Ergative Case

Overview

The ergative case is a grammatical case that marks the subject of a transitive verb. This is in contrast to the nominative case, which typically marks the subject of both intransitive and transitive verbs in many languages (like English).

Key Concepts

In ergative-absolutive alignment languages, the structure is as follows:

• The subject of an intransitive verb is in the absolutive case.
• The subject of a transitive verb is in the ergative case.
• The object of a transitive verb is in the absolutive case.

Deep Dive

This alignment system differs from the nominative-accusative system found in English, where the subject of both intransitive and transitive verbs is marked the same way (nominative), and the object of a transitive verb is marked differently (accusative).

Example

Consider a hypothetical language:

• Intransitive: The dog (absolutive) sleeps.
• Transitive: The cat (ergative) chased the dog (absolutive).

Applications

The ergative-absolutive alignment is found in languages across the globe, including:

• Basque
• Many Indigenous languages of the Americas (e.g., Mayan, Inuit languages)
• Some Caucasian languages
• Some Indo-Aryan languages (e.g., Hindi, in certain past tense constructions)

Challenges & Misconceptions

A common misconception is that ergativity is a direct opposite of accusativity. It’s an alternative alignment strategy. Not all languages with ergative case marking are fully ergative-absolutive; some exhibit split ergativity.

FAQs

Is English ergative?

No, English follows a nominative-accusative system. The subject is always in the nominative case, regardless of transitivity.

What is the function of the ergative case?

It distinguishes the agent (subject) of a transitive action from the patient (object) and the subject of an intransitive action.