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Title: Aspects of Ergativity in Tagalog
Author: Anna Maclachlan
Email: click here to access email
Homepage: http://www.idilia.com
Degree Awarded: McGill University , Department of Linguistics
Degree Date: 1996
Linguistic Subfield(s): Syntax
Subject Language(s): Tagalog
Director(s): Lisa Travis
Abstract:

This dissertation explores the question of whether Tagalog, a language of the Philippines, is an ergative language. It is claimed that Tagalog is best characterized as neither accusative nor ergative but rather as a language that is a hybrid of these two language types. Tagalog's hybrid nature is neatly captured structurally within Principle and Parameters theory using VP internal subjects. In terms of Case, Tagalog not only has nominative-absolutive Case checking and ergative Case checking but it also makes extensive use of inherent accusative Case assignment. As a result, Tagalog has both a [NOM ACC] basic transitive sentence type, like accusative languages, and a [ERG ABS] basic transitive sentence type, like ergative languages. A specific structural analysis is given for these basic sentences under an Economy approach. This analysis is extended to account for complex sentences including sentences involving morphological causatives, conjunction reduction and raising.
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Page Updated: 26-Nov-2009

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