Nominative-accusative Research Articles

“Não esqueça eu” - O uso do pronome sujeito EU em função de objeto no português popular do Brasil

Portuguese, like many other Romance languages, is traditionally classified as a pro-drop language with a nominative-accusative alignment in its pronominal system. This means that it basically encodes the subject function on the verb, whereas the object function is marked on the object pronoun itself. However, spoken Portuguese in Brazil has been known to have drastically readjusted its pronominal system due to the introduction of novel pronouns such as você and a gente that do not inflect for case and which both trigger the verb to be inflected for 3rd person singular. Obviously, such radical changes can affect the entire pronominal system. New evidence taken from various sources such as pop music and X (Twitter) show precisely this: loss of case distinction seems to affect also other pronouns in Spoken Brazilian Portuguese. This paper tries to follow this development with the example of the 1st person singular pronoun eu by analyzing data found on social media and comparing it to written sources as far back as the 15th century.

Ergative and Antipassive Construction in Minangkabaunese: Are There?

That Minangkabunese has active-passive dichotomy is not questioned anymore since it has been treated as an accusative language. Further typological analysis toward grammatical constructions of this language leads to a claim that it may be treated as an ergative language in which the ergative and antipassive constructions exist. That Minangkabaunese has ergative and antipassive construction is still questioned in some matters. Therefore, further grammatical-typological data, analysis, and discussion are needed. This paper, which is based on and developed from a part of results of research conducted in 2021-2022, particularly analyses whether Minangkabaunese has ergative and/or antipassive constructions. Two questions are raised, namely: (i) are there ergative and antipassive constructions in Minangkabaunese? and (ii) what is the linguistic implication of such claim toward grammatical typology of Minangkabaunese? This descriptive-qualitative study was practically operated as a linguistic field research and supported by a library study. Native speakers as represented by selected informants and written texts of Minangkabaunese were the sources of data. The data are in the form of clause constructions of Minangkabunese identified as the standard ones and were analyzed based on related theories of grammatical typology. The result of data analysis reveals that Minangkabaunese has ergative and antipassive constructions. Implicationally, this language may be typologically treated as an ergative language at the syntactic level beside as an accusative language.

Case-Marking System in Saptariya Tharu: A Typological Perspective

This paper explores the system of case marking in the Saptariya Tharu spoken in various districts of Nepal. Saptariya Tharu is identified as a nominative and accusative language, and studies are conducted to explore its case markers and postpositions. The paper discusses nominative case, accusative-dative case, locative case, genitive case, ablative case, instrumental case, and comitative case and highlights their use and examples. In addition, the paper compares the Sapataria Tharu case marking system with other Indo-Aryan languages spoken in Nepal's Terai region. It points out that most languages in this region also have nomenclature-accusation patterns. Furthermore, this article notes the similarities between these languages, emphasizing the absence of ergative case markers and the differences between instrumental, genitive, dative, and locative markers. The research concludes that it reveals a rich case-marking system of Saptariya Tharu in a broader context of the Indo-Aryan languages spoken in Nepal's terai region, highlighting its unique linguistic characteristics and typological similarities with neighboring languages.

Kalimat Subordinasi Bahasa Batak Toba: Kajian Tipologi Sintaksis

This research aims to describe the types of subordinate sentences in the Batak Toba language and test the pivot of the Toba Batak language in subordinating constructions. The data used is written data. The data is a combination of transitive clauses and substantive clauses contained in the book 'Turi-turian Ni Halak Batak'. This research is qualitative descriptive research. Data were analyzed using the agih method with changing and changing forms techniques. Replacement techniques are used to replace words in a sentence with words that have the same syntactic function. Meanwhile, the change of form technique is used to change the form of a word in a sentence into a different sentence form but still has the same syntactic function. The results of the research show that grammatically the Toba Batak language is included in the accusative language typology. The pivot test shows that the release of FN in the Toba Batak language can be done directly if the FN is in the S or A function. If the FN is in the P function the release cannot be done directly, but one of the clauses must be passivized or topicalized first. Based on this pattern, it can be concluded that the Toba Batak language is included in the accusative language type with an S/A pivot pattern.

GRAMMATICAL ALLIANCE AND PIVOT SYSTEM OF BATAK SIMALUNGUN LANGUAGE: A SYNTACTIC TYPOLOGY STUDY

Syntax, morphology, and phonology can be used as a reference for language classification. This research aims to determine the grammatical alliance of the Simalungun language syntactically and its typology. It is a qualitative study with the typology approach. The data are phrases and clauses of the Simalungun language collected from informants and books – Simalungun language syntax books, by interviews and notes. It found that a transitive verb formulates the intransitive clause of the Simalungun Batak language as a predicate. The predicative verb appears with affixes. In general, the Simalungun language contains verbs that, in their presence, correspond to the subject. Simalungun language has a grammatical alliance system that treats subject (S) the same as agent (A), and a different treatment is given to predicate (P). Based on grammatical relations, the Simalungun language treats S the same as A at the syntactic level. Thus, it can be typologically grouped into syntactical accusatives. Based on the Pivot test, it also belongs to the accusative language group.

