Absolutive Case - in Ergative Languages

In Ergative Languages

In ergative–absolutive languages, the absolutive is the case used to mark both the subject of an intransitive verb and the object of a transitive verb, in addition to being used for the citation form of a noun. It contrasts with the marked ergative case, which marks the subject of a transitive verb.

For example, in Basque the noun mutil ("boy") takes the bare singular article -a both as subject of the intransitive clause mutila etorri da ("the boy came") and as object of the transitive clause Irakasleak mutila ikusi du ("the teacher has seen the boy"), in which the subject bears the ergative ending -a-k.

In a very few cases, a marked absolutive has been reported. This includes Nias and Sochiapam Chinantec.