Universal #77

Legacy number: 77

 Number  77
 Original  Only languages in which (a) the accusative is unmarked, (b) in addition when a non-accusative is dative-shifted it loses its nominal case marking, and (c) in addition the dative-shifted non-accusative gains verb-coding of its semantic case via dative-shift, will exhibit the direct object-only constraint on object relativization.
 Standardized  IF relativization of objects is restricted to direct objects, THEN the direct object is unmarked and indirect objects lose their own marking when becoming direct objects but are coded on the verb for their semantic case.
 Keywords  dative-shift, direct object, indirect object, relativization, verb-marking
 Domain  inflection, syntax
 Type  implication
 Status  achronic
 Quality  absolute
 Basis  languages in Givón 1975
 Source  Givón 1975: 97, 120

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Discussion
Notes
Accusative object in the terminology of Givón means “direct object”.
Comment
Frans Plank · 3 Aug 2006
Accusative object in the terminology of Givón means "direct object".