How to pronounce the word ergative?
ergative
What is the definition of ergative?
- Ergative is a grammatical construction or case marking that indicates the subject of a transitive verb and the object of an intransitive verb.
What is the origin of the word ergative?
- The word ergative comes from the Greek word 'ergon', meaning 'work'.
How is ergative used in linguistics?
- In linguistics, ergative is used to describe a type of alignment in a language, where the subject of an intransitive verb is marked the same way as the object of a transitive verb, while the subject of a transitive verb is marked differently.
What is the opposite of ergative?
- The opposite of ergative is accusative, which is a type of alignment where the subject of an intransitive verb is marked differently from the object of a transitive verb.
Can you give an example of an ergative language?
- One example of an ergative language is Basque. In Basque, the subject of a transitive verb and the object of an intransitive verb are marked the same way, while the subject of an intransitive verb is marked differently.
What are some other examples of languages with ergative alignment?
- Some other examples of languages with ergative alignment include Hindi, Georgian, Dyirbal, and Inuktitut.
What is the role of ergative case marking?
- Ergative case marking helps indicate the syntactic role of the subject in a sentence and is commonly used in ergative-absolute languages.
Are all languages either ergative or accusative?
- No, there are languages that exhibit other types of alignment, such as nominative-accusative or tripartite.
Can ergative alignment exist in other aspects of grammar?
- Yes, besides case marking, ergative alignment can also be found in other aspects of grammar, such as verb agreement, word order, and pronominal systems.
Is ergative alignment common among the world's languages?
- Ergative alignment is less common compared to other types of alignment, such as accusative or nominative-accusative. However, it is found in a significant number of languages across different language families.
