A Typological Approach to the Passive in Thai A TYPOLOGICAL analysis of passive types in Thai. A typological system of passives in Thai APPROACH TO THE is proposed. It comprises eight actual 1 PASSIVE IN THAI types of passive, which are distinguished from one another by these features: Amara Prasithrathsintl [true], [neutral], [direct], [basic], and [synthetic]. Abstract 1. Introduction Based on the generalization and The purpose of this study is to approach classification of passives in the world's passives typologically and to classify languages put forward by Givan (1979), the passive in Thai into types. Siewierska (1984), and Keenan (1990) this study recapitulates the universal One of the reasons why 1 have attempted types of passive. Twenty types of to analyze passives typologically is that passive are proposed. They are grouped there has been a great deal of confusion into ten pairs of contrastive types; as to how to analyze passives, chiefly namely, passive vs. ergative, true because different models of grammar passive vs. pseudo-passive, direct vs. treat passives differently; for example, indirect passive, sentential vs. lexical as to whether passives are structurally passive, personal vs . impersonal related to acti ves; i.e., whether they are pas~ive, plain vs. reflexive passive, derived transformationally from their neu ra J vs. adversative or favorable active counterpart or are derived pas· ve, basic vs. non-basic passive, independently. Among those who synthetic vs. periphrastic passive, maintain that passives are related to passive with patient subject vs. passive actives by syntactic rules are Chomsky with non-patient subject. It is found that (1965, 1973), Fillmore (1968, 1971), five of these pairs are applicable to the and Emonds ( 1976). Those who contend that actives and passives are syntactically independent but related by 1 The content of this paper is based on a part lexical rules are, for example, Shopen of the research report on "Controversial (1972), Bresnan ( 1978), and Starosta constructions in Thai Grammar: Relative (1988). Yet, there are some who hold clause constructions, complement clause that some passive clauses are derived constructions, serial verb constructions, and transformationally and other passive passive constructions". The study was funded by the National Research Council clauses lexically, for example, Wasow of Thailand and conducted by Pranee 1977, Lightfoot 1979, and Bennett1980 Kullavanijaya, Kingkam Thepkamjana, and (cited in Siewierska 1984:7). myself in 2003. I was responsible for the part on passive constructions. In the process Another reason why a typological of revising and improving this paper, I was approach to passives is adopted here is very grateful to Pranee Kullavanijaya for her that it is very likely to yield solutions to constructive comments and suggestions. the problem of identifying and 2 Associate Professor, Department of Lin­ classifying passives, which can serve as guistics, Faculty of Arts, Chulalongkorn a basis for further analysis. In many University earlier analyses, passives were defined Downloaded from Brill.com10/09/2021 05:22:18PM via free access Manusya: Journal of Humanities (Special Issue No.6 2003) differently according to differe nt verb is an activity verb, e.g., John was criteria. This resulted in the conclusion slapped. Passives that do not have these that some languages have passives but characteristics are complex, or non­ others do not. Thai is a good example basic, passives. Based on several of such a language. Indeed, several criteria, such as the presence of an agent, linguists maintain that Thai does not types of verbs that can be passi vized, have passives. However, many others, aspectual differences, and degree of myself included argue that it does. My subject affectedness, Keenan made view is that passives are diverse and do generalizations about the distribution not have a uniform pattern. of all the world's passives, which are summarized as follows: 2. Universality of passives G-1 Some lang uages have no Functionally speaking, passives serve pass1ves. the same function in the world's G-2 If a language has passives, it languages. According to Keenan ( 1990: has ones characterized as basic; 243-244), passives may be considered moreover, it may have only foregrounding constructions, which basic passives. topicalize or foreground an element. In G-2.1 If a language has John was slapped, John is presented as passives with agent topical, unlike in Mary slapped John. phrases, then it has Other foregrounding devices are them without agent topicalizations or left-dislocation (e.g. phrases. Beans I like). Passives are different from G-2.2 If a language has topicalized constructions in that they passives of stative can eliminate the subject of the active verbs (e.g. lack, have, or relegate it to the