accusative and ergative languages

[Patrick C. Ryan]

Dear Ralf-Stefan and IEists:

 ----- Original Message -----
From: Ralf-Stefan Georg <Georg at home.ivm.de>
Sent: Friday, July 16, 1999 4:54 PM

R-S wrote:

> How do you live with the fact that some "ergative languages" have
> independent passives ?

Pat asks:

Generalities are somewhat interesting but specifics would be even more
interesting.

<snip>

R-S wrote:

> And, as far as I remember, this whole brouhaha started with me asserting
> that all known "ergative languages" have some split, followed by you
> prompting we to show such a thing in Sumerian. I'm not a mind-reader, but
> this could be interpreted as a challenge aiming at the gist of my
> assertion, n'est-ce pas ? I managed to show those splits,

Pat interjects:

To my knowledge, you did not.

R-S continued:

> although the
> discussion got a bit swamped under some hassle over maru:- and
> HamTu-conjugations, but I managed to do it. At least I got you to accept,
> late in coming, though, that my initial assertian still stands up.

Pat responds:

I did *not* accept your initial assertion. Re-read my concession.

Pat wrote previously:

>> You might review your own procedures for employing quotation marks. Your use
>> of them on "there are ergative languages without any splits" strongly and
>> falsely implies that I wrote this in the context of a judgment on the
>> question.

R-S replied:

> I accept the reproach of not being a mind-reader ...

Pat answers:

Not 'mind-reading', just simple 'reading' will do nicely.

Pat

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