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<div dir="auto">Assuming you do not mean TAM-based split ergativity, e.g. Pitta-Pitta.</div>

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<div dir="auto">Best</div>

<div dir="auto">Peter</div>

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<div id="divRplyFwdMsg" dir="ltr"><font face="Calibri, sans-serif" style="font-size:11pt" color="#000000"><b>From:</b> Lingtyp <lingtyp-bounces@listserv.linguistlist.org> on behalf of Martin Haspelmath via Lingtyp <lingtyp@listserv.linguistlist.org><br>

<b>Sent:</b> Sunday, June 30, 2024 1:41:54 PM<br>

<b>To:</b> LINGTYP LINGTYP <LINGTYP@LISTSERV.LINGUISTLIST.ORG><br>

<b>Subject:</b> [Lingtyp] languages with accusative/ergative alternation</font>

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<div class="PlainText">Dear typologists,<br>

<br>

Does anyone know of a language that has been described as exhibiting an <br>

accusative/ergative alternation, i.e. where verbs with meanings like <br>

'break' or 'chase' can occur in two constructions such as (1) and (2) <br>

(which are schematic examples, not English)?<br>

<br>

(1) the dog-NOM chased the cat-ACC<br>

<br>

(2) the dog-ERG chased the cat-NOM<br>

<br>

Such an alternation would be analogous to indirective/secundative <br>

alternations, as in the schematic examples (3) and (4).<br>

<br>

(3) they provided food-ACC us-DAT ('they provided food to us')<br>

<br>

(4) they provided us-ACC food-INS ('they provided us with food')<br>

<br>

While indirective/secundative alternations have been described <br>

repeatedly, accusative/ergative alternations are little-known, and seem <br>

to be quite rare. Is this impression correct?<br>

<br>

Thanks,<br>

<br>

Martin<br>

<br>

-- <br>

Martin Haspelmath<br>

Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology<br>

Deutscher Platz 6<br>

D-04103 Leipzig<br>

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