On Mon, 1 Oct 2001 20:37:52 EDT, David Peterson <DigitalScream@...>
wrote:
[...]
>1.) I (unmarked) give (nominative/ergative/agent) the dog
>(dative/benefactive) a bone (acc./absol.)
>2.) I (nom/erg/agt) give (dat/ben) the dog (unmarked) a bone (acc./absol.)
>3.) I (nom/erg/agt) give (acc./absol.) the dog (dat./ben.) a bone
(unmarked)
[...]
> So what on Earth is the point? What would the difference be in these
>three sentences? Is it focus?
[...]
I think it's easier to understand if you rewrite your examples as follows:
1) I {am the one who gives} a bone to the dog.
2) The dog {is the being who the bone is given to} by me.
3) The bone {is what is given} by me to the dog.
Also various things like e. g.:
4) The house {is the place where the act of giving is in progress} of
the bone to the dog by me.
What stands in brackets conveys the litteral meaning of the respective
form of the verb.
If I understand it correctly, all sentences in a trigger language must
use a form like the above.
Basilius