Knowledge base · Part XIV — Tense, Aspect, Mood, and Modality · this topic as a network

116. The Desiderative rusuy

How does the language express desire or wanting, and what are the formal properties of that construction?

19 sentences from 12 sources · every sentence names the pages it rests on

The auxiliary and its form

What is the form and position of the element that expresses desire?

The particle rusui is an optative/desiderative particle expressing desire ('want to...'). (Kindaichi & Chiri 1936) The desiderative auxiliary rusuy does not generally take a personal affix. (Shibatani 1990: 24) In the Sakhalin dialect, some speakers attach a personal affix to the auxiliary rusuy 'want'. (Shibatani 1990)

inkar=an rusuy

look=4.S DES

‘One wants to look; one has a wish to see.’

Nakagawa 2024: 312 · SAR

Fusion and lexicalization

Does the desire element fuse phonologically with the preceding verb?

The auxiliary verb rusuy 'want to' frequently fuses with the preceding verb to form a single compound verb, taking personal affixes after rusuy. (Nakagawa 2024: 294) Unlike other inherent auxiliaries, rusuy often fuses with the immediately preceding verb to form a single compound verb. (Nakagawa 2024: 311) While iperusuy 'want to eat, be hungry' and konrusuy 'want ...' can formally be decomposed into ipe or kor plus rusuy, in practice they are more commonly used as single unitary words. (Nakagawa 2024: 312) A single word combining a transitive verb with an object prefix and rusuy (such as *a-e-rusuy) is ungrammatical in Ainu. (Satō 2025)

Argument structure and the experiencer

How is the experiencer of desire related to the subject of the action?

When expressing a wish regarding the desired action of others, rusuy is simply added to the predicate. (Refsing 1986: 206, 207)

ku=e rusuy

1SG.A=eat DES

‘I want to eat (it).’

Ijäs 2023 · constructed

Rusuy as full verb: the dual status

Can the desire element also function as an independent verb?

Because rusuy is an intrinsic auxiliary and not a verb, apkas-rusuy cannot be analyzed as object incorporation, and rusuy cannot be separated from the verb with person marking (*apkas a=rusuy). (Nakagawa 2024: 491) The desiderative marker rusuy is an auxiliary verb, not a verb, and does not undergo person inflection. (Satō 2008: 77)

Possession desire: kor rusuy

How is desire for possession of an object expressed?

ku=kor rusuy

1SG.A=have DES

‘I want it.’

· constructed

The applicative-desiderative

How is desire directed toward a specific referent expressed?

ku=e-arpa rusuy

1SG.A=APPL-go DES

‘I want to go to/for it.’

· constructed

Negation and scope

How does negation interact with the desire construction?

The auxiliary verb 'etunne expresses negative desiderative mood ('do not want to'). (Murasaki 2025: 94)

somo ku=nukar rusuy

NEG 1SG.A=see DES

‘I do not want to see (it).’

· constructed

Semantic range: community observations

What semantic range does the desire construction cover?

In Sakhalin Ainu, rusuy expresses desire ('want to') as well as a tendency or inclination to easily fall into an action or state. (Murasaki 2025: 54, 36, 69) The desiderative auxiliary rusuy primarily indicates a wish or hope of the speaker, and may also express intention without strong determination. (Refsing 1986: 205) In interrogative and conditional sentences, rusuy may indicate a presumed wish or intention on the part of the addressee. (Refsing 1986: 205) A third person's wish can also be expressed by rusuy. (Refsing 1986: 205) With certain verbs, rusuy forms fixed idioms functioning as stative verbs that express a lack of or desire for something, such as mokor rusuy 'sleepy' or ipe rusuy 'hungry'. (Refsing 1986: 205) The auxiliary verb rusuy expresses desiderative mood ('want to'). (Murasaki 2025: 94) The auxiliary rusuy expresses desire ('want to'). (Nakagawa 2024: 311) The auxiliary rusuy expresses wanting to do something. (Satō 2008: 86)