Focus
Ilokano, like other Philippine languages, has a Philippine-type focus system. The verb is capable of focusing on a particular noun phrase within the sentence. Ilokano verbs are capable of focusing on noun phrases with the following thematic roles: Agent, Patient, Commitative, Directional, Benefactive, Thematic and Instrumental.
The Agent focus requires only one noun phrase. According to Galvino (2000), the affixes in the Agent focus are Intransitive, because the verb form does not require another noun phrase to complete its meaning. The noun phrase is the agent or the experiencer of the action.
The remaining foci, Patient, Commitative, Directional, Benefactive, Thematic and Instrumental require the presence of two theta roles: the agent noun phrase and the focused noun phrase. Galvino (2000) terms these as Transitive.
Potentially, all roots can be cast into all of the foci. Due to the semantics of the root, however, not many do in practice. Roots can differ in meaning when cast into different foci. The difference can be a slight nuance to almost opposite in meaning. For example, if the root dalus clean is cast in the Patient focus, the resulting meaning is to clean (something). But, if cast in the Directional focus, the resulting meaning is to clean (something) off, the focused noun phrase becomes the area affected instead of the object affected.
| Focus | Conjugation | Example | Gloss |
|---|---|---|---|
| Agent | gumatang | to buy | |
| ag- | aggatang | to buy (again and again), to shop | |
| mang- | manggatang | to buy | |
| ma- | maturog | to sleep | |
| Patient | -en | dalusen | to clean (something) |
| Commitative | ka- | kasao | to talk with (someone) |
| Locative | -an | dalusan | to clean (something) off |
| Thematic | i- | iruar | to put (something) outside |
| Benefactive | i> | igatangan |
to buy for someone |
|
| Instrumental | pag- | pagdalus | to use something to clean |
Read more about this topic: Ilokano Verb
Famous quotes containing the word focus:
“No other group in America has so had their identity socialized out of existence as have black women.... When black people are talked about the focus tends to be on black men; and when women are talked about the focus tends to be on white women.”
—bell hooks (b. c. 1955)
“If your child is going to develop a healthy personality with the capacity to remain intact and grow, she must learn how to test reality, regulate her impulses, stabilize her moods, integrate her feelings and actions, focus her concentration and plan.”
—Stanley I. Greenspan (20th century)
“Why is it so difficult—so degradingly difficult—to bring the notion of Time into mental focus and keep it there for inspection? What an effort, what fumbling, what irritating fatigue!”
—Vladimir Nabokov (1899–1977)