O que difere uma língua ergativa de uma língua nominativa?

Abstract

This paper aims to show the grammatical properties that distinguish ergative languages from nominative languages. It is assumed that the parameter that contrasts both types of languages has to do with the activation of the inherent ergative Case, which is assigned only in ergative languages. This means that this Case is never present in nominative languages. Additionally, it is argued that split systems tend to appear only in morphologically ergative languages as opposed to what happens in syntactically ergative languages, which do not exhibit splits. In line with this, tripartite case systems are predictable in morphological ergative languages. On the other hand, syntactically ergative languages tend to be more uniform in the sense that the nominative Case is usually assigned both to transitive objects and to intransitive subjects. This explains the reasons why there is a tendency in syntactically ergative languages for the absolutive arguments to exhibit a syntactic behavior commonly associated with the behavior of subject in accusative languages. (English) [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]