[-i]
Morphological Status: Bound suffix
Type: Valency-changing + Directive
Class: Patient-Oriented / Partial-Affectedness
Core Meaning
👉 Directs an action toward a specific affected part, portion, recipient, or selected target.
Unlike [-en], which typically treats the object as a whole affected patient, [-i] focuses on a particular portion, individual recipient, or targeted element within a larger domain.
FUNCTIONS
Marks a specific affected portion or selected target.
Examples
koko → kokoi
“clip part of a nail”
timba’ → timba’i
“bail out some liquid”
👉 The action affects only part of the patient rather than the whole.
Marks the person toward whom an action is directed.
Examples
togot → togoti
“grant him a particular request”
ta-o → ta-oi → ta’wi
“give him/her”
👉 Focus is on the recipient rather than the entire affected object.
Marks removal, taking, or manipulation of a specific amount or portion.
Examples
Timba’i ana sabew.
“Bail out some of that broth.”
Kokoi ana koko.
“Clip part of that nail.”
👉 Contrasts with [-en], which generally implies affecting the whole object.
Frequently appears in commands directing action toward a specific target.
Examples
Togoti iya.
“Grant him that request.”
Kokoi ana koko.
“Clip that nail.”
👉 The command is target-specific rather than object-total.
SEMANTIC CONTRAST
[-i]
Targeted portion, recipient, selected element
Kokoi ana koko.
“Clip part of the nail.”
Timba’i ana sabew.
“Bail out some of the broth.”
Togoti iya.
“Grant him a request.”
[-en]
Whole affected patient
Kokoen ana koko.
“Take the nail.”
Timba’en ana sabew.
“Bail out all the broth.”
Sontoken si Pedro.
“Punch Pedro.”
STRUCTURAL SUMMARY
[-i] = “DO IT TO THIS PARTICULAR PART / PERSON / TARGET”
It:
• targets a specific affected portion
• marks recipients and addressees
• licenses selective or partial affectedness
• commonly occurs in directives and imperatives
FINAL DEFINITION
-i: patient-oriented suffix marking a specific affected portion, selected target, recipient, or directed endpoint of an action, often with a partial or selective interpretation.
| Suffix | Semantic Center | Typical Interpretation |
| -i | targeted portion / recipient | “do it to this particular part/person†|
| -en | whole affected patient | “do it to the object†|
| -an | object/location/goal | “do it with respect to this object/place†|
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