accusative and ergative languages

Tue Jun 29 05:20:57 UTC 1999

Dear Nik and IEists:

 ----- Original Message -----
From: Nik Taylor <fortytwo at ufl.edu>
Sent: Wednesday, June 23, 1999 2:15 AM

> "Patrick C. Ryan" wrote:

>> whereas in Language B: noun(B)+acc. verb is *ungrammatical*.

> Oh?  So then, Latin is ergative?  You can have sentences like "Marcum
> videt" = "[he] sees Mark", which is an accusative and a verb, and
> nothing else.  Yet, Latin is clearly not ergative.

If you and Larry Trask believe this, be my guest. The subject is
incorporated in the verb, and this objection is, at the best, naif.

[ moderator snip ]

Pat

PATRICK C. RYAN (501) 227-9947; FAX/DATA (501)312-9947 9115 W. 34th St.
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http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Forum/2803 and PROTO-RELIGION:
http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Forum/2803/proto-religion/indexR.html "Veit
ek, at ek hekk, vindga meipi, nftr allar nmu, geiri undapr . . . a ~eim
meipi er mangi veit hvers hann af rstum renn." (Havamal 138)