Datapoint Diu Indo-Portuguese/Alignment of case marking of full noun phrases

Tendentially, S and A arguments are bare, while P arguments often receive dative-accusative marking (see Feature 57 "Marking of patient noun phrases" for a justification of the label). Nominative-accusative alignment is the clearest in clauses containing animate arguments, given that, as a general rule, only animate P arguments are case-marked.

Having introduced the general pattern, it is important to clarify that case-marking in Diu Indo-Portuguese is highly dependent on semantic considerations and, as such, the standard alignment strategy can be contradicted: if A arguments are construed as experiencers of an event beyond their control, they are also assigned dative-accusative case.

Values

Accusative alignment

Example 39-112:
Leopard foy murde pə lion.
<Leopard>
leopard
foy
go.pst
murd-e
bite-inf
pə
dat
<lion>.
lion
The leopard went and bit the lion.

Source: Cardoso 2009: 195

Example 39-113:
Cher tə vi.
Cher
smell
tə
ipfv.npst
vi.
come.inf
It smells (lit. Smell comes).

Source: Cardoso 2009: 191

Example 39-114:
Officer nə ad gosta.
<Officer>
officer
nə
neg
ad
irr.npst
gost-a.
like-inf
The officer won't like (it).

Source: Cardoso 2009: 193

Confidence:
Certain