In fact, there are relatively few languages that exhibit only ergativeabsolutive alignment (called pure ergativity).
Split ergativity is shown by languages that have a partly ergative behaviour, but employ another syntax or morphologyusually accusativein some contexts.
Similar patterns are found in a large number of unrelated split ergative languages (see more examples at split ergativity).
As with morphology, syntactic ergativity can be placed on a continuum, whereby certain syntactic operations may pattern accusatively and others ergatively.
Syntactic ergativity is also referred to as inter-clausal ergativity, as it typically appears in the relation of two clauses.
The degree of syntactic ergativity is then dependent on the number of syntactic operations that treat the subject like the object.
However, ergativity in its most clearly defined instances is primarily about transitive and intransitive verbs.
An interpretation of split ergativity.
