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Tobelo
Glottocode: tobe1252
Genalogical classification: North Halmahera
Original alignment pattern: Nominative
Source construction: Verbal indexing follows a nominative pattern: A and S are marked by the same indexes, while P takes a distinct index, as in (1) and (2).
Developmental mechanism: When A is not expressed, the originally transitive construction can be reanalyzed as an intransitive one, and the original P index is reanalyzed as the S index of the new intransitive stative construction, as in (3). The original A index remains as a crystalized meaningless morpheme.
Resulting construction: Intransitive construction with P-like indexing of S.
Type of change: Reinterpretation of argument structure
Alignment in the resulting construction: Ergative-Absolutive
Global alignment pattern following the change: Split intransitivity
Constraints on the distribution of the resulting alignment: Split in the marking of S participants, some pattern like P of transitive verbs with stative verbs, as in (1) and (3), some take the same index as A participants, as in (1) and (2).
Grammatical domains: Verbal indexation
Symmetry: Symmetric
Type of data: Internal reconstruction
References: Holton 2008
Examples
(1) Tobelo (North Halmahera; Holton 2003:22)
| to-ni-gohara |
| 1SG.NOM-2SG.ACC-hit |
‘I hit you’
(2) Tobelo (North Halmahera; Holton 2003:22)
| to-tagi |
| 1SG.NOM-go |
‘I go.'
(3) Tobelo (North Halmahera; Holton 2003:23)
| i-hi-bole |
| 3SG.NONHUM.NOM.-1SG.ACC-tired |
'I’m tired.’