Editing Ergative–absolutive alignment (section)

===Split ergativity===
{{main|Split ergativity}}
The term ''ergative–absolutive'' is considered unsatisfactory by some, since there are very few languages without any patterns that exhibit [[nominative–accusative language|nominative–accusative alignment]]. Instead they posit that one should only speak of ''ergative–absolutive systems'', which languages employ to different degrees.

Many languages classified as ergative in fact show '''split ergativity''', whereby syntactic and/or morphological ergative patterns are conditioned by the grammatical context, typically person or the tense/aspect of the verb. [[Basque language|Basque]] is unusual in having an almost fully ergative system in case-marking and verbal [[Agreement (linguistics)|agreement]], though it shows thoroughly nominative–accusative [[Morphosyntactic alignment|syntactic alignment]].<ref>{{Citation|title=The syntax and morphology of Basque|url=https://iker.cnrs.fr/IMG/pdf/agreementbasque1.pdf|access-date=5 December 2015|archive-date=8 December 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151208113953/https://iker.cnrs.fr/IMG/pdf/agreementbasque1.pdf|url-status=bot: unknown}}</ref>

In [[Hindustani grammar|Hindustani]] ([[Hindi]] and [[Urdu]]), the [[ergative case]] is marked on [[Agent (grammar)|agents]] in the [[perfective aspect]] for [[Transitive verb|transitive]] and [[ditransitive verb]]s (also for [[intransitive verb]]s when they are [[Volitional verbs|volitional]]),<ref>Witzlack-Makarevich, A. Typological Variation in Grammatical Relations Leipzig: University of Leipzig doctoral dissertation (2011).</ref> while in other situations agents appear in the [[nominative case]].
{{interlinear|laṛkā kitāb xarīdtā hai.|boy:MASC.SG.NOM book:FEM.SG-NOM buy:HAB.MASC.SG be:3P.SG.PRS|'The boy buys a book'|abbreviations=PRF:perfective; ERG:ergative case; SG:singular; MASC:masculine; FEM:feminine; DIR:direct case; ACC:accusative case; 3P:third person; HAB:habitual aspect participle; PRS:present tense}}
{{interlinear|laṛke-ne kitāb xarīdī hai.|boy:MASC.SG.ERG book:FEM.SG-NOM buy:PRF.FEM.SG be:3P.SG.PRS|'The boy has bought a book'|abbreviations=PRF:perfective participle; ERG:ergative case; SG:singular; MASC:masculine; FEM:feminine; DIR:direct case; ACC:accusative case; 3P:third person; HAB:habitual aspect participle; PRS:present tense}}
{{interlinear|laṛkā khā̃sā.|boy:MASC.SG.NOM cough:PRF.MASC.SG|'The boy coughed.'|abbreviations=PRF:perfective; ERG:ergative case; SG:singular; MASC:masculine; FEM:feminine; DIR:direct case; ACC:accusative case; 3P:third person; HAB:habitual aspect participle; PRS:present tense}}
{{interlinear|laṛke-ne khā̃sā.|boy:MASC.SG.ERG cough:PRF.MASC.SG|'The boy coughed (intentionally).'|abbreviations=PRF:perfective; ERG:ergative case; SG:singular; MASC:masculine; FEM:feminine; DIR:direct case; ACC:accusative case; 3P:third person; HAB:habitual aspect participle; PRS:present tense}}

In the Northern Kurdish language [[Kurmanji]], the ergative case is marked on agents and verbs of transitive verbs in past tenses, for the events actually occurred in the past. Present, future and "future in the past" tenses show no ergative mark neither for agents nor the verbs. For example:
:(1) Ez diçim. (I go)
:(2) Ez wî dibînim. (I see him.)
:(3) Ew diçe. (He goes)
:(4) Ew min dibîne. (He sees me.)

but:
:(5) Ez çûm. (I went)
:(6) Min ew dît. (I saw him.)
:(7) Ew çû. (He went.)
:(8) Wî ez dîtim. (He saw me.)

In sentences (1) to (4), there is no ergativity (transitive and intransitive verbs alike). In sentences (6) and (8), the ergative case is marked on agents and verbs.

In [[Dyirbal language|Dyirbal]], pronouns are morphologically nominative–accusative when the agent is first or second person, but ergative when the agent is a third person.