Universal #83
Legacy number: 83
| Number | 83 |
| Original | There is no language where the accusative is a marked case and non-accusative objects gain that marking in dative-shifting. |
| Standardized | When direct objects are marked by accusative, non-direct objects do not gain accusative marking in dative-shifting. |
| Keywords | accusative case, indirect object, dative-shift |
| Domain | inflection, syntax |
| Type | no genuine implication; rather: provided that |
| Status | achronic |
| Quality | absolute |
| Basis | languages in Givón 1975 |
| Source | inferred from Givón 1975: 122 |
Discussion
Counterexamples
Persian (Iranian, Indo-European) may be a counterexample (Keenan, p.c. Givón, see Givón 1975: 122)There are so many counterexamples that I doubt that such a claim has really been made. See quotes below for possible clarification.
Notes
1. Non-accusative object in the terminology of Givón means “indirect object”.2. “One striking feature of direct object is that it shares the case marking properties of the accusative, but only when the accusative is UNMARKED.”3. “It seems, thus, that it is the unmarkedness of the accusative which makes it such a natural promotional case, and this is only natural: by promoting other objects into the same case of the unmarked accusative, they lose their original semantic case but do not gain another SEMANTIC case. But this is precisely what happens in promotion to subject ...”
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2. "One striking feature of direct object is that it shares the case marking properties of the accusative, but only when the accusative is UNMARKED."
3. "It seems, thus, that it is the unmarkedness of the accusative which makes it such a natural promotional case, and this is only natural: by promoting other objects into the same case of the unmarked accusative, they lose their original semantic case but do not gain another SEMANTIC case. But this is precisely what happens in promotion to subject ..."