Case instead of voice

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ná'oolkiłí
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Re: Case instead of voice

Post by ná'oolkiłí »

Imralu wrote:In a language in which "dog" could be inferred as filling the absolutive role with "leave" (ie. the dog leaves), do you think "man" could also be inferred simultaneously as filling the ergative role in the same clause (ie. the man makes the dog leave / kicks the dog out)?
I'd think so—isn't that just verb coordination? What would the alternative be?

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Chuma
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Re: Case instead of voice

Post by Chuma »

A similar extension to what Imralu suggests should be equally possible with nom/acc. "The man beats the dog and kicks"? It would - as I think Naool is suggesting - look a lot like just having two verbs in the sentence, a compound verb phrase of sorts. I don't know if there is any theoretical difference, even. It does however in that case violate the rule of generative grammar that a phrase can't be split up, but it wouldn't be the only exception.

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