This paper provides a novel account of the Indonesian suffix-kan. The syntactic behaviors of -kan in Bahasa Indonesia are best explained under the causative and applicative typology that derives from the fine-grained verb structure consisting of root, verbalizer, and Voice (Pylkkänen 2002; 2008, Harley 2013b, among others). In particular, I show that -kan can either occupy the high Appl(icative) head or the vCAUS head of verb-selecting causative, depending on its (in)ability to introduce a new argument. Consequently, the suffix -kan denotes either a benefactive or causative interpretation. A wide range of evidence converges to support the present analysis. On the one hand, the various types of verbal roots—nonpossessive transitive, static, and unergative roots—associated with benefactive -kan qualify it as typical high Appl head. On the other, the adjunct status of the Causee, patterns with adjunct modification, and the productivity exhibited by causative -kan classify it as the verb-selecting causative type.
1. Introduction
2. Theoretical Assumptions
3. The Typology of Causatives and Applicatives
4. The Syncretic -Kan Explained
5. Earlier Accounts of Indonesian -Kan
6. Tying up Loose Ends and Remaining Questions
7. Conclusions
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