Universal 600: ergative verb agreement ⇔ perfective sentences;
non-ergative verb agreement ⇔ imperfective sentences

Universal 600: ergative verb agreement ⇔ perfective sentences;
non-ergative verb agreement ⇔ imperfective sentences

Original

If in a language there are two classes of sentences such that there is ergative-type verb agreement in one but not in the other type and the semantic property whose respective presence and lack characterizes the two classes is perfectivity, then it is in the class of perfective sentences that ergative verb agreement will occur, rather than in the other class.

Standardized

Whenever there is more than one alignment type of verb agreement, one being ergative and the other non-ergative:
ergative verb agreement occurs in perfective sentences,
and non-ergative verb agreement occurs in imperfective sentences.

Keywords

agreement, alignment, ergative, aspect, perfective

Domain

inflection, syntax

Type

no genuine implication; rather: provided that

Status

achronic

Quality

absolute

Basis

languages mentioned in Moravcsik 1978d

Source

Moravcsik 1978d: 263

Counterexamples