title: Aversive case
text: # Aversive case
  
  The aversive or evitative case (abbreviated EVIT) is a grammatical case found in Australian Aboriginal languages that indicates that the marked noun is avoided or feared.
  
  ## Usage
  
  For example, in Walmajarri:
  
  Yapa-warnti
  
  child-ABS.PL
  
  pa-lu
  
  IND-they
  
  tjurtu-karrarla
  
  dust-AVERSIVE
  
  laparnkanja
  
  ran away
  
  natji-karti.
  
  cave-ALL
  
  Yapa-warnti pa-lu tjurtu-karrarla laparnkanja natji-karti.
  
  child-ABS.PL IND-they dust-AVERSIVE {ran away} cave-ALL
  
  The children ran into the cave because of the dust storm.
  
  The suffix -karrarla indicates that the action (running away) was carried out in order to avoid the dust storm, tjurtu-.
  
  The aversive may also be used to mark the object of verbs of fearing. For example, in Djabugay:
  
  Djama-lan
  
  snake-AVERSIVE
  
  ŋawu
  
  I
  
  yarrnga-nj.
  
  be afraid-PAST
  
  Djama-lan ŋawu yarrnga-nj.
  
  snake-AVERSIVE I {be afraid-PAST}
  
  I was afraid of the snake.
  
  The aversive may be used on a nominalized verb, to produce an equivalent of English "lest". For example, "lest they be forgotten" could be encoded as "to avoid forgetting them".
  
  ## Languages
  
  Few languages have a distinct aversive case. Usually, a single case will be used both for the aversive and other functions.
  
  Languages with a distinct aversive case include:
  
  * Arrernte
  * Djabugay
  * Gumbaynggir
  * Marri Ngarr
  * Marrithiyel
  * Walmajarri
  * Warlmanpa
  * Warlpiri
  * Warumungu
  * the Western Desert Language
  * Yidinj
  