The passive in Basque

Some scholars agree that there is no passive in Basque, whereas others object to such a view. The passive-like construction displays the following properties: (1) The finite verb agrees only with the absolutive argument. (2) The participle shows agreement in number, case, and definiteness with the absolutive argument. (3) The ergative and the participle are adjacent, the ergative NP preceding. (4) The agent NP becomes optional. I propose that in this construction, the participle is nominal and projects a complex NP, selecting the ergative NP as a complement, and assigns case inherently. Verb movement of the auxiliary to T as well as movement of the absolutive NP to Spec,TP accounts for the displayed word order, the intransitive agreement and the fact that the auxiliary here functions as the sole predicate. The analysis shares properties with an analysis for Inuktitut proposed by Johns (1987), and is also supported by similarities in German passive-like possessor constructions