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How are transitive subjects marked differently from intransitive subjects in Australian Aboriginal languages?

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Distinctive features of Australia's Indigenous languages — Australian Aboriginal languages A discussion of the languages of Indigenous Australians.

Many Australian Aboriginal languages utilize an ergative case system to distinguish between transitive and intransitive subjects. In these languages, the subject of a transitive verb (the actor) is marked with an ergative suffix.1

In contrast, the subject of an intransitive verb is not marked with the ergative suffix; instead, it shares the same unmarked case form as the object of a transitive verb. This structure differs from nominative-accusative languages like English, where transitive and intransitive subjects are grouped together and distinguished from the object. While this pattern is common, it is important to note that many Australian languages also use accusative suffixes specifically for personal pronouns, and pronominal markers on verbs often follow more complex systems.12