Animacy Hierarchies - Why Do They Exist?

William: The decision, the decision I made on Kachtai was entirely based on vague sensations I got from things like knowing about how Blackfoot transitive verbs work. It just seemed better that the thing I care most about, which is most likely to be higher animacy, should always be a core argument of the verb. Josh: In English, our syntax for possessives actually changes based on animacy. William: Animates are more likely to have an apostrophe S clinic than non-animates.