Re: ergative? I don't know...

On Sun, 25 Oct 1998, Mathias M. Lassailly wrote:

> > And I love the distinctions made by those verbs!
> >
>
> Yes, it's kind of unique : only ergative systems have sometime an
> 'unergative case' saying 'oops, I didn't mean it' but then it's coupled
> with absolutive, not accusative.
As I understand the term, "unergative" refers to an intransitive verb
attached to an agentive subject: "the woman cooks."  "The dog jumps." "The
girl sings."   I have no idea what you mean by "oops I didn't mean it."
The unergative uses verbs that can be performed by an agent, as opposed to
a patient, but which don't necessarily take a direct object.

Sally

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Sally Caves
scaves@frontiernet.net
http://www.frontiernet.net/~scaves/teonaht.html

Rin euab ouarjo vopy vytssema tohda uo zef:
ar al aippara brottwav; ad kemban aril yllefo
brotwav fenom; vybbrysan brotwav an; he ad
edirmerem brotwav kronom.

"A cat and a man are not all that different.
Both are on my bed; both lay their head on their
arm; both have mustaches; both purr when they
sleep."
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