[Lingtyp] Syncretism between forms encoding source and agent

[John Mansfield]

Hi Ponrawee,

Murrinhpatha (non-Pama-Nyungan, northern Australia) offers a neat example
of source / agent syncretism:

Darwin-kathu   wurrini-dha
Darwin-FROM  go.3SG.PST-PST
"He went from Darwin."

mem-birl                                kardu     nhini-kathu
do.3SG.NFUT-look.around    person  ANAPH-AGENT
"That person looks around."

The agentive marker is not obligatory. It is often used when one
participant is identified as the actor, in contrast to some other potential
actor.

Mansfield, John. *Murrinhpatha morphology and phonology.* Berlin: Mouton,
2019. Chapter 7.
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