Re: Noun/pronoun split ergativity (was Re: SVO vs SOV [...])

On 14 Oct 2003 at 0:12, Tim May wrote:

> Paul Bennett wrote at 2003-10-13 17:46:50 (-0400)
>  >
>  > On the subject of doing weird things with pronouns, there are some
>  > languages (Australian IIRC) which are Nom/Acc in nouns and Erg/Abs
>  > in pronouns. Let me just go dig out my copy of Dixon _Ergativity_
>  > ...
>  >
>  > Damn. I can't find the exact reference. I know it's in there
>  > somewhere. Either there or Payne _Describing Morphosyntax_
>  >
>  > If anyone's interested, I can dig out the exact reference, with
>  > quotes and examples.
>  >
>
> I'm sure it's in the Dixon too, but it is in Payne.  You have it
> backwards, though.  It's pronouns that are accusative, and nouns
> ergative. And only the 1st and 2nd person pronouns, in the example
> given (Dyirbal, so I'm pretty sure it'll be in Dixon).  The examples
> are on p.155.
Yes. Thanks. I found it during the last ten minutes or so, while
trying to simultaneously watch TV.

That whole chapter in split systems makes for a damned good read,
actually. One thing I feel obliged to throw into the mix is 7.3.2.2
(p158), Split ergativity based on tense-aspect, i.e. languages where
(e.g.) phrases in the present tense are marked Nom/Acc and phrases in
the past tense are marked Erg/Abs. The example given is Georgian,
which in the present marks S and A with {-i} and P with {-s}, and in
the past marks S and P with {-i} and A with {-ma}.

A quick quote, for those of us without the book:

In all such languages, the ergative/absolutive system occurs in the
past tense or perfective aspect, while the nominative/accusative
system occurs in the non-past tense(s) or the imperfective aspect. To
date, no clear exceptions to this universal have been attested.





Paul