Primary object languages & pronouns

[Dan Everett]

Folks,

Wari', Amazonian, shows agreement and syntax typical of what Dryer
(1986) has treated as obligatorily anti-dative or Van Valin & La Polla
(1997, 270ff) treat as a 'primary-object pattern'. That is, in simple
transitive clauses the AGENT and PATIENT both trigger agreement on the
verb. In Di-transitive clauses, however, it is the RECIPIENT/GOAL which
triggers/governs agreement on the verb. The PATIENT argument in these
clauses appears as the object of a preposition (Wari' is V-IO-O-S). My
question is this: pronouns may not bear the RECIPIENT role. Are there
other languages like this? Some hypothetical examples of what I mean
are:

(1) a. I hit him.
      b. Bill hit me.
      c. Mary saw you.

(In 1a-c, the verb agrees with both subject/agent and object/patient,
regardless of whether these are NPs or pronouns - they may also be
zero.)

(2) a. I gave Mary of the book. (I gave the book to Mary) - VERB agrees
with Mary and I.
      b. *I gave her of the book. (Even though the verb agreement will
be for 1 person singular and 3 singular feminine)


Again, does anyone know of other languages with this pattern?

-- Dan


********************
Daniel L. Everett
Professor of Phonetics and Phonology
Department of Linguistics
University of Manchester
Manchester, UK
M13 9PL 	
Phone: 44-161-275-3158
Department Fax: 44-161-275-3187
http://ling.man.ac.uk/info/staff/de/
'Speech is the best show man puts on' - Whorf

			
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