(verbal root) to scold, rebuke, or admonish—typically by an elder or authority toward a misbehaving child; may be verbal or non-verbal (e.g. “psst”, stern look, verbal warning).
Semantic Domain
Grammar
Custom tags
affixation
Interlinearization
sawi’ scold
Notes
/sawi’/ (root): “to scold, rebuke” – the basic verb meaning (no affixes).
/sawi’+–en/ → sawi’en: The suffix –en is a transitivizing or causative morpheme (forming an imperative/causative verb). sawi’en can be used in commands like “Scold the child”. (This parallels how other Austronesian languages form causatives; cf. Cebuano saway “rebuke” → ipasaway “to cause to be rebuked.”)
/sawi’+–in/ → sinawi’: The infix –in- marks the completed (perfective) aspect, inserted after the first syllable of the root. As the UH Tagalog grammar notes, the completed aspect is formed by placing -in- before the root’s first vowel . Thus sinawi’ literally means “(has been) scolded” or “scolded already.” (For example, Sinawi’ ko na. means “I have already scolded [him/her/them].”)
/ma-+sawi’/ → masawi’: The prefix ma- is a stative/potential actor-focus prefix in many Philippine languages . Here it gives a sense of potential or ability. Masawi’ means “may be scolded” or “can get scolded.” For instance, Masawi’ kita diyan. (“We might get scolded there.”)
/pa-+sawi’/ → pasawi’: The prefix pa- plus the root often derives a noun or agentive concept. Pasawi’ thus means “one who causes (or incurs) scolding,” i.e. a “troublemaker” or mischievous child. This is analogous to Tagalog pasaway (from pa- + saway) meaning a stubborn or naughty person . (In Boie’nen example: Pasawi’ talaga a-an si Owan. “Owan’s really a troublemaker.”)
*/sawi’+–omin-/ → sominawi’: The infix –omin– (with allomorph –um–/–om–) is an actor-focus infix indicating a completed action (like Tagalog kumain “ate”). The form sominawi’ is an actor-focus completed form of sawi’; it means “(someone) scolded [someone else].” It appears in questions like “Si-isay sominawi’?” (“Who was the one who did the scolding?”).