Re: Ergativity and verb forms

Arthaey Angosii said:
> Emaelivpeith Racsko Tamas:
>> - You may or may not omit "I-ERG": it depends on the actual
>> language defaults. This unfilled slot may be filled in ny default
>> both with the subject of the main clause and with "someone" or
>> "previously mentioned one".
>
> Is there a technical term for the "previously mentioned one" in
> linguistics? My conlang Asha'ille uses "previously mentioned" data a
> lot, and it'd be nice to be able to properly describe what it's doing.
>  :)

Google for 'anaphora'. That's when you're invoking a referent that was
introduced earlier in the text (or discourse, if you prefer).

There's a related term, 'cataphora', for when you're invoking a referent
that will be introduced later in the text (or discourse).


-- Mark

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