Определение и Значение "ergative–absolutive alignment"

What is "ergative–absolutive alignment"?

Ergative-absolutive alignment is a grammatical system used in some languages to mark the relationship between verbs and their subjects and objects. In this alignment type, the subject of an intransitive verb is treated the same way as the object of a transitive verb, both being marked as "absolutive". In contrast, the subject of a transitive verb is marked differently, often referred to as "ergative". Ergative-absolutive alignment influences how sentences are structured and understood in languages that employ this system, providing unique insights into grammatical relationships and language organization.