Dimensions of ergativity in Inuit : theory and microvariation

This thesis investigates microvariation in the ergative system of the Inuit dialect continuum, as a window into the theoretical status of ergative alignment, argument licensing, and Agree. The empirical focus of this thesis is on the Inuit varieties in which the canonical erg-abs ergative construction has been observed to be relatively weak compared to other varieties, arising in an unusual case alignment that has properties of both ergative and accusative systems (e.g. Johns, 2001, 2006; Carrier, 2017). Consequently, from a typological standpoint, the existence of such variation oers a unique testing ground for examining these grammatical phenomena. While most previous literature on this weaker pattern has focused on the widening distribution of the abs-mod antipassive construction, I present novel evidence pointing towards microvariation in the syntax of the ergative construction itself.

Name thesis:degree_name

Doctoral

Department dc:contributor.department

Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Linguistics and Philosophy

Grantor dc:publisher

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Year dc:date.issued

2018

Author dc:creator

• Yuan, Michelle,Ph. D.Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Advisor dc:contributor.advisor

• David Pesetsky.

• Linguistics and Philosophy.

Statement dc:rights

• MIT theses are protected by copyright. They may be viewed, downloaded, or printed from this source but further reproduction or distribution in any format is prohibited without written permission.

Licence dc:rights.uri

• http://dspace.mit.edu/handle/1721.1/7582

Language dc:language.iso

eng

Handle dc:identifier.uri

https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/122054

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:dspace.mit.edu:1721.1/122054