A for antipassive, I for inverse

Abstract In Chiquitano (Macro-Jê), multiple constructions are used to translate other languages’ transitive clauses. The language has traditionally been analyzed as a nominative–accusative one, with almost all transitive verbs taking more morphological marking than the intransitive verbs. In this contribution, I put forward an alternative proposal, whereby Chiquitano is considered to be an ergative–absolutive language. The constructions traditionally analyzed as basic transitive clauses are shown to be representative of voice alternations — antipassive or inverse —. I further show that the language has a class of pseudo-transitive verbs, which can likewise enter a kind of inverse construction (“pseudo-transitive inverse”). I conclude the paper by comparing my proposal to previous analyses; my account of the facts fares better with regard to the syntax of subordination in desiderative clauses, typological plausibility of lexicalization of certain predicates as transitive, and economy of exponence.