Comments on Austronesian nominalism: A Mayan perspective

Abstract

In the conclusion of his article on Austronesian voice and extraction, Kaufman suggests the possibility of extending his analysis of extraction facts in Tagalog to other ‘‘syntactically ergative’’ languages (i.e. languages in which ergative arguments are unable to undergo extraction), such as those in the Mayan family. In this commentary I do not attempt to evaluate Kaufman’s claims for Tagalog, but instead explore some of the interesting parallels – as well as important di¤erences–between languages of the Mayan family, and Austronesian languages as analyzed by Kaufman. I discuss ergative-genitive syncretism, nominalization, parallels between the clause and the DP, and extraction facts more generally.