Some languages, such as English, mark possession on the owner, others mark it on the possessum, some mark it on both, some don't mark either; some have other systems than those even. How about a system that utilizes different approaches in different circumstances.
Let's say the language normally marks the possessum, but in transitive subjects marks the possessor.
John house-[poss] is big
We burned down John house-[poss]
vs.
John-[gen] dog attacked us!
Let us imagine some further complications:
- Transitive subjects possessing the objects: John built house-[poss] by himself
- Possessors of transitive subjects possessing the object as well: John-[gen] dog attacked cattle-[poss]
Alternatively we could turn it all around:
John house-[poss] is big ← with free word order this'd be cool
We burned down John-[gen] house
John dog-[poss] attacked us!and turn the complications around as well, although getting a slightly weird thing:
- John-[gen] built house
- John dog-[poss] attacked cattle-[poss]? Joh-[gen] dog-[poss] attacked cattle?
The last option seems unnatural somehow, in a way the others don't quite.
Further, let's have -[poss] be identical to the instrumental marking in the language.
Further, let's have -[poss] be identical to the instrumental marking in the language.
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