Ergative marking system in Changki

Abstract This study examines the ergative marking system in Changki, a dialect of the Ao language of Nagaland, India. Changki exhibits an ergative-absolutive pattern but is not strictly an ergative-absolutive language. The ergative marker -nə́ on A arguments of transitive verbs is obligatory in some constructions, while it is non-obligatory in others. The primary goal is to examine the factors determining obligatory and non-obligatory ergative marking and their functions in Changki. The study shows that animacy, discourse-pragmatic factors, and high agency verbs determine the ergative marking. Furthermore, ergative may also appear with S arguments of unergative verbs if the action is performed deliberately or purposely, but not with S arguments of unaccusative verbs. The use of ergative has multiple functions, such as providing agency to the inanimate subjects, focusing the agent/actor in a discourse, and highlighting the agency of the agent. This study will enhance the understanding of non-obligatory ergative systems in Naga, in particular, and Tibeto-Burman languages as a whole.