Definition & Meaning of "direct-inverse language"

What is "direct-inverse language"?

Direct-inverse language is a grammatical system that marks the relationship between verbs and their arguments based on the role of the participants involved, particularly focusing on the alignment of the subject and object. In these languages, a distinction is made between direct and inverse constructions depending on who is performing the action and who is receiving it. The direct form typically indicates that the subject is the agent, the doer, and the object is the patient, the receiver, while the inverse form indicates a reversal of these roles. This system allows for flexibility in expressing relationships between participants in an action and can provide additional information about who is in control and focus within a sentence. Languages such as some Indigenous languages of the Americas exhibit direct-inverse marking, highlighting the complexity of argument structure in linguistic systems.