Cover not available
Part of
Typological Hierarchies in Synchrony and Diachrony
Edited by Sonia Cristofaro and Fernando Zúñiga
[Typological Studies in Language 121] 2018
► pp. 377–402

Chapter 11
Morphosyntactic coding of proper names and its implications for the Animacy Hierarchy

| University of Regensburg
| University of Regensburg
| University of Regensburg
| University of Regensburg

The Animacy Hierarchy (AH) is an important construct employed for the description and explanation of variation and splits in case marking and agreement in various grammatical domains. The AH is a scale that combines person, definiteness and semantic animacy and is used to state clear preferences of certain morphosyntactic coding types over others. One assumption of the AH is that proper names (PNs) occupy an intermediate place between personal pronouns and common nouns. Despite the large body of research since its first extensive formulation in Silverstein (1976), it is astonishing that there has been almost no empirical evidence published for this claim. Since the AH has been formulated mostly on the basis of case marking and agreement phenomena in languages with split ergativity or hierarchical alignment, we compiled a sample of more than 30 such languages in order to find data on the morphosyntactic coding of PNs. While there are only a very few instances that confirm the claim, there are more instances that contradict it. We concluded that PNs should be removed from the AH, since their assumed position has no predictive value for typological generalizations.

Article outline
  • 1.Introduction1
    • 1.1The Animacy Hierarchy
    • 1.2The problem and the research question
    • 1.3A note on sampling
  • 2.Analysis and results
    • 2.1Languages with a split ergative marking system
      • 2.1.1Split marking patterns that are in accordance with the AH
        • 2.1.1.1Case marking of P arguments
        • 2.1.1.2Case marking of A arguments
        • 2.1.1.3Tripartite marking pattern
      • 2.1.2Split marking patterns that contradict the AH
    • 2.2Languages with hierarchical marking systems
  • 3.Conclusions
  • Notes
  • Abbreviations
  • References
  • Appendix
Published online: 26 July 2018
DOI logo
https://doi.org/10.1075/tsl.121.11hel
References
Aikhenvald, Alexandra Y.
2012 The Languages of the Amazon. Oxford: OUP. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Aissen, Judith
1999 Agent focus and inverse in Tzotzil. Language 75: 451–485. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
2003 Differential object marking: Iconicity vs. economy. Natural Language & Linguistic Theory 21: 435–483. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Allen, Barbara J. and Frantz, Donald G.
1978 Verb agreement in Southern Tiwa. In: Proceedings of the Fourth Annual Meeting of the Berkeley Linguistic Society. Berkeley: Department of Linguistics, University of California: 11-17.Google Scholar
Austin, Peter K.
1981 A Grammar of Diyari South Australia. Cambridge: CUP.Google Scholar
Bakker, Peter
2006 Algonquian verb structure: Plains Cree. In What’s in a verb?, Grażyna J. Rowicka & Eithne Carlin (eds), 3–27. Utrecht: LOT.Google Scholar
Berger, Hermann
1974 Das Yasin-Burushaski (Werchikwar). Grammatik, Texte, Wörterbuch [Neuindische Studien 3]. Wiesbaden: Harrassowitz.Google Scholar
Bhat, Shankara & Ningomba, Darbhe
1997 Manipuri Grammar. Munich: Lincom.Google Scholar
Bickel, Balthasar
2008 On the scope of the referential hierarchy in the typology of grammatical relations. In Case and Grammatical Relations: Studies in Honor of Bernard Comrie, Greville Corbett & Michael Noonan (eds), 191–211. Amsterdam: John Benjamins. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Blake, Berry J.
1994 Case. Cambridge: CUP.Google Scholar
Blevins, Juliette
2001 Nhanda. An Aboriginal Language of Western Australia. Honolulu HI: University of Hawai’i Press.Google Scholar
Bossong, Georg
1985 Empirische Universalienforschung. Differentielle Objektmarkierung in den neuiranischen Sprachen. Tübingen: Narr.Google Scholar
Bowe, Heather
1990 Categories, Constituents, and Constituent Order in Pitjantjatjara. An Aboriginal Language of Australia. London: Routledge.Google Scholar
Breen, John. G.
1973 Bidyara and Gungabula Grammar and Vocabulary [Linguistic Communications 8]. Melbourne: Monash University.Google Scholar
Croft, William
2003 Typology and universals, second edition. (Cambridge Textbooks in Linguistics.) Cambridge: Cambridge University PressGoogle Scholar
Caughley, Ross Charles
