ABSTRACT
This paper analyzes the famous yi-/bi-alternation in Apachean languages, with a focus on Jicarilla Apache. The paper argues that this alternation is not a passive, but simply indicates an inverse linking relationship between the grammatical relation of subject and the thematic agent: In the inverse construction, the agent cannot bear the subject relation. This coding is reflective of the Pronominal Argument status of the language. The theoretical treatment in terms of grammatical relations is an early approach to the problem for Jelinek, which is later resolved in Willie and Jelinek (2000) in favor of linking between thematic relations and discourse roles, rather than grammatical relations. However, this article is important because it sets out a non-passive approach to the yi-/bi-alternation, provides the first nonAustralian application of the Pronominal Argument Hypothesis, and analyzes data from a lesser-known Apachean language.
