Re: Ergativity

On Tue, 5 Aug 2003 14:58:52 -0500, Nik Taylor <yonjuuni@...>
wrote:

>Without further information, it's impossible to tell.  I would guess
>that it's ergative, but I can't be sure without further information
>
>One possibility is that this is simply some strange accusative system
>wherein the accusative is unmarked but the nominative is marked.  How
>are intransitive sentences dealt with?  To say "I am running", would you
>say
>
>Myáya n(w)a [run]
>Or
>Myáya [run]
>
>If it's the first, then it's accusative, albeit an unusual one, since
>nominative, but *not* accusative, is marked.  If it's the second, then
>it's ergative (and a fairly typical one at that, since ergative is
>marked but not absolutive; and using the same suffix for genitive and
>ergative is not uncommon either) .  If it depends on the particular
>verb, or on the semantics of the situation, then it's active (and
>presumably one that evolved from an ergative system).
Ah, I see what you're getting at!  My premise was to mark transitive agents
(when expressed) with the genitive postposition *n(w)a, to show that the
noun in question is the originator of the action (i.e., the grammatical
subject).  That's why I made a distinction between

Myáya n(w)a ?yát?ya  'I'm eating (something)'

and

Myáya ?yát?ya 'I'm being eaten'

In other words, the use of the genitive in the former sentence implies
volition, and thus a direct object is implied but not expressed.

I guess that in my mind, the difference between 'eating a horse'
and 'eating' is simply one of expressed vs. unexpressed objects.  In other
words, 'eat' implicitly takes a direct object, whether expressed or not.
So I take it that many/most ergative languages make a distinction
between 'eating a horse' and 'eating'?

As for 'run,' while I would say that it does not necessarily require a
direct object, it is a volitive activity.  Thus 'I'm running' would
be 'Myáya n(w)a [run].'  However, the translation for e.g. 'I am falling'
would be 'Myáya [fall].'  Would this make Pre-OurTongue an active language?

- Rob

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