By
Ota Ogie
Researcher affiliated with the Department of Language and Communication Studies.
NTNU -
e-mail:ota.ogie@hf.ntnu.no
(alternatively you can use the TC-internal e-mail to contact me)
== Introduction ==
This study examines multi-verb constructions in Èdó (a Benue-Congo language) with the aim of identifying and classifying them and their argument sharing patterns. Èdó is spoken in Èdó state in Mid-Western Nigeria and belongs to the Edoid language group (Elugbe 1979). It is a head initial SVO language with an open syllable system with no consonant clusters.
We draw main background assumptions from the following sources; implemented Head-Driven Phrase Structure Grammars for Norwegian (Hellan 2003) and Ga (Hellan 2007) a Kwa language spoken in Ghana; an HPSG account of argument realization patterns (Beermann, Hellan and Sætherø 2003); and a theory of event structure template (Pustejovsky 1995, 2006).
Multi-verb constructions provide useful insight into the question of how languages distinguish between adjunction and complementation. The term multi-verb constructions is defined as consisting of verbs in series that can function as independent verbs in simple sentences, with at least one shared argument and no marking of syntactic dependency (cf. Ameka 2005:2). They include SVCs, covert co-ordination and V+ infinitival complement constructions (Ogie 2009):
1. Consequential Serial verb construction
Òzó lé ìzẹ̣̣̣̣̣́ khiẹ̣̣̣̣́n
“Ozo cooked rice and sold”
| ìzẹ̣̣̣̣̣́ |
| ìzẹ̣̣̣̣̣́ |
| rice.AFFDO |
| N |
| khiẹ̣̣̣̣́n |
| khiẹ̣̣̣̣́n |
| sellIVH |
| V |
2. Covert co-ordination
Òzó gbọ̣̣̣̣̀ọ̣̣̣̣́ ívìn , bòló òká
“Ozo planted cooconut and peeled corn”
| gbọ̣̣̣̣̀ọ̣̣̣̣́ |
| gbọ̣̣̣̣̀ọ̣̣̣̣́ |
| plantPASTH |
| Vtr |
| ívìn |
| ívìn |
| coconut.AFFDO |
| CN |
3. V+infinitival complement construction
Íràn kùgbé-rè tòbíràn rrí ízẹ̣̣̣̣̀
“They ate the rice together by themselves”
| Íràn |
| íràn |
| They3PLNOMSBJAGT |
| Np |
| kùgbérè |
| kùgbé-rè |
| jointogetherPASTRT |
| Vtr |
| tòbíràn |
| tòbíràn |
| by.themselves3PLREFLACC |
| |
| ízẹ̣̣̣̣̀ |
| ízẹ̣̣̣̣̀ |
| riceDOTH |
| CN |
== Verbal Morphology ==
With respect to verbal morphology, verbs in simple and multi-verb constructions can be inflected for the purpose of pluralizing nouns they occur with and to mark iteration.
Simple sentence: V+plural suffix
4.
Òzó gbẹ̣̣̣̣̀n-nẹ̣̣̣̣́ èbé
“Ozo wrote a book”
| gbẹ̣̣̣̣̀n-nẹ̣̣̣̣́ |
| gbẹ̣̣̣̣̀n | nẹ̣̣̣̣́ |
| write | IVPLH |
| Vtr |
5.
Ọ̣̣̣̣̀ gbẹ̣̣̣̣̀n-nẹ̣̣̣̣́ èbé
“He/she wrote books”
| Ọ̣̣̣̣̀ |
| ọ̣̣̣̣̀ |
| 3SGSBJNOMAGT |
| PN |
| gbẹ̣̣̣̣̀nnẹ̣̣̣̣́ |
| gbẹ̣̣̣̣̀n | nẹ̣̣̣̣́ |
| write | PLIVH |
| V |
multi-verb constructions : consequential serial verb construction
V+plural suffix NP V+plural suffix
6.
Òzó gbẹ̀nnẹ́ èbé khiẹ̀nnẹ́
“Ozo wrote books and sold”
| khiẹ̀n |
| khiẹ̀n |
| sellPAST |
| Vtr |
Tense and transitivity are marked on the verb either through tonal changes or by affixation of a past tense suffix –rV under appropriate licensing conditions. With plural verbs,the order is the plural suffix before the past suffix.
7. Simple sentence: Present tense
Ọ̣̣̣̣̀ gbẹ̣̣̣̣́n
“He/she is writing”
| Ọ̣̣̣̣̀ |
| ọ̣̣̣̣̀ |
| 3SGSBJNOMAGT |
| PN |
| gbẹ̣̣̣̣́n |
| gbẹ̣̣̣̣́n |
| writePRESH |
| Vtr |
8. Simple sentence: Past tense
Ọ̣̣̣̣̀ gbẹ̣̣̣̣̀n-nẹ̣̣̣̣́-rè
“He/she wrote several times”
| Ọ̣̣̣̣̀ |
| ọ̣̣̣̣̀ |
| 3SGNOMSBJAGT |
| PN |
| gbẹ̣̣̣̣̀nnẹ̣̣̣̣́rè |
| gbẹ̣̣̣̣̀n | nẹ̣̣̣̣́ | ̣̣̣̣̣rè |
| write | PL | IVRT |
| Vtr |
9. Multi-verb constructions: consequential serial verb constuction- Present tense
Òzó lè ìzẹ̣̣̣̣̣́ rè
“Ozo cooks rice and eats”
| ìzẹ̣̣̣̣̣́ |
| ìzẹ̣̣̣̣̣́ |
| riceDOTH |
| CN |
10. Multi-verb constructions:consequential serial verb constuction-past tense
Òzó lé ìzẹ́ ré
“Ozo cooked rice and ate”
The past tense suffix –rV does not occur with multi-verb constructions with the structure
V (P) +V (P) and V+ mood construction.
