Dixon (1994): Ergativity — typology + Silverstein hierarchy + ditransitives #
@cite{dixon-1994} @cite{dixon-1972} @cite{silverstein-1976} @cite{blake-1994} @cite{comrie-1978} @cite{comrie-2013} @cite{haspelmath-2005} @cite{haspelmath-2021} @cite{bohnemeyer-2004} @cite{sumbatova-2021}
R. M. W. Dixon. Ergativity. Cambridge University Press, 1994. The canonical typological reference for ergative alignment + split ergativity, covering @cite{silverstein-1976}'s prominence hierarchy and @cite{dixon-1972}'s Dyirbal split-ergative analysis.
This study file holds:
- The 22-language exemplar sample spanning all five
AlignmentTypevalues across the three WALS dimensions (Ch 98/99/100). - Cross-linguistic generalisations including Dixon's NP-vs-pronoun ergativity asymmetry, the absence of reverse-Dixon splits, and the rarity of tripartite/active patterns.
- Silverstein's hierarchy as a threshold-based prominence function with monotonicity proven, and the Dyirbal split as a specific instance.
- Ditransitive alignment (@cite{haspelmath-2005}): the 6-language indirective/secundative/neutral sample.
- Fragment bridges: theorems verifying the per-language alignment classifications match the Fragment grammatical descriptions.
- Bridges to
Theories/Syntax/Case/Alignment: theorems verifyingmarksAgent/marksPatientprojections agree with the case-assignment functions on canonical S/A/P inputs.
WALS aggregate distribution theorems live in Linglib/Typology/Alignment.lean.
Per-language Fragment-vs-WALS data-equality theorems are deliberately absent
— see feedback_no_per_lang_wals_grounding_in_studies for the rationale.
English: accusative case marking on pronouns (I/me, he/him), no case on full NPs (neutral), and accusative verb agreement.
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Hindi-Urdu: split-ergative. Ergative case marking (-ne on A) in perfective aspect for both NPs and pronouns. WALS codes the dominant pattern as ergative for NPs, accusative for pronouns. Verb agreement is neutral (agrees with unmarked argument).
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Basque: consistently ergative across all three domains.
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Dyirbal (Pama-Nyungan, Australia): the textbook case of split ergativity. NPs ergative, 1st/2nd person pronouns accusative. No verb person agreement.
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Georgian: active (split-S) alignment determined by verb class.
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Tagalog: WALS codes Philippine voice system as neutral.
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Japanese: accusative NPs and pronouns; no verb agreement.
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Latin: accusative NPs, pronouns, verb agreement.
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Russian: accusative across all three domains.
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Mandarin Chinese: neutral across all three.
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Turkish: accusative.
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Tongan (Austronesian): ergative on NPs and pronouns; no verb agreement.
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Guarani (Tupian): active verb agreement with split-S prefixes.
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Samoan: ergative NPs (e before A), accusative pronouns.
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German: accusative.
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Swahili (Bantu): no case, accusative verb agreement (subject prefix).
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Tibetan (Lhasa): ergative NPs and pronouns; no verb agreement.
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Nez Perce: tripartite NPs and pronouns (distinct nom, erg, acc); accusative verb agreement.
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Finnish: accusative.
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Warlpiri (Pama-Nyungan): split-ergative — ergative NPs, accusative pronouns; no verb agreement.
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Dargwa (Tanti; @cite{sumbatova-2021}): consistently ergative across all three domains.
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Yukatek Maya (@cite{bohnemeyer-2004}): aspect-conditioned split intransitivity — perfective triggers ergative-like marking, imperfective triggers accusative-like marking.
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All 22 alignment profiles.
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Sample distribution counts.
Accusative is the most common alignment for pronouns (@cite{dixon-1994}'s prominence hierarchy prediction).
@cite{dixon-1994}'s generalisation: ergative case marking is more common on full NPs than on pronouns.
Split ergativity (NP-ergative + pronoun-accusative) is attested in multiple languages (Dyirbal, Hindi-Urdu, Samoan, Warlpiri).
