Absolutive case

Absolutive is the name of a case, which occurs in addition to the ergative Ergativsprachen. The absolutive is endunglos usually, that is unmarked, and so is similar to the nominative in nominative / accusative languages. He is in intransitive sentences, ie those which have only one action participants used for this single act participants, marking as it were, the "subject" of these sets. As far as he is equal with the German nominative. In transitive sentences the absolutive is used, however, to highlight the "object", while the "subject" is in the ergative.

The absolutive is sometimes referred to as the nominative, since, as the nominative, for the most part is also endingless.

An example from the Sumerian:

Known Ergativsprachen besides Sumerian:

  • Basque
  • Many Iranian languages ​​such as Nordkurdisch and Pashto, but not Persian
  • Many Caucasian languages ​​like Chechen or Georgian
  • Many Australian languages
  • Many languages ​​in the Himalayas such as Tibetan
  • Most Indo-Aryan languages ​​of Northern India such as Hindi and Marathi
  • The Eskimo - Aleut languages
  • Many languages ​​in North, Central and South America
Ergative case Basque language Chechen language Marathi language Middle America (region) Dietz-Otto Edzard
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