Split-alignment, mixed alignment and the spread of accusative morphosyntax in some archaic Indo-European languages

This paper explores the interaction between nominative-accusative alignment and other alignment patterns in Latin, Classical Greek, Vedic Sanskrit, Hittite, Classical Armenian and Lithuanian. Although these languages have very similar typological properties, they display a number of important differences on micro-level. We argue that these languages mirror different stages of the Indo-European proto-language or independent parallel developments towards consistently accusative alignment, which above all affects the inherited finite verbal system. On the other hand, some of the languages under consideration also show development patterns that run counter to this general tendency, a fact showing that different types of alignment change may overlap or occur simultaneously, affecting different parts of the verbal system.