1982 The Syntax and Morphology of the Verb in Chepang [Pacific Linguistics Series B – No. 84]. Canberra: Australian National University.Google Scholar
Comrie, Bernard
1979 The animacy hierarchy in Chukchee. In: Clyne, Paul R., Hanks, William F., Hofbauer, Carol L. (eds.) The elements: a parasession on linguistic units and levels, including papers from the Conference on Non-Slavic Languages of the USSR. Chicago: Chicago Linguistic Society, 322–36.Google Scholar
1981a Language Universals and Linguistic Typology. Chicago IL: University of Chicago Press.Google Scholar
1981b Ergativity and grammatical relations in Kalaw Lagaw Ya (Saibai dialect). Australian Journal of Linguistics 1: 1–42. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
1989 Language Universals and Linguistic Typology: Syntax and Morphology. Chicago,IL: University of Chicago Press.Google Scholar
Coña, Pascual
1995 Lonco Pascual Coña ñi tuculpazugun. Testimonio de un cacique mapuche. Texto dictado al padre Ernesto Wilhelm de Moesbach, 5th edn. Santiago: Pehuén (original edition: Moesbach 1930).Google Scholar
Cook, Clare & Mühlbauer, Jeff
2006 The behaviour of obviation in elicitation. In Actes du 37e Congrès des Algonquinistes, sous la dir. de H. C. Wolfart, Hans Christoph Wolfart (ed.), 77–104. Winnipeg: Université du Manitoba.Google Scholar
Dalrymple, Mary & Irina Nikolaeva
2011Objects and information structure. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.DOI logoGoogle Scholar
DeLancey, Scott
1981 An interpretation of split ergativity and related patterns. Language 57: 626–657. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Diedrichsen, Elke
2006 Ergativität und Diskurs [Kriterium = Arbeiten zur Sprachtheorie und Kommunikationspraxis]. Berlin: LIT.Google Scholar
Dixon, Robert M. W.
1972 The Dyirbal Language of North Queensland. Cambridge: CUP. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
1977 A Grammar of Yidiɲ. Cambridge: CUP. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
1979 Ergativity. Language 55: 59–138. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
1994 Ergativity. Cambridge: CUP. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Donaldson, Tamsin
1980 Ngiyambaa. The Language of the Wangaaybuwan of New South Wales. Cambridge: CUP.Google Scholar
van Driem, George
1993 A Grammar of Dumi. Berlin: Mouton de Gruyter. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Eades, Diana
1979 Gumbaynggir. In Handbook of Australian Languages 1, Robert M. W. Dixon & Barry Blake (eds), 245–361. Amsterdam: John Benjamins.Google Scholar
Filimonova, Elena
2005 The noun phrase hierarchy and relational marking: Problems and counterevidence. Linguistic Typology 9: 77–113. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Foley, William
1991 The Yimas Language of New Guinea. Stanford CA: Stanford University Press.Google Scholar
Frantz, Donald G.
1971 Toward a Generative Grammar of Blackfoot. Norman OK: Summer Institute of Linguistics.Google Scholar
1991 Blackfoot Grammar. Toronto: University of Toronto Press.Google Scholar
Garrett, Andrew
1990 The Origins of NP Split Ergativity. In: Language 66, 261-296.Google Scholar
Frishberg, Nancy
1972 Navajo object markers and the great chain of being. In Syntax and Semantics, Vol. 1, John P. Kimball (ed.), 259–266. New York NY: Seminar Press.Google Scholar
Georg, Stefan
1996 Marpathan Thakali. Munich: Lincom.Google Scholar
Hale, Kenneth L.
1973 A note on subject-object inversion in Navajo. In Issues in Linguistics: Papers in honor of Henry and Renée Kahane, Braj B. Kachru, Robert B. Lees, Yakov Malkiel, Angelina Pietrangeli & Sol Saporta (eds), 300–309. Urbana IL: University of Illinois Press.Google Scholar
Hercus, Luise A.
1994 A Grammar of the Arabana-Wangkangurru Language. Lake Eyre Basin, South Australia. Canberra: Research School of Pacific and Asian Studies, Australian National University.Google Scholar
Heidenkummer, Alexandra and Helmbrecht, Johannes
2017 Form, Funktion und Grammatikalisierung des Eigennamenmarkers =ga im Hoocak. In: Helmbrecht, Johannes/ Nübling, Damaris/ Schlücker, Barbara (eds.) Namengrammatik. Linguistische Berichte Special Issue 23:11-33.Google Scholar
Hershberger, Henry
1964 Case marking affixes in Gugu-Yalanij. In Papers on the Languages of the Australian Aborigines, Richard Pittmann & Harland Kerr (eds), 73–82. Canberra: Australian Institute of Aboriginal Studies.Google Scholar
Iemmolo, Giorgio.
2010 Topicality and differential object marking: Evidence from Romance and beyond. Studies in Language 34(2). 239–272.Google Scholar
Kepping, K. B.