Grammar (morphosyntax) and discourse

Abstract The present work attempts to examine the relationship between grammar and discourse. (i) First, it compares Warrongo (an ergative language that has antipassives and an S/O pivot) and English (an accusative language that has passives and an S/A pivot). Despite these polar opposite morphosyntactic characteristics, Warrongo and English behave almost in the same way in discourse – in terms of new mentions, lexical mentions and topic continuity. There are, however, two differences in discourse. First, Warrongo antipassives and S/O pivot have much higher functional loads than English passives and S/A pivot. Second, Warrongo antipassives have a use that English passives do not have. (ii) Then, the present work shows that grammar and discourse are not independent of each other and that they share one principle. The hierarchy of “O > S > A” is attested in grammar and discourse crosslinguistically and irrespective of the morphosyntactic types of the languages concerned.

Possessing a process

This paper investigates the semantics of action nominal constructions (ANCs) in Hungarian. The theoretical assumptions concerning grammatical structures are defined in the framework of usage-based construction grammar. ANCs are investigated in the model of conceptual integration. The input spaces of the ANC network are intransitive and transitive constructions characteristic of nominative-accusative languages on the one hand, and nominal possessive constructions on the other. Agent and patient semantic roles correspond to the formal components of certain possessive constructions. The ergative nature of mapping can be explainedby the symbolic structure and grammaticalization of the possessor in Hungarian. Although the use of dative case is claimed in the literature to be a secondary (marked) way to express the possessor, it proved to be dominant before the reform era (1772–1825) according to our corpus analysis. The motivation behind the mapping between constructions can be captured by a generic space. The constructions share a mental path semantic structure and an inflectional pattern that makes the grounding of a person possible. However, the emergent nature of the meaning of ANC is also reflected in grounding, as instead of the asymmetric reference-point structure of possession, it holistically serves to refer to a person or thing. Compression and passivation are further functions that cannot be simply traced back to possessive or verbal constructions. These cognitive advantages might also motivate the use of ANC.

A subject relative clause preference in a split-ergative language: ERP evidence from Georgian

A fascinating descriptive property of human language processing whose explanation is still debated is that subject-gap relative clauses are easier to process than object-gap relative clauses, across a broad range of languages with different properties. However, recent work suggests that this generalization does not hold in Basque, an ergative language, and has motivated an alternative generalization in which the preference is for gaps in morphologically unmarked positions—subjects in nominative-accusative languages, and objects and intransitive subjects in ergative-absolutive languages. Here we examined whether this generalization extends to another ergative-absolutive language, Georgian. ERP and self-paced reading results show a large anterior negativity and slower reading times when a relative clause is disambiguated to an object relative vs a subject relative. These data thus suggest that in at least some ergative-absolutive languages, the classic descriptive generalization—that object relative clauses are more costly than subject relative clauses—still holds.

Grammatical Alliance of South Nias Dialect

This research aimed to understand (1) the types of complex sentence structures in BNDS, and (2) the determination of grammatical alliance system. This study used a qualitative descriptive method and applied the theoretical framework of language typology proposed by Van Vallin Jr, Lapolla (1999) and Dixon (1994) as the main theory. The data of this research were in the form of clauses and sentences. Based on the results of data analysis that has been carried out, it was found that syntactically BNDS is included in the accusative language group that treats the subject the same as the agent, and gives different treatment to the patient (S = A, ≠ P). BNDS is a language group that works with the S/A pivot system. This grammatical alliance system showed that BNDS is syntactically a nominative-accusative language. Paying attention to S’s behavior in intransitive clauses with A and P’s behavior in BNDS transitive clauses which showed a tendency to be nominative-accusative language.
 Keywords: clauses, complex sentences, pivot test and grammatical alliance

The case of fragment answers

This paper investigates the case of bare-(pro)nominal fragment answers, and specifically the issues that arise in analyzing the case of fragment DPs from subject questions. I adopt a middle ground approach between competing theories of nonsententials—namely the Ellipsis Approach (Merchant 2004) and the approach of Direct Interpretation (Barton & Progovac 2005)—and propose fragment DPs to be derived from a null vP. For their case forms, I compare two different theories of case—assignment by functional heads and Dependent Case Theory—and hypothesize that fragment DPs construed as the internal argument are realized in dependent case for nominative-accusative languages. Fragment DPs construed as the external argument would be found in their default case form, which is language-specific. Fragment answer data from English, Korean, and Serbian is used to provide crosslinguistic support for this null vP analysis and discussion of case.

