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Nemi
Glottocode: nemi1240
Genalogical classification: Austronesian
Original alignment pattern: Ergative
Source construction: Transitive constructions with an ergative pattern: A is marked by a case marker ru, while S and P are unmarked, as in (1) and (2).
Developmental mechanism: The ergative marker of A is extended animate S arguments of some intransitive verb, as in (3).
Resulting construction: Intransitive constructions with A-like marking of S.
Type of change: Extension
Alignment in the resulting construction: Nominative-Accusative
Global alignment pattern following the change: Split intransitivity
Constraints on the distribution of the resulting alignment: Animacy based split in the marking of S: animate S are marked like A, inanimate S are marked like P.
Grammatical domains: Case marking
Symmetry: Asymmetric
Type of data: Internal reconstruction
References: Moyse-Faurie 2003, Ganfi 2016:168
Examples
(1) Nemi (Austronesian; Moyse-Faurie 2003:372)
| ye | teve-ek | ru | vi | davec |
| 3SG | take away-3SG.O | ERG | DEF | flood |
‘The flood takes him away.’
(2) Nemi (Austronesian; Moyse-Faurie 2003:372)
| ye | ta-me | vi | davec |
| 3SG | go.up-come | DEF | flood |
‘The flood is increasing.’
(3) Nemi (Austronesian; Moyse-Faurie 2003:372)
| ye | ta-me | ru | vi | hnook |
| 3SG | go.up-come | ERG | DEF | woman |
‘The woman is coming up.’