Page:A Concise Grammar of the Malagasy Language.djvu/25

 Root-passive means a root-word containing a passive idea and usable as a passive verb.

The difference (usually existing) between a root-passive and a passive in a-, -ana, or -ina is that the former usually calls attention to the idea contained, leaving the agent almost out of consideration, while the latter calls attention to the agent as well as to the act.

The imperative mood of a root-passive (like the imperative mood of an adjective) has usually an optative meaning: as sitràna, 'may (he) be healed.' But sitràno, the imperative passive of the verb mànasìtrana (from sìtrana) has an imperative, not an optative, meaning.

Vòa (literally struck) is a root-passive used as a prefix. Often vòa- and tàfa- are equally suitable as prefixes, but generally tàfa- implies self-agency, vòa- the agency of another; but both give almost a "pluperfect" idea.

-ina is the usual ending of most passive verbs. Of these varieties of passives the only kind at all troublesome to distinguish is the passive in -ina formed from an abstract