status of an oblique etc.), then it has NP (as in John was slapped by Mary). passives of activity verbs. Based on evidence from a large number G-2.3 If a language has of languages around the world, Keenan passives of intransitive ( 1990: 241) argues that "no language verbs then it has forms passive sentences by assigning a passives of transitive characteristic to an active, or by verbs (e.g. in inserting a sentence-level particle in an Japanese). active, or by inverting the subject and . G-3 Languages with basic passives the auxiliary of an active. Rather, commonly have more than one passives are formed by deriving verb formally distinct passive phrases in certain ways." construction. G-4 If a language has passives, it has Keenan divides ·all passives into two ones which can be used to cover major types: basic and non-basic or the perfective range of complex passives. The term "basic meaning. passives", refers to passives that have G-5 If a language has two or more three characteristics: 1) They have no basic passives, they are likely agent; 2) the passivized verb is a to differ semantically with transitive verb; and 3) the passivized respect to the aspect ranges they cover. 2 Downloaded from Brill.com10/09/2021 05:22:18PM via free access A Typological Approach to the Passive in Thai G-6 The subject of a passive VP is . Ayutthaya, and early Bangkok periods. never understood to be less (Prasithrathsint 2004). affected by the action than when it is presented as the The fact that Thai has both basic and object of an active transitive non-basic passives and that it has more verb. than one formally distinct passive G-7 Distinct passives in a language construction supports the statements in may vary according to the G-2 and G-3. degree of affectedness of the subject and whether it is Concerning G-4 and G-5, that passives positively or negatively in Thai seem to be compatible with affected (e.g. in Thai, perfective aspect may be regarded as Vietnamese, Chinese), though supporting the generalizations. this variation seems less widely However, such a claim needs further distributed than that of aspect. investigation. (See the discussion G-8 If a language can passivize following (24) and (25) in 4.7 .) transitive verb phrases taking sentential objects then it can G-6 may need proof from a test of native passivize ones taking lexical speakers' reaction. However, based on noun phrase objects. my observation, native speakers of Thai G-9 If a language presents basic seem to passivize a transitive active passives, then it always sentence or depassivize a passive passivizes 'give', 'show', etc. in sentence quite freely. This seems to such a way that the derived imply that the object of an active subject is the Patient of the sentence and the subject of its passive active verb. Passives in which counterpart are equivalent in terms of the Recipient is the subject may the degree of its being affected by the or may not exist (e.g. in French action of the verb. such a sentence as Le livre a e1i donned Pierre. 'The book The findings about passives in Thai also was given to Pierre' is gram­ provide evidence supporting G-7 and G- matical, but *Pierre a ete" 9. Indeed, Thai has adversative, favor­ donne le livre. 'Pierre was able, and neutral passives. Unlike in given the book' is ungram­ French, in Thai both the passive with matical.) the Patient subject and that with the (Keenan 1990: 247-277) Recipient subject exist. The latter is classified as the indirect passive. (See It is interesting to note that studies of 4.3) passives in Thai and other Tai languages provide evidence that seems to confirm With reference to G-8, the passive with many of Keenan's generalizations. For a sentential subject is less common than instance, G- 1, which states that some the passive with a noun phrase subject. languages have no passives, is The fact that Thai has only the latter confirmed by the fact that some Tai type of passive supports the statement languages, such as Ahem Tai, and in G-8. Phutai do not have passives. This is also true of the Thai used in the Sukhothai, 3 Downloaded from Brill.com10/09/2021 05:22:18PM via free access Manusya: Journal of Humanities (Special Issue No.6 2003) 3. Definition of passive and word to the passive passiviiation sentence. (4) It may or may not contain Given (1979: 187) defines passiv­ an agent. ization from a functional point of view (5) It may differ in form and as "the process by which a non-agent is meaning from other types of passive in the same promoted into the role of main topic of the sentence. And to the extent that language. the language possesses coding proper­ ties which identify main topics as As will be seen, the above definition subjects and distinguishes them from covers all the types of passives topics, then this promotion may also described in the following sections.