Re: Ass metonymy (WAS: a bad essay)
From: | Chris Wright <dhasenan@...> |
Date: | Friday, February 6, 2009, 17:57 |
2009/2/6 Eugene Oh <un.doing@...>:
> The examples you've given look like "ass" can only be used ergatively
> (that's the right term, right? for the patient of a verb. I keeop getting
> them mixed up).
>
> Eugene
I don't natively speak AAVE, but here's my impression:
His ass is grass. Fine.
His ass is stupid. Questionable.
His ass is singing. I don't think this works.
Get your ass down here. Fine.
His ass got down here. Questionable.
He got his ass down here. Fine.
I went Terminator on his ass. Fine.
For me, it's plain accusative, no ergativity.