The aversive or evitative case (
abbreviated
An abbreviation (from Latin ''brevis'', meaning ''short'') is a shortened form of a word or phrase, by any method. It may consist of a group of letters or words taken from the full version of the word or phrase; for example, the word ''abbrevia ...
) is a
grammatical case
A grammatical case is a category of nouns and noun modifiers ( determiners, adjectives, participles, and numerals), which corresponds to one or more potential grammatical functions for a nominal group in a wording. In various languages, nomin ...
found in
Australian Aboriginal languages that indicates that the marked noun is avoided or feared.
Usage
For example, in
Walmajarri
The Walmadjari (Walmajarri) people, also known as Tjiwaling and Wanaseka, are an Aboriginal Australian people of the Kimberley region of Western Australia.
Name
The two names reflect different Walmadjari preferences. Their western bands accept ...
:
The suffix ''-karrarla'' indicates that the action (running away) was carried out in order to avoid the dust storm, ''tjurtu-''.
The aversive may also be used to mark the
object of
verbs of fearing. For example, in
Djabugay:
The aversive may be used on a
nominalized verb, to produce an equivalent of English "lest". For example, "lest they be forgotten" could be encoded as "to avoid forgetting them".
Languages
Few languages have a distinct aversive case. Usually, a single case will be used both for the aversive and other functions.
Languages with a distinct aversive case include:
*
Arrernte
*
Djabugay
*
Gumbaynggir
*
Marri Ngarr
*
Marrithiyel
*
Walmajarri
The Walmadjari (Walmajarri) people, also known as Tjiwaling and Wanaseka, are an Aboriginal Australian people of the Kimberley region of Western Australia.
Name
The two names reflect different Walmadjari preferences. Their western bands accept ...
*
Warlmanpa
*
Warlpiri
*
Warumungu
The Warumungu (or Warramunga) are a group of Aboriginal Australians of the Northern Territory. Today, Warumungu are mainly concentrated in the region of Tennant Creek and Alice Springs.
Language
Their language is Warumungu, belonging to th ...
*the
Western Desert Language
*
Yidinj
References
*
{{Grammatical cases
Australian Aboriginal languages
Grammatical cases
Case