ALIGNMENT SYSTEMS AND PASSIVE-ANTIPASSIVE DISTRIBUTION IN NILOTIC LANGUAGES

Abstract

This paper discusses the occurrence of passive and antipassiveconstructions in Nilotic languages in relation to the question of whetherNilotic languages developed from an ergative-absolutive to a nominativeaccusative case marking system or vice versa. This is a question based onDixon’s (1994) claim that the re-interpretation of the passive can change alanguage from a nominative-accusative to an ergative-absolutive status(see pp. 187-192), or that the re-interpretation of the antipassive can altera language from an ergative-absolutive to a nominative-accusative status(see pp. 193-203). To address the question, the paper uses data fromWestern, Southern, and Eastern Nilotic languages. The data show thatNilotic languages display mixed-alignment systems and that thedistribution of passive and antipassive constructions does not provide anyconclusive answer about the origin of Nilotic languages. However, based onthe observation that Southern Nilotic languages have a marked-nominativealignment system, which is a hybrid between ergative-absolutive andnominative-accusative systems, and that some of the languages illustratedwith display residues of ergativity (in particular, the mixed Sa-So alignmentin passive constructions in Southern Nilotic), the paper comes to thetentative conclusion that Nilotic has an ergative-absolutive origin.