मराठी बोलींचे सर्वेक्षण

Survey of Dialects of the Marathi Language

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Ergative case marking on the subject NP in the transitive perfective clause

Download Ergative case marking on the subject NP in the transitive perfective clause
Ergative case marking on the subject NP in the transitive perfective clause
The varients presented in the note below are arranged according to their frequency of occurrence in the survey data-from most frequent to least frequent.

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 clause

Ergative 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 clause

This 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 clause

This 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


1.2.1 Example (District Nagpur, taluka Bhiwapur, village Botejhari, M50, Bauddh-Mahar, B.Com.)
मंजे एका दिवशी चार शो गितले मीनं
məñǰe eka diwši čar šo bəɡitle minə
məñǰe ek-a diwš-i čar šo bəɡit-l-e mi-nə
means one-OBL day.OBL-LOC four show see-PFV-3PL I-ERG
Means I watched four shows (of a movie) in one day.
1.2.2 Example (District Yavatmal, taluka Ner, village Dagad-Dhanora, M24, Kunbi, M.A.)
म्या माय मित्राले बल दिला
mya maya mitrale bɔl dila
mya maya mitra-l-e bɔl di-l-a
I.ERG I.OBL.GEN.OBL friend.OBL-DAT ball.3SGM give-PFV-3SGM
I gave the ball to my friend.
1.2.3 Example (District Nagpur, taluka, Bhiwapur, village Botejhari, M28, Kunbi, 9th)
ुमीनं पाळ्या कउन बॉ बाटला
tuminə paḷlya kəun bɔ baṭla
tumi-nə paḷ-l-ya kəun bɔ baṭla
you.PL-ERG drop-PFV-3PL why DM bottle.OBL.PL
Why did you drop the bottles?
1.2.4 Example (District Buldhana, taluka Buldhana, village Warwand, F20, Ahire-Dhangar, 12th)
मीनं काम ेलं तून कलं का
minə kam kelə
tun
kelə ka
mi-nə kam ke-l-ə tu-n ke-l-ə ka
I-ERG work.3SGN do-PFV-3SGN you-ERG do-PFV-3SGN what
I did the work. Have you (done the work)?
1.2.5 Example (District Nashik, taluka Nashik, village Madsangvi, F49, Nhavi, 8th)
पानी दिलं तिनी
pani dilə tini
pani di-l-ə ti-ni
water.3SGN give-PFV-3SGN she-ERG
She gave water.