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Re: Antipassive

From:The Gray Wizard <dbell@...>
Date:Tuesday, June 26, 2001, 21:33
> From: BP Jonsson > > Can someone please explain to me WTH an antipassive does?
An antipassive construction is valence decreasing operation that gives topical prominence to the agent while rendering the patient either unexpressed or obliquely referenced. It is often required in order to meet pivot constraints on coordination and subordination of clauses in ergative languages. Active -- The tiger killed an eagle. Antipassive (patient implied) -- The tiger killed. Antipassive (patient expressed) -- The tiger killed, an eagle. These English examples are approximations, as English does not have an Antipassive form. Stay curious, David David E. Bell The Gray Wizard www.graywizard.net Wisdom begins in wonder.

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BP Jonsson <bpj@...>