Re: Copula

Jeff Rollin wrote:
[snip]
>
> I suspect there are languages that have no passive but have free word
> order, since the point of a passive is to make an object
> topic-prominent.
Latin certainly had free word order and could, and quite often did, make
the object topic-prominent by shifting to the front. Indeed, German,
which has less free word order, can and does do the same - fronting the
object before the main verb which must occupy 2nd position.

But both languages find a passive useful - particularly, of course,
where the agent is unimportant or unknown.

German can use an active with the subject 'man' (Like French 'on') where
English would normally use a passive, and the Romance languages very
often use reflexive forms where we have passives. But the same 'test'
applies as regards "to be" used a copula. Thus
German "Ich bin es" cannot be replaced by *"man ist ich"
nor can
French "C'est moi" be replaced by *"Moi, je me suis" - indeed, the
latter would be understood to mean "I follow myself"   :)

> I can also imagine a language which is
> ergative/active/tripartite and has a passive
So can I.

--
Ray
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