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A typology of multi-verb constructions in some languages of the Niger-Congo

By

Ota Ogie

Researcher was affiliated with the former Department of Language and Communication Studies from 1999 - 2012.

NTNU - e-mail:ota.ogie@hf.ntnu.no

(alternatively you can use the TC-internal e-mail to contact me)


The study examines multi-verb constructions in the following languages of the Niger-Congo: Igbo and Yoruba (Benue-Congo), Gurenne (Oti-Volta), Ga, Baule, Akan and Ewe (Kwa) and situate properties of Èdó multi-verb constructions within typology common to these languages.

ÈDÓ

1.Infinitival complement construction: covert reference subject sharing


Íràn kùgbé-rè kó!kó ìzẹ̣̣̣̣̣́
“They joined together and gathered the rice”
Íràn
íràn
3PLNOMSBJAGT
PN
kùgbérè
kùgbé
joinIVRT
Vtr
kó!kó
kó!kó
gather
Vtr
ìzẹ̣̣̣̣̣́
ìzẹ̣̣̣̣̣́
riceDOTH
N


2.Consequential SVC : token subject and object sharing


Òzó lé ìzẹ́ ré
“Ozo cooked rice and ate”
Òzó
òzó
OzoSBJAGT
Np
cookPASTH
Vtr
ìzẹ́
ìzẹ́
riceDOTH
CN
eatPASTH
Vtr


3. Covert coordination:covert reference subject sharing and overt reference object sharing

Òzó dẹ̣̣̣̣́ ìzẹ̣̣̣̣̣́ rrí ọ̣̣̣̣̀ré
“Ozo bought rice and ate it”
Òzó
òzó
OzoSBJAGT
Np
dẹ̣̣̣̣́
dẹ̣̣̣̣́
buyPASTH
Vtr
ìzẹ̣̣̣̣̣́
ìzẹ̣̣̣̣̣́
rice.AFFDO
CN
rrí
rrí
eatPASTH
Vtr
ọ̣̣̣̣̀ré
ọ̣̣̣̣̀ré
it3SGACCDOTH
PN


4. Purpose construction :token subject and object sharing


Òzó miẹ̣́n àlìmóí kpá!án
“Ozo saw an orange to pluck”
Òzó
òzó
OzoSBJAGT
Np
miẹ̣́n
miẹ̣́n
seePASTH
Vtr
àlìmóí
àlìmóí
orangeDO
CN
kpá!án
kpá!án
pluck
Vtr



IGBO

5.Commutative SVC: Token subject sharing


Ó wè-re ìte byá
“S/he came with a pot”
Ó
ó
3SGNOMSBJAGT
PN
wère
re
takeØASP
V
ìte
ìte
potDOTH
CN
byá
byá
come.ASP
V


AKAN

6.Clause chaining SVC (CCSVC): covert reference subject sharing


Ama noa di
“Ama cooks and then eats”
Ama
ama
AmaSBJAGT
Np
noa
noa
cook
Vtr
di
di
eat
Vtr


YORUBA

7.Commutative SVC: Token subject sharing


Ó mú ìwé wá
“He brought the book”
Ó
ó
3SGNOMSBJAGT
PN
take
V
ìwé
ìwé
bookDOTH
CN
come
V


EWE

8.Complement/embedded clause construction: Switch function


Kofí ná (bé) wò-ɖu nú-á
“Kofi made him/her eat the thing”
Kofí
kofí
KofiSBJAGT
Np
give
V
 
COMP
AFF3SGACCSBJ
PN
ɖu
ɖu
eat
V
núá
á
thingDOTHDEF
CN


9. Consecutive construction: Token subject and no sharing of objects

Agbeko wɔ dɔ, kpɔga fle afe
“Agbeko worked got money and bought a house”
Agbeko
agbeko
Agbeko
Np
do
V
work
CN
kpɔ
kpɔ
see
V
ga
ga
money
CN
fle
fle
buy
V
afe
afe
house
CN


10. Overlapping constructions: switch function

É-fo-m wò-sẽ̃
“S/he hit me hard”
É
é
3SG
PN
fo
fo
strike
V
m
m
1SG
PN
wò
wò
3SG
PN
sẽ̃
sẽ̃
become.hard
V



BAULE

11.Resumed Subject Construction (RSC): Coreferent overt subjects and no sharing of objects

ɔsi-li aliɛ-`n (ɔ) sɔkɔ-li tro`n
“S/he pounded the futu and prepared the sause”
ɔ
ɔ
3SGSBJ
PN
sili
sili
poundCOMPL
V
aliɛ`n
aliɛ`n
foodDEF
CN
(ɔ)
(ɔ)
3SGSBJ
PN
sɔkɔli
sɔkɔli
prepareCOMPL
V
tro`n
tro`n
sauseDEF
CN


GURENNE

12.Theme SVC: token subject and object sharing


Bà diki mà tá`asi zí'à ná
“They sent me to that place”
3PLNOMSBJAGT
PN
diki
diki
take
V
1SGACCDOTH
PN
tá`asi
tá`asi
send
V
zí'à
zí'à
placeENDPNT
CN
DEF
 


Ga

13. Extended Verb Construction: token subject and direct object sharing, indirect object not shared

E kɛ wolo lɛ ha mi
“He gave me the book”
E
e
3SGNOMSBJAGT
PN
move
V
wolo
wolo
bookDOTH
CN
 
DET
ha
ha
give
V
mi
mi
1SGGOAL
PN


Multi-verbs identified include SVCs in all the languages discussed, consecutive constructions and overlapping constructions in Ewe and covert co-ordination in Èdó, Igbo and Baule. Typological features used for identification include: tense, mood, aspect, negation, adverb distribution, predicate cleft and argument sharing patterns. The findings show that the typological features of a language determine the type of multi-verb construction it licenses. Also while, inflection may demarcate multi-verb types within a language, the pattern observed for a language may not map onto another language.

With respect to argument sharing, the following types are discussed; token sharing of subjects; switch sharing; overt reference sharing of subjects; covert reference sharing of subjects; token sharing of objects ; overt reference sharing of objects and covert sharing of objects. The patterns found in the languages studied support the claim that languages with rich verbal agreement features allow recoverability of unexpressed arguments and tend to license null subjects and objects. Object sharing patterns show asymmetry with respect to switch sharing and reference sharing. Languages that have overt reference subject sharing patterns do not have switch sharing (Ewe, Ga and Baule) while those that do not, tend to employ token/covert reference sharing of subjects and switch sharing (Èdó, Yoruba and Akan).This is buttressed by data from Attie and Likpe closely related languages to these languages. With respect to object sharing, these languages that do not have switch sharing all have covert sharing of objects, while those that have, do not have covert sharing of objects. Èdó belongs to the type that does not have overt reference sharing of subjects and tend to employ token sharing of subjects and switch sharing. For object sharing, Èdó does not have covert sharing of objects and employs mainly token sharing of objects.In particular, object sharing in multi-verb constructions in Èdó is analyzed as token sharing by grammatical function.

References for research on Èdó language by Ota Ogie