Re: Ergativity

----- Original Message -----
From: "takatunu" <takatunu@...>
To: <CONLANG@...>
Sent: Tuesday, August 12, 2003 8:56 AM
Subject: Re: Ergativity


> Chris Bates <christopher.bates@...> wrote:
>
> <<<
> "I'm sure there *are* purely ergative languages. Just not many. However,
> in the case of the sentence 'Robert<erg> cooks', in an Ergative system,
> it mus be translated as 'Robert cooks it', not just 'Robert cooks',
> which would be 'Robert<abs> cooks'."
> -----
> Thanks Joe. :) Finally, someone who agrees with the way I feel it should
> be. :D Thank god...
> >>>
>
> So you'd have:
>
> Robert <---cooks
> Soup <---cooks
>
> The difference would be that "soup" is either (i) being under elaboration
or
> (ii) merely being re-heated by SOME cook while Robert is elaborating or
> re-heating SOME food. That's where determination comes on stage.
I think the phrase 'soup cooks' is an Anglicism. I would translate 'Robert
cooks' and 'soup cooks' as Robert<abs> cooks, and Soup<abs> cooks<passive>,
respectively.

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