Topic system

From UniLang Wiki

Some languages, chiefly in the Philippines, distinguish the gramatical roles of Agent, Patient, Dative, and Locative. One noun phrase in the sentence is then marked as the topic with a particle and its role is indicated by the verb. The roles of the other nouns are marked with particles. The term "trigger system" is also used. Thus in Tagalog (ng is a conventional spelling for /naŋ/):

Magsalis ang babae ng bigsas sa sako
agent+will-take-out topic woman agent/patient rice locative sack
The woman will take the rice out of the sack

Aalisin ng babae ang bisas sa sako
patient+will-take-out agent/patient woman topic rice locative sack
The rice will be taken out of the sack by the woman

Alisan ng babae ng bigas ang sako
locative+will-take-out agent/patient woman topic rice topic sack
It's the rice that the woman will take out of the sack

For alternative constructions, see the accusative, agentive, eragtive, and inverse systems.