BOOK REVIEW: Aspects of Split Ergativity

Abstract

In Aspects of Split Ergativity, Coon argues for “a theory of aspectbased split ergativity” (p.1). She deals with the languages with aspectbased split ergativity in which splits in agreement or morphological case are the result of different syntactic structures. This theoretical work is an expansion of the ideas of split ergativity in progressive aspect, proposed by Laka (2006) for Basque. Coon proposes that “transitive subjects are always marked ergative; intransitive subjects and transitive objects are marked absolutive” (p. 1). The author focuses on nonperfective aspects with complex auxiliary constructions and demoted objects.