How do causative verbs differ from plain verbs in Tibetan and Burmese?

In many Tibeto-Burman languages, the distinction between plain and causative verbs is marked through specific morphological processes rather than separate auxiliary words.1

In Written Tibetan, this distinction is typically signaled by the use of different prefixes. For example, the verb mnam means "have a smell," while the causative form snam means "smell something".1

In Burmese, the distinction is often achieved through secondary differences in the manner of the initial consonant or changes in tone. For instance, the intransitive (plain) verb nôi ("awaken") contrasts with the transitive (causative) verb hnôi ("wake someone").1

These morphological strategies allow these languages to derive causative meanings directly from the root verb, reflecting a grammatical structure that differs significantly from the analytic methods often found in other language families.1