Possessum, Transitivity, and Ergativity in Yupik Eskimo

Abstract

In Eskimo the absolutive (or nominative) marks both the subject of an intransitive sentence and the direct object of a transitive sentence, whereas the ergative (or relative) marks the subject of a transitive sentence. The opposition ergative (ERG) vs. absolutive (ABS) is shown by an overt case ending for the ergative and no overt case ending for the absolutive.