A participant-oriented postposition does not assign (like an event-oriented postposition) an oblique role to its complement vis-à-vis the superordinate verb.
Instead, its complement bears a predicative relation to some actant of the main predicate and shares its semantic role.
Consequently, a participant-oriented postpositional phrase may constitute the predicate complement in a copula clause.
In a verbal clause, it functions like a secondary predicate on the actant in question.

Equiparative postpositions

The syntagmatic relation coded by an equiparative postposition between N and its antecedent is, at the same time, a paradigmatic relation, viz. one of similarity.

Table 5: Equiparative postpositions
form label meaning
kä́i/(ka~gi)pí ~ bí Equal as, like N
sú̱ta Similative1 like N, similar to N (in appearance)
së́ta Similative2 like N, similar to N (in sound, taste or smell)
yë́ Translative in(to) the form of N, as N
E5 Yökö́ bukalë́i te sá tk-á=wa̱ ra, sá dälä́-w-é̱ yökö́ kä́i.
[fire wasp:spc erg 1.pl cross-pfv=tot] tmp 1.pl burn-caus-ipfv fire equ
‘If the fire wasp stung (us), it burns (us) like fire.’
E6 yís sú̱ta
1.sg sim
‘like me’
E7 jé rä ko̱ñó̱ yë́
d.med cop rat trl
‘that one was transformed into a rat’