Advances in Role and Reference Grammar

A SYNOPSIS OF ROLE AND REFERENCE GRAMMAR 51

tactic predicate-argument relation in addition to the semantic relations of
actor and undergoer. Most languages have phenomena such as these which
motivate the postulation of both semantic roles and grammatical relations.
Acehnese (Austronesian, Sumatra) is an example of a language in
which this kind of restricted neutralization is not found, and accordingly
there are no grounds for positing grammatical relations of any kind in addi­
tion to semantic roles, according to Durie (1985, 1987). In this language the
statement of grammatical phenomena makes reference to actor, to under­
goer, or to core status; there is no construction in Acehnese which exhibits
the kind of restricted neutralization of the actor-undergoer opposition of
the kind described for English above. Verb "agreement" (actually cross-ref­
erence, as this is a head-marking language) is sensitive to whether an argu­
ment is actor or undergoer, regardless of the transitivity of the verb; this is
in sharp contrast to the situation in English, for example.^29
(29) a. Gopnyan geu-mat Ion.I geu-mat-lôn.^30 NPA A-V(-U) ΝΡυ
3SG -hold ISG/ -hold-lsGu
"(S)He holds me."
b. (Lôn) lôn-mat gopnyan. NPA A-V(-U) NPÖ
ISG lsGA-hold 3SG
"I hold him/her."
 (Gopnyan) geu-jak./gopnyan jak(-geuh). NPA A-V/
3SG 3A-go go(-3u) NPuV(-U)
"(S)Hegoes."
d. (Lôn) lôn-jak.l lônjak(-lôn) NPA Α-V/
ISG lsGA-go go(-lsGu) ΝΡυ V(-U)
"I go."
e. Gopnyan rhët(-geuh)./ ""gopnyan geu-rhët NPy V(-U)/
3SG fall(-3u) -fall NPA A-V
"(S)He falls."
f. Lôn rhët(4ôn)/ lôn lôn-rhët NPjj V(-U)/
ISG fall(-lsGu) lsGA-fall *NPA A-V
"I fall."
The contrast between actor and undergoer in an Acehnese clause is coded
primarily in the clitic pronouns on the verb: the obligatory proclitic indi­
cates the person, number and social status of the actor (geu- codes a famil­
iar third person argument, ji- one of higher social status), while the optional