Up-rooting the prefix maha- in Malagasy

Travis, Lisa (Supervisor) This thesis explains why the prefix maha- in Malagasy (a Western Austronesian language) can have either an abilitive or causative meaning. It is not the case that there is a causative maha- prefix and an abilitive maha- prefix. There is, in fact, only one prefix which is both causative and abilitive. The apparent difference in meaning arises because of a difference in the emphasis placed on what I shall suggest are the two components of this prefix: stativity and causation. Whether maha- receives an abilitive or a causative reading depends on whether it attaches to what I term an "eventive" root or a "non-eventive" root. In the former case, it receives an abilitive reading, in the latter case, a causative reading.