Pronoun resolution and ergativity: Effects of subjecthood and case in Niuean

Anaphoric pronouns such as 'it' are referentially underspecified and therefore depend on prior context for interpretation. The factors influencing their interpretation are a long-standing topic of research in syntactic and pragmatic literature. We present a novel study of pronoun resolution in the ergative-absolutive Polynesian language Niuean, investigating whether Niuean exhibits the same subject preference found for nominative-accusative languages (e.g. Chafe 1976) or whether, alternatively, the absolutive argument is preferred as a referent. Niuean also exhibits split ergativity, allowing for isolation of further effects of case (wherein listeners show a preference for antecedents that bear the same case as the pronoun) and transitivity (wherein direct objects are preferred as antecedents as compared with adjuncts). Most importantly, we observe that ergative arguments are consistently preferred as referents over clause-mate absolutive arguments, providing evidence that ergative arguments exhibit behavior parallel to that of 'subjects' in nominativeaccusative languages.

Case alignment in Kabyle Amazigh

Abstract This paper examines the state alternation in Kabyle, arguing that state is the morphological realization of Case. The free state is accusative case, and the construct state is nominative case. Taking morphological patterns and syntactic distribution into account, Kabyle is found to be a Type 2 marked nominative language. Both states, or cases, are morphologically marked. The free state is the default case. This analysis accounts for the bulk of the distribution of free state and construct state nouns, and situates Kabyle as belonging to a typologically rare alignment system that is concentrated in Afroasiatic and African languages.

DIATHESIS IN SILADANG LANGUAGE

This paper is to reveal diathesis in Siladang language. Diathesis is a grammatical category that shows the relationship between the participant or subject and the action stated by the verb in the clause. In general, the languages of the world have an active-passive diathesis strategy. This research applies the theory of diathesis proposed by Lyon and adopts descriptive qualitative method in which comparative and inductive treatments are made to the collected data through phenomenological approach. The data (Siladang language) are collected from 2223 informants (native speakers of Siladang language) who live in Sipaga-paga Village and 2006 informants who live in Aek Banir Village. Then, the data are classified based on the language features in universal language empirically. This research shows that Sialdang language has an active-passive diathesis which is one of the important characteristics in an accusative typological language. Apart from having an active-passive diathesis, Siladang language also has a medial diathesis.

Introduction

Introduction

Siladang Syntax: A Study of Grammar Typology

The analysis of basic clause structures shows that clauses in Bahasa Siladang consist of verbal and non-verbal predication. The non-verbal predicate can be filled by an adjective, noun, numeral or prepositional phrase. The analysis of the argument structure shows that the intransitive predicate requires one NP argument as the only argument functioning as the grammatical subject, which can be an agent or a patient. Meanwhile, the transitive verb predicate requires two or more arguments. The presence of these arguments in the predicate in transitive sentences is mandatory. The conclusion from the analysis of the grammatical behavior in syntactic construction is that SL is a language which has a grammatical alignment system which gives the same treatment to A and S, and a different treatment to P. It can be categorized as an accusative language, marking the direct object of transitive verbs, making them different from the subject of both transitive and intransitive verbs.
 Keywords: clause structure, argument structure, syntactic typology

Morphological Split Ergative Alignment and Syntactic Nominative-Accusative Alignment in Pesh

Pesh (Chibchan, Honduras) has until now been described as having a morphological nominative-accusative alignment. This paper argues that Pesh displays a bilevel split ergative pattern for morphological alignment. On the first level of the system, Pesh features a split alignment that is conditioned by the way the arguments are expressed. It has a nominative-accusative alignment for the obligatory indexing of arguments on the verb and three systems of alignment for flagging case. The distribution of these three systems shapes the second level, where ergative-absolutive, tripartite, and nominative-accusative are seen depending on the types of clause and the varieties spoken. On the other hand, Pesh shows a syntactic nominative-accusative alignment. Cross-clausal behaviors in two constructions show a subject/agent pivot. This is seen in the possibility of deletion of the intransitive subject or the transitive subject in the second conjoined clause and the control of coreference with core arguments in a purpose clause.

