Pragmatically case-marked: Non-syntactic functions of the Kuuk Thaayorre ergative suffix
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Alice Gaby
Abstract
In Kuuk Thaayorre, ergative marking is of both syntactic and pragmatic import. Syntactically, ergative inflection marks a noun phrase as the subject of a transitive clause. Though this may be considered definitional of an ergative morpheme, Kuuk Thaayorre joins a growing number of languages in which ergative marking is documented to be “optional”; not obligatorily present in all transitive clauses. Conversely – and more unusually – the subject of a Kuuk Thaayorre intransitive clause may in some cases be ergative-marked. This chapter proposes that as well as signifying the ergative case relation, the ergative morpheme’s presence in an intransitive clause signals that the subject referent is “unexpected”, and its absence from a transitive clause signals that the subject referent is “expected”.
Abstract
In Kuuk Thaayorre, ergative marking is of both syntactic and pragmatic import. Syntactically, ergative inflection marks a noun phrase as the subject of a transitive clause. Though this may be considered definitional of an ergative morpheme, Kuuk Thaayorre joins a growing number of languages in which ergative marking is documented to be “optional”; not obligatorily present in all transitive clauses. Conversely – and more unusually – the subject of a Kuuk Thaayorre intransitive clause may in some cases be ergative-marked. This chapter proposes that as well as signifying the ergative case relation, the ergative morpheme’s presence in an intransitive clause signals that the subject referent is “unexpected”, and its absence from a transitive clause signals that the subject referent is “expected”.
Chapters in this book
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents v
- Foreword vii
- Maps ix
- Discourse and grammar in Australian languages 1
- Clause-initial position in four Australian languages 25
- Bardi arguments: Referentiality, agreement and omission in Bardi discourse 59
- Diverging paths: Variation in Garrwa tense/aspect clitic placement 87
- Pragmatically case-marked: Non-syntactic functions of the Kuuk Thaayorre ergative suffix 111
- The interpretation of complex nominal expressions in Southeast Arnhem Land languages 135
- "Double reference" in Kala Lagaw Ya narratives 167
- Person reference, proper names and circumspection in Bininj Kunwok conversation 203
- Index of languages 233
- Index of names 235
- Index of subjects 237
Chapters in this book
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents v
- Foreword vii
- Maps ix
- Discourse and grammar in Australian languages 1
- Clause-initial position in four Australian languages 25
- Bardi arguments: Referentiality, agreement and omission in Bardi discourse 59
- Diverging paths: Variation in Garrwa tense/aspect clitic placement 87
- Pragmatically case-marked: Non-syntactic functions of the Kuuk Thaayorre ergative suffix 111
- The interpretation of complex nominal expressions in Southeast Arnhem Land languages 135
- "Double reference" in Kala Lagaw Ya narratives 167
- Person reference, proper names and circumspection in Bininj Kunwok conversation 203
- Index of languages 233
- Index of names 235
- Index of subjects 237
