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In the four Pama-Nyungan languages Umpithamu, Morrobolam, Mbarrumbathama and Rimanggudinhma there is a core set of impersonals centred around experiencer object constructions. They describe involuntary physical processes, and are formally characterized by lack of nominative pronominal cross-reference, and optional absence of ergative agent nominals. In addition, systematic lack of nominative cross-reference is found in constructions with inanimate agents in all four languages, and in experienced action constructions in Umpithamu, in both cases with ergatively-marked nominals. It is argued that nominative cross-reference is the basic criterion for subject status, with ergative marking merely indicating agent status. Given the lack of any specific valency-changing morphology, impersonals with ergatively-marked nominals are functional equivalents of a voice mechanism, with agents demoted from subject status. This process has developed furthest in Umpithamu where the experienced action construction is systematically available as an alternative construal for a subset of transitive clauses. Keywords: impersonal; experiencer object; inanimate agent; passive; Umpithamu; Lamalamic.

Comparative linguistics --- Grammar --- Grammar, Comparative and general --- Subjectless constructions --- Word order --- Subjectless constructions. --- Word order. --- Impersonal constructions (Grammar) --- Subjectless constructions (Grammar) --- Language and languages --- Order (Grammar) --- Impersonal constructions --- Syntax --- Languages & Literatures --- Philology & Linguistics --- Linguistics --- Philology --- Grammar, Comparative and general - Subjectless constructions --- Grammar, Comparative and general - Word order --- Grammaire comparative et générale --- Grammaire comparative et générale

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Comparative linguistics

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Earlier empirical studies on valency have looked at the phenomenon either in individual languages or a small range of languages, or have concerned themselves with only small subparts of valency (e.g. transitivity, ditransitive constructions), leaving a lacuna that the present volume aims to fill by considering a wide range of valency phenomena across 30 languages from different parts of the world. The individual-language studies, each written by a specialist or group of specialists on that language and covering both valency patterns and valency alternations, are based on a questionnaire (reproduced in the volume) and an on-line freely accessible database, thus guaranteeing comparability of cross-linguistic results. In addition, introductory chapters provide the background to the project and discuss its main characteristics and selected results, while a series of featured articles by leading scholars who helped shape the field provide an outside perspective on the volume’s approach. The volume is essential reading for anyone interested in valency and argument structure, irrespective of theoretical persuasion, and will serve as a model for future descriptive studies of valency in individual languages.

Dependency grammar. --- Language and languages --- Foreign languages --- Languages --- Anthropology --- Communication --- Ethnology --- Information theory --- Meaning (Psychology) --- Philology --- Linguistics --- Valence (Linguistics) --- Grammar, Comparative and general --- Mathematical linguistics --- Syntax --- Valency, Verb Classes, Argument Alternations.

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Comparative linguistics

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