Grammatical Relations in Ergative Languages
Year: 1981
Type: article
Abstract: Two of the most important issues in the discussion of ergativity concern the pattern of syntactic organization and notion of subject in ergative languages. A number of scholars have claimed that most morphologically ergative languages are in fact syntactically accusative. Data from four ergative languages (Archi, Enga, Jacaltec and Dyirbal) are examined with regard to these two questions. It is found that each of these languages differs from the others both in syntactic organization and notion of subject, and these facts call into question recent claims about the syntax of ergative languages.
Source: Studies in Language
DOI: 10.1075/sl.5.3.05van
Author: Robert D. Van Valin Jr.
Institution: Australian National University
Language: English
Subfield: Language and Linguistics
Field: Arts and Humanities
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W2053545394