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Djapu
Glottocode: djap1238
Genalogical classification: Pama-Nyungan
Original alignment pattern: Neuter
Source construction: Intransitive constructions with a partially affected P, e.g. with verbs such as 'hit at', 'look for', 'wait for', 'be angry with', encoded by the dative marker, as in (1).
Developmental mechanism: The dative NP is reinterpreted as a P argument, e.g. 'hit at X' > 'hit X', so that the dative marker evolves into an accusative marker.
Resulting construction: Transitive construction with an overtly marked P argument.
Type of change: [None]
Alignment in the resulting construction: Nominative-Accusative
Global alignment pattern following the change: Nominative-Accusative
Grammatical domains: Case marking
Symmetry: Asymmetric
Type of data: Internal reconstruction
References: Blake 1987, Blake 2001
Comments:
This process is described by Blake (1987, 2001) for a number of Australian languages. We exemplify here the type of source construction with data from Djapu.
Examples
(1) Djapu (Pama-Nyungan; Morphy 1979:38)
| Ngarritj-thu | nhä-ma | wäyin-gu |
| Ngarritj-ERG | see-UNM | animal-DAT |
‘Ngarritj looks for animals.’