Ergative & Basque

[Inaki Agirre Perez]

About <have> and auxiliary verbs:

> This western usage is clearly calqued on the famous Castilian
> distinction between <ser> `be' (unmarked) and <estar> `be' (in a place
> or in a state).  Wherever Castilian uses <estar>, western Basque uses
> <egon>.  This is true even in idiosyncratic cases.  For example,
> Castilian expresses `He's dead' as <Esta' muerto>, with <estar>, and
> western Basque likewise has <Hil dago>, with <egon>, while eastern
> Basque has <Hila da>, with <izan>

AFAIK, in English 'He's dead' is both Spanish <Esta' muerto> and <Ha
muerto>. The translation in Basque would be <Hil da>, with <izan> verb.
A momentary sense could be achieved by <Hilik dago>, as if you have just
discovered the fact that he's dead, but <Hil dago> is ungrammatical in
my Basque (western).

Inaki