The use of the ergative in Basque-Spanish code- switching: a case study

Abstract

The aim of this research is to analyse the relationship between the ergative case and Basque-Spanish code-switching (CS), based on a case-study of an adult with L1 in Basque who frequently engages in CS. Empirical evidence was collected using two methodologies:
on one hand, a glotto-biographical interview, and on the other hand, some acceptability judgment tasks. The unprecedented combining of those two angles has yielded some interesting results, in that the use of the ergative is closer to that of a person with Basque as their second language. Bearing in mind the linguistic background of the speaker, such use of the ergative could be due to language attrition.