Luvale (Niger-Congo, Bantoid)

Mismatch: morphosyntax: pseudo-agent


The normal Bantu morphological passive is obsolescent. In its place, a generic 3rd person plural animate subject is marked on the verb. Nevertheless, the agent may still be overtly indicated as an adjunct (via the locative copula kuli), in the same way as with the original morphological passives:

morphological passive (obsolescent)
newer passive substitute
na-sum-uw-a kuli linoka va-na-mu-vet-e kuli yayenyi
AUX-bitten[3SG.SBJ]-PASS-FV at snake.IIISG 3PL.SBJ-AUX-3SG.OBJ-beat-FV at elder.brother.ISG
'He has been bitten by a snake.' 'He has been beaten by his elder brother.'
(p. 88); note that the agreement markers on the verbs are all gender I (human)

Thus, the subject marking in the second sentence is spurious, as the literal reading would be something along the lines of 'they have beaten him by his elder brother.'


References

Horton, A. E. 1949. A grammar of Luvale. Johannesburg: Witwatersrand University Press.