Abstract
This paper argues that the alternation between syntactically accusative and ergative clauses in Balinese results from different mappings between argument structure and syntactic realization. Our version of argument structure, essentially the ARG-S feature of Head-Driven Phrase Structure Grammar, is the locus of anaphoric binding conditions. We further assume that passive, causative, and applicative are morpholexical operations on argument structure. This set of assumptions allows us to explain (i) why conditions on Balinese binding are generally ‘thematic’ and independent of ‘surface’ grammatical relations or phrase structure position; and (ii) the specific exceptions to such thematic conditions that arise with raised arguments, direct/oblique alternations, and passive by-phrases.
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Wechsler, S., Arka, I.W. Syntactic Ergativity in Balinese: An Argument Structure Based Theory. Natural Language & Linguistic Theory 16, 387–442 (1998). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1005920831550
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1005920831550