accusative and ergative languages

[Robert Orr]

>On Fri, 18 Jun 1999, Robert Orr wrote:

>>>> Jens asked:

>>>>> Could you give us five examples of languages for which this sequence of
>>>>> events is known with certainty? Should be easy if it applies to all.

>> A bit of digging in South Asia could easily furnish five such examples.

>[]

>Thanks. Could you give examples, or refer me to a place where I can find
>some with relative ease?

I don't have in front of me, but there's an article by Payne J.R. (1980).
The Decay of Ergativity in Pamir Languages Lingua 51, 147-186. (with copious
citiations), which is fascinating in this regard.

There's also the well-known (done-to-death?) example of the history of
Persian.

Robert