Re: Ergativity

Rob Haden <magwich78@...> writes:

> Hey,
>
> I was wondering if the sentences below demonstrate an ergative distinction
> in Pre-OurTongue:
>
> Myáya n(w)a thwáya ?yát?ya.
> Me    [GEN] you    eat.
> I am eating you.
>
> Myáya n(w)a ?yát?ya.
> Me    [GEN] eat.
> I am eating (something).
>
> Myáya ?yát?ya.
> Me    eat.
> I am being eaten (lit. '(Something) is eating me').
>
> What do y'all think?
Looks like an active-stative system like the one I use in Q
("Elvish").  Here are the sentences in Proto-Q:

Ma      tham    hatachama.
1SG-AGT 2SG-OBJ eat-2SG.OBJ-1SG.AGT
`I eat you.'

Ma      hatama.
1SG-AGT eat-1SG.AGT
`I eat (something).'

Mam     hataha.
1SG-OBJ eat-1SG.OBJ
`I am eaten.' (lit. `(Something) eats me.')

An ergative system would use the same case in the second and
third examples, and an antipassive marking on the second example.

The forms in your Pre-OurTongue look very Indo-European.
Is the language related?  (Yes, my Proto-Q also looks Indo-European,
and it is indeed related.)

Jörg.