The reverse-Dixon pattern (accusative NPs + ergative pronouns) is predicted not to occur. The sample confirms it: whenever pronouns are ergative, NPs are at least ergative too.
Tripartite NP alignment is rare: only Nez Perce in the sample.
Tripartite pronoun alignment is equally rare.
Active alignment is rare for case marking: only Georgian in the sample.
Aspect-conditioned split intransitivity (@cite{bohnemeyer-2004}): Yukatek Maya and Georgian both show active verbal person marking.
Languages with ergative NP marking tend to have ergative or neutral verbal person marking (or accusative as a third option).
All five alignment types are attested for NPs.
All five alignment types are attested for pronouns.
Four of the five alignment types are attested for verbal person marking; tripartite verb agreement is exceedingly rare cross-linguistically and not represented here.
Neutral NP alignment implies neutral or accusative pronoun alignment (English-style: case survives only on pronouns). Never ergative.
Fully uniform alignment is common (Basque, Mandarin, Latin, Russian, Turkish, Georgian, etc.).
Among languages with non-neutral verb alignment, accusative agreement is the most common (verb agrees with S/A).
Every language with accusative NP case also has accusative pronoun case in the sample. Accusative does not split across NP/pronoun like ergative.
No language has tripartite NP without tripartite pronoun in the sample.
Active NP alignment implies active pronoun alignment in the sample.
Languages with no case on NPs do not have ergative NP alignment.
Languages with tripartite case mark both A and P.
Ergative alignment marks agent but not patient (S = P grouping).
Accusative alignment marks patient but not agent (S = A grouping).
@cite{silverstein-1976} predicts that ergative marking targets the less prominent end of the animacy/definiteness scale. More prominent NPs (pronouns, 1st/2nd person) get accusative treatment; less prominent NPs (full NPs, 3rd person, inanimate) get ergative treatment.
Silverstein's hierarchy: NPs at or above the prominence threshold get accusative alignment; those below get ergative.
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- Phenomena.Alignment.Studies.Dixon1994.silverstein threshold npProminence = if npProminence ≥ threshold then Core.AlignmentFamily.accusative else Core.AlignmentFamily.ergative
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Silverstein is monotone: if prominence p₁ ≥ p₂ and p₂ gets accusative, then p₁ gets accusative.
Silverstein predicts Dixon's generalisation: with threshold 1, full NPs (prominence 0) get ergative, pronouns (prominence 1) get accusative.
@cite{dixon-1972} Dyirbal split: human/animate → accusative, inanimate → ergative.
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- Phenomena.Alignment.Studies.Dixon1994.dyirbalSplit = { ergCondition := fun (a : Features.Prominence.AnimacyLevel) => a == Features.Prominence.AnimacyLevel.inanimate }
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Dyirbal split matches the Dyirbal alignment profile: inanimate NPs get ergative alignment.
Human/animate arguments get accusative alignment.
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Indirective is more common than secundative (parallel to accusative being more common than ergative for monotransitives).
Theorems verifying that the inline AlignmentProfile entries are
consistent with the grammatical facts described in each language's
Fragment directory.
Dargwa: Fragment says A=ERG, S/P=ABS → Typology says ergative NP alignment.
Dargwa: Fragment alignment family is ergative → Typology profile is consistently ergative.
Japanese: Fragment case inventory contains NOM and ACC → Typology says accusative NP alignment.
Hindi: Fragment split-ergative system perfective → ERG matches Typology's ergative NP alignment.
Hindi: Fragment imperfective → ACC matches Typology's accusative pronoun alignment.
The typology classifier AlignmentType (substrate) and the
case-assignment functions _root_.Alignment.X.assignCase
(Theories/Syntax/Case/Alignment.lean) are two views of the same
alignment dimension. The bridge theorems confirm that the typology's
marksAgent/marksPatient Bool projections agree pointwise with what
the case-assignment functions actually do on the canonical S/A/P inputs.
Extended ergative is non-canonical (no AlignmentType constructor): it
groups S with A like accusative does, but marks them with GEN rather than
NOM. The Cholan non-perfective pattern is captured by the function only.