Re: Antipassive

>Hi!
>Another question:
>
>what are the purposes of the antipassive in an erg./abs. language?
>
>I need a list for my Vaiysi!
>
>Thanks!
>
>Luca Mangiat
>mangiat@tin.it
The purpose that leaps to mind is when you want to say for instance:

The cat chased the mouse and went to sleep

because if you say that literally in an erg/abs it would mean
that the mouse went to sleep (as the ellipsed subject of the second clause
would be marked by abs as the mouse is in the first clause)
But with an atinpassive construction you could say

The cat(ABS) chased(ANTIPAS) the mouse(ERG) and went to sleep.

Now this would be taken as

the cat chased the mouse and the cat went to sleep.


CMIIAW
/Jens


______________________________________________________
Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com