1367260110.5528Understanding Syntax

Processes that change grammatical relations 241Hints∑ Don’t worry unduly about the actual form of the verbal morphology inthese examples. In some cases, there are alternations or irregularities in themorphology, but these need not concern us here.∑ You will find it helpful to consider at the start whether the language in eachdata set is nominative/accusative or ergative/absolutive in its morphology.A. K'iche' (data from Campbell 2000)(1) a. š-e:-kam-ikasp-3pl.abs-die-intrans‘They died.’b. š-e:-qa-kam-isa:-xasp-3pl.abs-1pl.erg-die-caus-trans‘We killed them.’(2) a. š-Ø-atin-ikasp-3sg.abs-bathe-intrans‘He bathed.’b. š-Ø-r-atin-isa:-xasp-3sg.abs-3sg.erg-bathe-caus-trans‘She washed him.’B. Amharic (data from Amberber 2000)(3) a. k'ɨbe-w k'əllət'əbutter-def melt.perf.3m.Su‘The butter melted.’b. aster k'ɨbe-w-ɨn a-k'əllət'ə-ččAster(female name) butter-def-acc caus-melt.perf-3f.Su‘Aster melted the butter.’(4) a. lɨ-u dabbo bəllachild-def bread eat.perf.3m.Su‘The child ate some bread.’b. aster lɨ-u-n dabbo a-bəlla-čč-ɨwAster(female name) child-def-acc bread caus-eat.perf-3f.Su-3m.Obj‘Aster fed the child some bread.’(5) a. aster č'əffərə-ččAster(female name) dance.perf-3f.Su‘Aster danced.’b. ləmma aster-ɨn as-č'əffər-atLemma(male name) Aster-acc caus-dance.perf.3m.Su-3f.Obj‘Lemma made Aster dance.’