Re: Case question

Mark J. Reed scripsit:

> > I'm no IEist, but if some IE langs could develop Monster Raving Loony systems,
>
> Okay, I'm familiar with the party, but what does the term refer to
> linguistically?
Two-case systems such that one case is used for S and the other for A and P.

> Ah, I didn't know there were ergative IE languages; thought they were all
> accusative.  What's "split-ergative"?
Another word for "ergative".  :-)

Split-ergative systems are ergative sometimes and accusative sometimes; for
example, they may be ergative for pronoun subjects and accusative for
noun subjects, or accusative in the imperfect aspect and ergative in the
perfect aspect, or vice versa.  Most, if not all, ergative systems are
split-ergative.

--
John Cowan  jcowan@reutershealth.com  www.reutershealth.com  ccil.org/~cowan
Dievas dave dantis; Dievas duos duonos          --Lithuanian proverb
Deus dedit dentes; deus dabit panem             --Latin version thereof
Deity donated dentition;
  deity'll donate doughnuts                     --English version by Muke Tever
God gave gums; God'll give granary              --Version by Mat McVeagh

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