. Whereas the only transitivizing strategy found is causativization through Go. -ja- (< PIE *-éi̯e/o-), three detransitivizing strategies are employed: voice alternation, reflexivization, and na-derivation. The last-mentioned strategy pairs with ja-derivation to make up one of the two non-oriented means of encoding the anticausative alternation, the other being suppletion. A summary of the key findings is: The passive voice appears to play a role, albeit marginal, as the noncausal element of the anticausative alternation. Out of the other two detransitivizing strategies, na-verbs are productive in East and North Germanic. Based on the Gothic evidence, na-verbs with specialized nonagentive meaning are formed primarily on roots whose semantics preferably selects for inanimate S/O’s. Following the extension to verbal roots of opposite alignment, the formation becomes a competitor to the reflexive construction. As a result of rise in productivity, na-verbs are selected to encode the noncausal end of the anticausative alternation, eventually ousting the reflexive construction as a competitor to the middle.