An active analysis of Basque ergativity

Abstract

Previous generative work on Basque syntax has attempted to equate either the NOR or the NORK case in Basque with a “subject case” corresponding structurally to nominative. However, data in Basque indicates that neither NOR nor NORK should be identified with nominative, since neither is necessarily identified as a subject, e.g. an NP in NORK case may correspond to an adverbial ‘by-phrase’ rather than a subject. Therefore it is suggested that NOR should be identified with a cross-linguistically identifiable accusative and NORK with a cross-linguistically identifiable ergative case. It is further shown that Basque is not unique in allowing the coexistence of accusative and ergative - in certain Austronesian languages such as Seediq spoken in Taiwan, nominative, accusative and ergative can be shown to exist. Therefore the proposed analysis of Basque is not unnecessarily uneconominal, but rather draws advantages from options forced by data in other languages.

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