Abstract
The Northern Je languages (Macro-Je stock) do not show clear patterns of splitergativity; however, a better understanding of their alignment pattern is possible, if we examine the earlier stages of these languages. This study reconstructs the ergatively organized nominalization system found in subordinate clauses in Proto-Northern Je, which occurred as the argument of intransitive verbs of modality. These nominalized clauses were reanalyzed in pre-Timbira as main clauses and also underwent a semantic change to finite constructions, expressing recent past tense. Synchronically, Timbira displays an ergative–absolutive alignment conditioned by the expression of recent past tense, whereas Apinaje, Me$bengokre, and Suya present the ergative alignment conditioned by the categories of tense, aspect, and modality. The former two categories are coded by certain words or morphemes in predicate position, while the latter is coded by intransitive verbs of modality, as in pre-Timbira.
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