Like Hindi, Punjabi, Gujarati, Konkani and some other New Indo-Aryan languages, standard Marathi is a split ergative language (split for person and aspect). Only the third person agent (both singular and plural) in the transitive perfective clause is overtly marked with the ergative case marker [-ne/ni/nə] and the verb in such clauses agrees with the highest argument in the nominative case. In the standard Marathi sentence səšane ɡəwət khalle (rabbit-agent grass eat.PFV.3SGN; The rabbit ate the grass.) the verb ‘eat’ agrees with the number and gender of the non-case marked noun, ɡəwət. Similarly, in the sentence kaswane šəryət jiṅkli (tortoise-agent race win.PFV.3SGF; The tortoise won the race.) the verb ‘win’ agrees with the number and gender of the non-case marked object, ‘race’. Overt ergative marking is absent in standard Marathi in the first and second persons though the rule for agreement remains the same. The verb shows default neuter singular agreement when the object is case-marked. E.g. kaswane səšala hərəwle (tortoise-agent rabbit-to defeated; The tortoise defeated the rabbit.)
1.0 Grammatical variation in Ergative case marking on the subject NP in the transitive perfective clauseErgative case marking is absent on first and second person subject pronouns in the transitive perfective clause in the standard dialect. In several regional and social varieties of Marathi, however, the first and second person pronouns too are marked with ergative case. Thus, two values of this grammatical feature were attested across dialects of Marathi: (1) Only third person subject NP is overtly marked with ergative case in the transitive perfective clause; (2) First, second and third person subject NPs are overtly marked with ergative case in the transitive perfective clause. The geographical distribution and examples of the variant constructions are given below.
1.1 Variant 1: Only third person subject NP is marked overtly with ergative case in the transitive perfective clauseThis variant was recorded in all the sampled districts in the state of Maharashtra.
1.1.1 Example (District Solpaur, taluka Akkalkot, village Kurnur, M35, Maratha, B.Com.) येनी बल असा टाकला समोरच्या बााच्या समोर yeni bɔl əsa ṭakla səmorča bawača səmor ye-ni bɔl əsa ṭak-l-a səmor-č-a bawa-č-a səmor he.OBL-ERG ball.3SGM thus.3SGM throw-PFV-3SGM ahead-GEN-OBL brother.OBL-GEN-OBL ahead He threw the ball in front of the other person. 1.2 Variant 2: First, second and third person subject NPs are overtly marked with ergative case in the transitive perfective clauseThis variant was recorded in twenty-five of the sampled 34 districts in the state of Maharashtra. The geographical spread of this variant and examples are given below:
District | Taluka and Village |
---|---|
Gadchiroli | Korchi - Mohgaon |
Gondia | Gondia - Tedhwa |
Bhandara | Bhandara - Dhargaon and Mujbi, Tumsar - Lobhi |
Nagpur | Nagpur - Yerla and Sonegaon (Lodhi), Bhiwapur - Sawargaon and Botezari, Ramtek - Bhojapur and Karwahi, Narkhed - Umri and Pandhari |
Wardha | Ashti - Khadka and Thar, Hinganghat - Ajanti and Poti, Selu - Wadgaon Jangli and Zadshi |
Yavatmal | Ghatanji - Khapri and Kurli, Ner - Dagad Dhanora |
Amravati | Amravati - Malkapur, Warud - Gadegaon, Daryapur - Bhambora, Jitapur and Bhamod, Dharni - Kawdaziri |
Akola | Akola - Gopalkhed and Yeota |
Washim | Risod - Ghonsar and Chakoli, Karanja - Girda and Donad (Budruk) |
