Although there is only one ergative language in Europe (Basque), perhaps one-quarter of the world"s languages show ergative properties. R.M.W. Dixon here provides a full survey of the various types of ergativity, looking at the ways they interrelate, their semantic bases and their role in the organization of discourse. Comprehensive, clear, insightful, and illustrated by data from a wide variety of the world"s languages, Ergativity will be the standard point of reference for all those interested in the topic.