An examination of the function of the suffix -'at in Nootka or Nuu-chah-nulth (Salish family, North Amerindian) proposes that previous analyses of the suffix - indicating a passive or inverse structure - were inadequate. An alternate analysis suggests a lexicosemantic function for -'at. The strongest evidence against a passive or inverse interpretation is that -'at is structurally independent, not in regular opposition to a non-'at construction. Also, it cannot be derived from other constructions through a regular structural operation. It is suggested that the function of -'at is to affect the semantics of the predicate so that the whole predication is framed in terms of the direct or indirect effect of an action, event, or state. This function is thought to be realized either projected from the undergoer's perspective or departicularized through elimination of a particular agent. 221 References. B. Gadalla