Buldhana | Buldhana - Palaskhed Bhat and Warwand, Jalgaon-Jamod - Wadgaon Patan and Nimkarad, Shegaon - Shirajgaon (Nile) and Padsul |
Aurangabad | Aurangabad - Bhikapur-Naigaon and Pimpalkhunta, Vaijapur - Sawkhedganga, Soegaon - Ghosla and Palaskheda |
Jalgaon | Jalgaon - Dhamangaon and Wadli, Jamner - Wakod and Waghari, Raver - Mangalwadi, Chalisgaon - Hatle, Chopda- Vaijapur |
Dhule | Dhule - Laling and Khede |
Nandurbar | Shahada - Prakasha |
Nashik | Surgana - Kathipada |
Palghar | Vasai - Saivan, Dahanu - Bordi and Veti, Jawhar - Khambala |
Thane | Thane - Yeoor, Ambernath - Usatane, Bhiwandi - Bhiwali, Murbad - Patgaon, Shahapur - Chaundhe (Budruk) |
Raigad | Karjat - Salokh, Roha - Nagothane, Murud - Ekdara, Mahad - Narwan and Bheloshi |
Pune | Junnar - Dhamankhel |
Ahmednagar | Ahmednagar - Kamargaon and Narayan Doho, Newasa - Khalalpimpri |
Beed | Beed - Bedukwadi and Kolharwadi |
Jalna | Mantha - Uswad |
Hingoli | Hingoli - Karwadi |
Nanded | Nanded - Pangari |
Kolhapur | Gadhinglaj - Hebbal Jaldyal |
The first person singular ergative pronominal form mya was attested in seventeen of the sampled 34 districts in the state of Maharashtra. The geographical spread of this variant and examples are given below:
District | Taluka and Village |
---|---|
Wardha | Ashti - Khadka, Hinganghat - Poti |
Yavatmal | Ner - Dagad-Dhanora |
Amravati | Amravati - Malkapur, Warud - Gadegaon, Daryapur - Bhambora and Jitapur |
Akola | Akola - Gopalkhed and Yeota |
Washim | Risod - Ghonsar |
Buldhana | Buldhana - Palaskhed Bhat and Warwand, Jalgaon-Jamod - Wadgaon Patan and Nimkara |
Hingoli | Hingoli - Karwadi |
Nanded | Nanded - Pangari |
Latur | Udgir - Shirol Janapur and Malkapur |
Beed | Beed - Bedukwadi and Kolharwadi |
Jalna | Mantha - Uswad |
Aurangabad | Aurangabad - Bhikapur-Naigaon and Pimpalkhunta, Vaijapur - Sawkhedganga |
Ahmednagar | Ahmednagar - Kamargaon and Narayan Doho, Newasa - Khalalpimpri and Morgavhan |
Palghar | Vasai - Wagholi, Kalmb and Nirmal, Dahanu - Veti |
Pune | Junnar - Dhamankhel |
Sanglir | Miraj - MhaisalMiraj - Mhaisal |
Kolhapur | Chandgad - Tudiye, Kodali and Chandgad |
The first person singular ergative pronominal form mya was attested in seventeen of the sampled 34 districts in the state of Maharashtra. The geographical spread of this variant and examples are given below:
District | Taluka and Village |
---|---|
Gadchiroli | Korchi - Mohgaon |
Gondia | Gondia - Tedhwa |
Bhandara | Bhandara - Dhargaon and Mujbi, Tumsar - Lobhi |
Nagpur | Nagpur - Yerla and Sonegaon (Lodhi), Bhiwapur - Sawargaon and Botezari, Ramtek - Bhojapur and Karwahi, Narkhed - Umari and Pandhari |
Wardha | Hinganghat - Ajanti |
Yavatmal | Ghatanji - Khapri and Kurli |
Amravati | Daryapur - Bhamod, Dharni - Kawdaziri |
Akola | Akola - Gopalkhed |
Buldhana | Buldhana - Warwand, Jalgaon-Jamod - Wadgaon Patan and Nimkarad, Shegaon - Shirajgaon (Nile) and Padsul |
Aurangabad | Soegaon - Ghosla and Palaskheda |
Jalgaon | Jalgaon - Dhamangaon and Wadli, Jamner - Wakod and Waghari, Raver - Mangalwadi, Chalisgaon - Hatle, Chopda - Vaijapur |
Dhule | Dhule - Laling and Khede |
Nandurbar | Shahada - Prakasha |
Nashik | Surgana - Kathipada |
Palghar | Vasai - Saivan, Dahanu - Bordi and Veti |
Raigad | Karjat - Salokh, Roha - Nagothane, Murud - Ekdara, Mahad - Narwan |
Thane | Thane - Yeoor, Ambernath - Usatane, Bhiwandi - Bhiwali, Murbad - Patgaon, Shahapur - Chanudhe (Budruk) |
Kolhapur | Gadhinglaj - Hebbal Jaldyal |