On the Acquisition of Split Ergativity: Some Evidence from Urdu

Abstract

Three issues in the acquisition of the ergative parameter in Urdu are analyzed & solutions suggested. The first involves explaining the characteristics of the ergative period (age 1:9-2:0). A proposed developmental condition states that children in this stage fix the ergativity parameter at +Erg. The single-chain constraint is offered as an explanation of the second issue of why children produce incomplete derivations. This constraint asserts that A-chain formation is limited to one application of form chain, moving the internal argument to Agr-OP. The final problem centers on generalization. If children's grammar is set to +Erg, then they should overgeneralize the use of ergative, but they do not. It is suggested that children set the ergative parameter to +Erg only for constructions shown in the data to be +Erg & pay no attention to nonergative data. Eventually this system is abandoned & children begin to examine more of the input. At this point, they enter the split-ergative period, classifying nonergative data as -Erg. J. Woods.