Chapter 3. Valence-altering operations in zapotec

This chapter provides the first attempt to systematize data on valence-altering operations in Zapotec. It contributes both to cross-linguistic research on valence, by situating the valence phenomena of Zapotec within a common framework, and to Zapotecan linguistics, by discussing cross-family distribution of some of the most salient valence-changing devices. After a brief introduction to the morphology and classification of the Zapotec verb, the chapter first provides a general overview of valence phenomena in Zapotec languages and then a more detailed outline of valence-increasing and valence-decreasing mechanisms, with examples drawn from a range of languages from all branches of the family.