== Multi-verb constructions:Tense,Aspect and Mood ==
The verbs in series in multi-verb constructions bear one marking for tense, aspect, mood or negation:
11.Consequential serial verb construction
Òzó ghá gbẹ̀n èbé khiẹ̀n
“Ozo will write books and sell”
12. Resultative serial verb constructions
Òzó má suá Àzàrí dé
“Ozo did not push Azari down”
| Àzàrí |
| àzàrí |
| Azari.AFFDO |
| Np |
13. V+infinitival complement constructions
Íràn kùgbé-rè (yá ) tòbíràn rrí ízẹ̣̣̣̣̀
“They ate the rice together by themselves”
| kùgbérè |
| kùgbé | rè |
| join | IVRT |
| Vtr |
| tòbíràn |
| tòbíràn |
| by.themselves3PLREFLACC |
| |
| ízẹ̣̣̣̣̀ |
| ízẹ̣̣̣̣̀ |
| riceDOTH |
| CN |
14. covert co-ordination constructions
Òzó ghá gbẹ̀n èbé ẹ́rẹ̀ná khiẹ̀n ọ̀rén vbé ákhuẹ̣̣̣̣̀
“Ozo will write a book today and sell it tomorrow”
| gbẹ̀n |
| gbẹ̀n |
| writePRESL |
| Vtr |
| ẹ́rẹ̀ná |
| ẹ́rẹ̀ná |
| todayATV |
| N |
| khiẹ̀n |
| khiẹ̀n |
| sellPRESL |
| Vtr |
| ákhuẹ̣̣̣̣̀ |
| ákhuẹ̣̣̣̣̀ |
| tomorrowATV |
| N |
11 verbal constructions in Èdó are shown to pattern into four structural types with respect to the distribution of the past tense suffix –rV, an infinitival marker yá, a floating anaphor tòbórè 'by him/her/it self ', VP adverbs and argument sharing patterns. Of the 11 verbal constructions 7 are shown to be multi-verb constructions. In 4 of the constructions one of the verbs in series is shown to be reanalyzed as an adjunct and I label these constructions as V+modifier constructions.With respect to syntactic behavoiur they behave like simple sentences.
15. V+modifier constuctions
Òzó rhùlé ̣rè làọ̣̣̣̣́ òwá
“Ozo ran into the house”
| rhùlẹ̣̣̣̣́rè |
| rhùlẹ̣̣̣̣́ | rè |
| run | IVRT |
| Vitr |
| làọ̣̣̣̣́ |
| làọ̣̣̣̣́ |
| enter.V>P |
| PREP |
The distribution and structural types of the multi-verb constructions are as follows:
A. V (P) +V (P) constructions: resultatives SVCs, consequential SVCs, negative resultatives and covert co-ordination constructions: -rV not licensed, infinitival yá not licensed. The verbs in
series have the same values for Tense, Aspect and Mood (TAM).
B. V + mood constructions: purpose serial verb constructions: -rV licensed, infinitival yá not licensed. V2 has a positive value for MOOD.
C. V+ infinitival complement constructions: comitative and instrumental constructions:
-rV licensed, infinitival yá licensed and V2 is non-finite.
Reanalyzed V+ modifier constructions:
D. V+ modifier constructions: durational, directional, locational, manner constructions:
-rV licensed, infinitival yá not licensed. One verb in the series is reanalyzed as adverb.
The –rV suffix also interacts in an interesting way with the temporal structures of multi-verb constructions. Overlapping events license –rV while non-overlapping events do not[1](Ogie 2004)
== Schema for multi-verb constructions in Èdó ==
Two schemas are posited to account for Èdó multi-verb constructions:
i.Verb-serial-compl (ement)-phrase with a complementation structure for the
V (P) +V (P) resultative and V+infinitival complement constructions.
ii.Serial-mod-phrase with an adjunction structure for V+mood constructions, V+modifier
constructions and V (P) +V (P); consequential, purpose, and negative resultative
constructions.
properties of Èdó multi-verb constructions are situated within the typology of the following
languages of the Niger-Congo: Igbo and Yoruba (Benue-Congo), Gurenne (Oti-Volta), Ga, Baule, Akan and Ewe (Kwa)
A typology of multi-verb constructions in some languages of the Niger-Congo
An Èdó GrammarMatrix is being constructed based on the analysis of Ogie(2009)An Edo MatrixGrammar.