Open AccessRoots of Ergativity in Africa (and Beyond)
Author(s) -
Antje Casaretto,
Gerrit J. Dimmendaal,
Birgit Hellwig,
Uta Reinöhl,
Gertrud Schneider-Blum
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
studies in african linguistics
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.178
H-Index - 4
eISSN - 2154-428X
pISSN - 0039-3533
DOI - 10.32473/sal.v49i1.122270
Subject(s) - ergative case , context (archaeology) , linguistics , situated , history , geography , computer science , philosophy , mathematics , archaeology , artificial intelligence , combinatorics , transitive relation
In the literature, it is often assumed that ergative constructions originate in passive constructions. The present contribution explores the likelihood of such a passive-to-ergative analysis for one language (Tima, Niger-Congo, Sudan), showing that this analysis cannot be substantiated and suggesting an origin in active constructions instead. This study is situated in its areal context (outlining similarities to split case marking systems across the region, especially in the Southern branch of Eastern Sudanic) and against the background of discussions in the Indo-Iranian family (from where the passive-to-ergative hypothesis presumably spread).