Alignment strategies in verbal clauses of Dargwa dialects

Abstract

This is a study of Dargwa (Dargi), one of the main languages in the East-Caucasian (Nakh-Daghestanian) language group. Most data used in the paper have been obtained in field studies.
Like other East-Caucasian languages, Dargwa is a morphologically ergative language. Unlike most languages in this group, it uses a relatively wide range of basic clause constructions. Intransitive and experiential verbs are used in intransitive and affective constructions, respectively. Transitive verbs have more possibilities. At least in some of Dargwa dialects, transitive verbs can be used in two types of ergative constructions and in antipassive constructions. Some dialects allow biabsolutive and partitive constructions.
The paper contains a description of the clause constructions in Dargwa including their syntax and basic functions.

Keywords:

Nakh-Daghestanian languages, Dargwa, Dargi, ergative construction, antipassive construction, class agreement