Language games vs. the game of translation

The article focuses on experimental researching the strategies, methods and means of reproducing nominative language game in popular scientific discourse. We proceed from the understanding of language games by Ludwig Wittgenstein and Johan Huizinga according to which its varieties include both acts of nomination and translation. The research is based on the neological quasi-terms whose main function is not to give names to objects but to induce expressive coloring (terminological connotation) in the context. With the help of algorithmic modeling, we formulated potential strategies for ascribing meanings to English quasi-terms and reproducing them in Ukrainian, and afterwards we designed and conducted the retrospective experiment aimed at verifying the above strategies. The experiment involved 34 semi-professional subjects who translated text fragments and submitted their reports concerning the reproduction of the control units (quasi-terms). The analysis of the experiment not only confirmed the validity of the modeled strategies but also allowed to describe the translators’ decisions in terms of the game theory. In particular, by attempting to coin the equivalent for a non-equivalent quasi-term following the source model and word-formation elements, the translator accepts the author’s rules; while by employing his/her own model and/or word-formation elements the translator offers his/her own set of rules. In either case, the reproduction of a quasi-term in its lexicalized form can be seen as the translator’s victory, while omitting it in the target text is a clear sign of defeat. Descriptive translation takes a somewhat intermediate position: on the one hand, it allows to convey the meaning of the source unit, but on the other hand, it leads to the loss of the source unit’s lexicalized form and concomitant terminological connotation.

Introduction to the templatic verb morphology of Birhor (Birhoɽ), a Kherwarian Munda language

AbstractBirhor (Birhoɽ) is a Kherwarian Munda language spoken in small enclaves in India, primarily in Hazaribagh, Ranchi, and Singhbhum districts and other small pockets in Jharkhand state. Birhor has to date been poorly documented, and even the basic properties of its core grammatical systems remain largely undescribed. All data used in this study come from field notes collected in several trips dating back to 2015. This paper is a preliminary attempt to identify the basic templatic structures of positive and negative finite conjugations in Birhor of both monovalent and polyvalent predicates. We discuss here two basic intersecting inflectional oppositions in the grammar of Birhor: (i) between perfective and imperfective tense-aspect forms (the imperfective includes imperfective and imperfect forms, and the perfective includes the past, the anterior and the perfect); and (ii) between monovalent predicates and polyvalent ones. Like all Kherwarian languages, Birhor has a nominative-accusative alignment of argument indexing and a complex templatic verb structure. It encodes subjects with monovalent stems. Polyvalent predicates encode two arguments, a first argument/syntactic subject and a second argument/syntactic ‘object’ following a primary object pattern. A complex array of different templates is thus found across positive and negative conjugations that contrast polyvalent vs. monovalent imperfective, perfective, and imperative forms. Many different formal templatic patterns are attested within each of the paradigmatic oppositional sets in Birhor. There are two formal subtypes of monovalent predicates. They contrast in both positive and negative conjugations, for both the imperfective and the perfective series of inflections. Polyvalent predicates also contrast the imperfective and the perfective series. Lastly, there are distinct templates for imperative and prohibitive of monovalent and polyvalent predicates as well.

Что такое номинативный язык общества? Философский анализ социальной теории О. Розенштока-Хюсси

The article presents an analysis of the social aspect of language based on the methodological ideas of E. Rosenstock-Huessy. The approach of the sophist to the analysis of social phenomena is based on the idea of an inextricable connection between the processes of thinking, speech, and communication, which are founded in language. Language is considered by the philosopher not only as a semantic structure, but also as a force that changes people and society. Such a speech approach to the analysis of society outlines some possible ways out of the social crisis in which modern European culture finds itself. Rosenstock-Huessy understands the power of language from a dialogical point of view as the power of speech, capable of establishing long-term and free relations between people. Embedded in the process of dialogical thought of the twentieth century, the philosophy of Rosenstock-Huessy seeks to overcome the language of Modern science, which reduced the human personality to an impersonal subject of knowledge. Criticizing the entire Western philosophical tradition for its monologue and striving for "pure" knowledge, Rosenstock-Huessy sees the goal of thinking in dialogic speech, transforming both the speaker and the listener. Rosenstock-Huessy introduces the original concept of the name into philosophical circulation. The name in his social theory is an intermediary between language and society, providing the processes of normal social communication. In this regard, the authors of the article consider it useful for social philosophy and sociology to introduce the concept of "nominative social practices": this concept makes it possible to clarify the role of imperative speech in the processes of socialization. As a result of studying the social philosophy of the thinker, the authors propose the concept of "nominative language" as a system of social names and nominative practices. The relevance of addressing the nominative language of society is determined, according to the authors, by its social problems, in particular, by the dysfunction of names in modern society.

Typology and Grammatical Alignment of Angkola Language

This study uses the theory of language typology by Comrie (1988). This research on grammatical alliance of Angkola language (AL) aims to understand (1) the basic construction of clause, (2) the construction of complex sentence, (3) the pivot system, and (4) the grammatical alliance system. The method used is participant-observation. Pivot test revelas that Angkola language syntactically treats S equals to A, and gives different treatment to P (S` = `A` ≠ P). Angkola language grammatically has an S/A pivot. It can be concluded that AL has a tendency as an accusative language.