1979 Elements of ergativity and nominativity in Tangut. In Planck, Frans (ed.) Ergativity: towards a theory of grammatical relations. London: Academic Press, 263-77.Google Scholar
Kuipers, Aert H.
1967 The Squamish Language. The Hague: Mouton. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Kuno, Susumo & Kaburaki, Etsuko
1977 Empathy and syntax. Linguistic Inquiry 8: 627–672.Google Scholar
Lyon, Don D.
1967 Tlahuitoltepec Mixe clause structure. International Journal of American Linguistics 33: 25–33. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Malchukov, Andrej & Spencer, Andrew
(eds). 2009 The Oxford Handbook of Case. Oxford: OUP.Google Scholar
McConvell, Patrick
1976 Nominal hierarchies in Yukulta. In Grammatical Categories in Australian Languages, Robert M. W. Dixon (ed.), 191–200. Canberra: Australian Institute of Aboriginal Studies.Google Scholar
McGregor, William
2006 Focal and optional ergative marking in Warrwa (Kimberley, Western Australia). In: Lingua, Vol. 116, No. 4, 393-423.Google Scholar
Mühlbauer, Jeff
2010 A Mini-Grammar of Nêhiyawêwin (Plains Cree). Ms. [URL] (21 June 2013).
Nedjalkov, Vladimir P.
1979 Degrees of ergativity in Chukchee. In Ergativity. Towards a Theory of Grammatical Relations, Frans Plank (ed.), 241–262. London: Academic Press.Google Scholar
Patz, Elizabeth
1982 A Grammar of the Kuku-Yalanji Language of North Queensland. PhD dissertation, Australian National University.Google Scholar
Phillips, Maxwell
2013 Ergative case attrition in Central Indo-Aryan. NP-splits and the Referential Hierarchy. Studies in Language 37: 196–216. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Poudel, Kedal Prasat
2006 Dhankute Tamang Grammar. Munich: Lincom.Google Scholar
Sharpe, Margaret C.
1976 Alawa. In Grammatical Categories in Australian Languages, Robert M. W. Dixon (ed.), 505–515. Canberra: Australian Institute of Aboriginal Studies.Google Scholar
Silverstein, Michael
1976 Hierarchy of features and ergativity. In Grammatical Categories in Australian Languages, Robert M. W. Dixon (ed.), 112–171. Canberra: Australian Institute of Aboriginal Studies.Google Scholar
Smeets, Ineke
2008 A Grammar of Mapuche. Berlin: Mouton de Gruyter. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Smith-Stark, Thomas Cedric
1974 The plurality split. In Papers from the Tenth Regional Meeting, Chicago Linguistic Society, April 19–21 1974, Michael W. La Galy, Robert Allen Fox & Anthony Bruck (eds), 657–671. Chicago IL: Chicago Linguistic Society.
Strehlow, Theodor George Henry
1944 Aranda Phonetics and Grammar. Sydney: Oceania Monographs.Google Scholar
Tiffou, Etienne & Morin, Ives-Charles
1982 A note on split ergativity in Burushaski. Bulletin of the School of Oriental and African Studies 45(1): 88–94. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Valentine, J. Randolph
2001 Nishnaabemwin Reference Grammar. Toronto: Toronto University Press.Google Scholar
Wilkins, D.
1989 Mparntwe Arrernte (Aranda): Studies in the Structure Semantics of Grammar. PhD dissertation, Australian National University. [URL] (21 June 2013).
Wolfart, Hans Christoph
1973 Plains Cree: A Grammatical Study. Philadelphia PA: American Philosophical Society.Google Scholar
Wurm, Stephen Adolphe
1976 Accusative marking in Duungidjawu (Waga-Waga). In Grammatical Categories in Australian Languages, Robert M. W. Dixon (ed.), 106–111. Canberra: Australian institute of Aboriginal Studies.Google Scholar
Yallop, Colin
1977 Alyawarra. An Aboriginal Language of Central Australia. Canberra: Australian Institute of Aboriginal Studies.Google Scholar
Zariquiey, Roberto
2011 A Grammar of Kashibo-Kakataibo. PhD dissertation, La Trobe University.Google Scholar
Zúñiga, Fernando
2006 Deixis and Alignment. Inverse Systems in Indigenous Languages of the Americas [Typological Studies in Lanuage 70]. Amsterdam: John Benjamins. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
2010 La marca diferencial del objeto en mapudungún. Lingüística 24: 141–164.Google Scholar
Zwicky, Arnold
1977 Hierarchies of person. In Papers from the Thirteenth Regional Meeting of the Chicago Linguistic Society, Woodford A. Beach, Samuel E. Fox & Shulamith Philosoph (eds), 712–733. Chicago IL: Chicago Linguistic Society.
Cited by

Cited by 1 other publications

Haspelmath, Martin
2021. Role-reference associations and the explanation of argument coding splits. Linguistics 59:1 ► pp. 123 ff. DOI logo

This list is based on CrossRef data as of 22 april 2024. Please note that it may not be complete. Sources presented here have been supplied by the respective publishers. Any errors therein should be reported to them.