Re: Lexicalising Ergativity

william drewery wrote:

>--- Leo Caesius <leo_caesius@...> wrote:
>
>
>>{ 20040621,0245 | Peter Bleackley } "Suppose a
>>language has a split-S
>>system, whereby there are two verb classes, one of
>>which takes an
>>Erg/Abs argument structure, and one of which takes a
>>Nom/Acc argument
>>structure. What are those classes likely to be?"
>>
>>Emily replied:
>>"In fact, as far as I am aware this happens in ALL
>>ergative systems, but
>>the split isn't exactly lexical, it's grammatical.
>>Usually the present
>>or other unmarked form of the verb uses, say, the
>>ergative form, while
>>the preterite/past/etc. uses the accusative system."
>>
>>
>>
>I may have misunderstood you here, but are you saying
>that ALL erg/abs languages are in fact split-S
>systems? Because i thought that that Split-S was less
>common than one or the other.
>
>
I think she's confusing it with something else.  Some languages are
Split-S(generally Ergative in a Past tense), such as Nepali. This is not
ever so common, but it occurs in many of the Indic languages.  Georgian,
too, I believe.  But there are also many 'pure' Ergative languages -
that is, they are ergative in all tenses.  However, no Ergative language
is completely devoid of accusative characteristics, nor the other way
round.