Bi-absolutive constructions in Chechen

Abstract This study presents new data on the bi-absolutive construction in Chechen, a Nakh-Daghestanian language spoken northern Caucasus. The basic case frame transitive clause Chechen is ergative-absolutive. In progressive constructions with an auxiliary and simultaneous converb, alternates absolutive-absolutive – or construction. To assess factors conditioning this alternation, we use from two corpora (one of narratives one written newspaper articles) elicited native speakers using visual (video picture) stimuli. We discuss conditions relatively infrequent terms (in)animacy/humanness A argument, verb class, discourse-based factors, aspectual meaning. connect our results to existing studies other languages as well methodological challenges associated minority patterns under-resourced languages.