Ergativity

by R. M. W. Dixon

Overview

Although there is only one ergative language in Europe (Basque), perhaps one-quarter of the world's languages show ergative properties. R.M.W. Dixon here provides a full survey of the various types of ergativity, looking at the ways they interrelate, their semantic bases and their role in the organization of discourse. Comprehensive, clear, insightful, and illustrated by data from a wide variety of the world's languages, Ergativity will be the standard point of reference for all those interested in the topic.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780521448987
Publisher:	Cambridge University Press
Publication date:	06/02/1994
Series:	Cambridge Studies in Linguistics , #69
Edition description:	New Edition
Pages:	296
Product dimensions:	5.98(w) x 8.98(h) x 0.91(d)

Table of Contents

1. Introduction; 2. Syntactically-based and semantically-based marking; 3. Intra-clausal or morphological ergativity; 4. Types of split system; 5. The category of 'subject'; 6. Inter-clausal or syntactic ergativity; 7. Language change; 8. The rationale for ergativity; Appendix; A note on theoretical models; References; Indexes.

Editorial Reviews

'Long awaited … readers will not be disappointed. I can confidently predict that Ergativity will soon be on the reading list of many a course in morphology, syntax and typology.' Functions of Language

From the Publisher