Dr. Jessica Coon will present - Explaining Split Ergativity

Languages with aspect-based split ergativity universally show ergativity in the perfective aspect, and a nominative-accusative (or some other non-ergative) pattern in non-perfective aspects. In a similar vein, languages with person-based split ergativity always show the ergative pattern with nominals lower on the animacy hierarchy, and a non-ergative pattern with nominals higher on the hierarchy (Silverstein 1976; Dixon 1979). In this talk I aim to present a unified proposal for these splits, and to derive the directionality of the splits from independent properties of the grammar.

I begin with a look at aspect-based split ergativity in the Mayan language Chol. I argue, extending a proposal made for Basque in Laka 2006, that splits follow from the presence of different structures, not from different rules of Case assignment or agreement: non-perfective aspects are built on constructions with an intransitive aspectual matrix verb and a subordinated lexical verb; ergative Case is not assigned because the relevant verb is not transitive. In short, in non-perfective aspects the clause includes two distinct Case-assignment domains, with the subject and object located on either side of the divide. I show that this analysis can account for aspectual splits in a variety of unrelated languages. I also offer a proposal for why the non-perfective structures should involve additional structure (and thus two Case domains) while the perfective never does.

Turning to person splits, I follow proposals which argue that nominals higher on the animacy hierarchy require additional functional structure in order to be licensed (e.g., Béjar and Rezac 2003). This additional structure results in an additional Case-assignment domain, as found in the non-perfective aspects. Again, because the subject and object are located within distinct Case-assignment domains, ergative Case is not assigned, resulting in the appearance of a split. In sum, this analysis both unifies different types of split patterns found within ergative systems, and offers a proposal explaining the universal directionality of these splits.