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Difference between revisions of "The Akan verb kɔ"

(→‎The different uses of kɔ)
 
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==Overview==
 
  
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One of the difficult issues when annotating Akan is to decide how to annotate the two verbs ''bɛ''  and '' kɔ''. Both verbs occur as independent verbs, meaning ''come'' and ''go''  respectively. Sometimes however they are used to convey functional information, of aspectual nature or information tied to deixis. There is a third function of '' Kɔ'' which occurs when it proceeds a noun denoting a location. In this case '' Kɔ'' seems to express directionality. In the following we will only discuss '' kɔ''.
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[[User:Dorothee Beermann|Dorothee Beermann]]
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(2012)
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'''To cite this page see footnote <ref> Dorothee Beermann. 2012. The Akan verb ''kɔ''. TypeCraft Grammar squib. http://www.typecraft.org. Accessed [DATE].</ref>'''
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===The verb '' kɔ''===
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'''A mini grammar squib'''
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The verbs ''bɛ''  and '' kɔ'' occur as independent verbs, meaning ''come'' and ''go''  respectively. Sometimes however they are used to convey functional information of aspectual nature, or information tied to deixis. There is a third use of '' kɔ'' which occurs when it preceeds a noun denoting a location. In this case '' Kɔ'' seems to express directionality. In the following we will only discuss '' kɔ'', leaving the discussion of ''bɛ'' for another occasion.
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This squib was based on the TC Akan corpus from December 2012. At that point the database hosted  41 Akan sentences  containing '' kɔ''. By now the public TypeCraft Akan corpus, which  is an improved version of the older open-end corpus, contains 174 instances of  '' kɔ''.
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''Kɔ'' either is an independent verb, or a verbal prefix.  
  
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==The different uses of '' kɔ''==
 
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TypeCraft hosts at the point (December 2012) 41 Akan sentences that contain '' kɔ''; either as an independent verb or as a verbal prefix. The sentences represent different variants of Akan. For each of the Akan texts we indicate which variant it represents. You can easily search the database yourself by going to [http://www.typecraft.org/tc2wiki/Special:TypeCraft/SearchPhrase/ Search for Phrases containing kɔ by entering '' kɔ'' into the field: ''''Exact morpheme'''' which you find under the heading '''Morpheme Level'''. A list of sentences containing '' kɔ'' will appear, the number of tokens found is displayed in the upper left corner of your browser. Each token is listed together with information about the annotator and about the date the information was changed last. 
 
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For the following discussion we have exported relevant examples from the TC-database. The EXPORT TO WIKI function is accessible for all annotators from the TC Editor. Go to Phrases on the tool tab, click the button and choose export to wiki.
 
 
==== Kɔ as an independent verb====
 
==== Kɔ as an independent verb====
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Let us first look at sentence (1) and (2) which exemplify the use of '' kɔ'' as in independent verb meaning ''go''.
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Let us first look at sentence (1) and (2) which exemplify the use of '' kɔ'' as a main verb meaning ''go''.
  
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The first sentence is a negated imperative while the second shows '' kɔ'' as the main verb.
 
(1)<Phrase>370</Phrase>
 
(1)<Phrase>370</Phrase>
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The first sentence is a negated imperative while the second sentence shows '' kɔ'' in the cannonical position for Akan verbs in single headed sentences. Akan is an SVO language. As one would expect '' kɔ'' inflects like any other verb in Akan. In (2) the suffix is glossed as PAST standing for past tense.
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In (2) the verb is glossed as a past tense verb following standard annotation practice. It has been argued that Akan has an Aspect based verbal inflection system (see for example <ref>OSAM, E. Kweku. 2003. An Introduction to the Verbal and Multi-verbal System of Akan. In Dorothee Beermann and Lars Hellan (eds.), Proceedings of the Workshop on Multi-verb Constructions. Trondheim Summer School 2003. Available from: http://www.ling.hf.ntnu.no/tross/TROSS03-toc.html</ref>
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(2)<Phrase>8963</Phrase>
 
(2)<Phrase>8963</Phrase>
  
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==== Kɔ as a spatial expression====
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In (3) ''kɔ'' is the V3 in a 'Clause Chaining' verb serialisation 
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The next three sentences illustrate that '' kɔ'' may describe locomotion as well as 'directedness' towards a given endpoint. Notice that the English translations given by native-speaker annotators try to capture this fact, leading to slightly awkward translations such as '' He left Accra to Kumasi'' (meaning: going to Kumasi) or '' He passed by the school to church'' (meaning: going to church)
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(3)<Phrase>9038</Phrase>
 
(3)<Phrase>9038</Phrase>
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(3) is interesting also for others reasons. Ato is said to have taken his piano to town. I was wondering if ''sɛnkuo'' possibly refers to one of the African instruments shown in the picture of African music instruments to the right? --[[User:Dorothee|Dorothee]] 00:04, 4 June 2009 (CEST)
 
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[[Image:Ainstrument.jpeg|thumb|right|Could Ato's piano have been a Sanza? ]]
 
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The read square-shaped instrument in the middle of the picture is a sanza which is a small thumb piano. The white elements fixed to the body of the instrument are depressed and released to produce a sound. A Sanza is an instrument that easily can be carried by the player.
 
  
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Perhaps somebody reading this knows whether a ''sɛnkuo'' is an instrument similar to a sanza?!
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Sentence (4) illustrates an 'Integrated' serialisation.
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(4) <Phrase>42240</Phrase>
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''Kɔ'' combines with a manner of movement verb "si" ''descend''. There seems to be a certain similarity to a satellite marking pattern, using Talmy's terminology [[http://www.typecraft.org/tc2wiki/Norwegian_Expressions_of_Motion_and_Space_-_Bibliography|Talmy 1975]].
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However, neither of the verbs expressing the descending motion is the head per se, but both verbs are serialised.
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So far we have seen ''kɔ'' as an independent verb, but when part of a serialisation ''kɔ '' may also  appear as  a verbal prefix, expressing the onset of an event. When  occuring in this capacity, it is annotated as INGR, standing for ''ingressive''. Its function then is that of an aspectual verb or an aspectual marker.
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(5) to (8) shows ''kɔ '' as an aspectual verb/prefix
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Sentence (4) below shows clearly that also in its function as a spatial expression '' kɔ'' remains a verb - it still inflects for tense.
 
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(4)<Phrase>9030</Phrase>
 
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(5)<Phrase>9029</Phrase>
 
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'' Kɔ'' may combine with expressions of manner of movement as shown in sentence (6) where it combines with the verb ''dwane''.''Dwane''introduces the manner of movement while'' Kɔ'' introduces, as its argument, the noun that denotes the endpoint of the motion. In (6) Akan acts like a well-behaved satellite marking language,  using Talmy's terminology [[http://www.typecraft.org/tc2wiki/Norwegian_Expressions_of_Motion_and_Space_-_Bibliography|Talmy 1975]]. The only difference to more known satellite-marking languages, as far as this case is concerned, is that the 'satellite'-phrase is headed by a verbal predicate rather than by a prepositional one.
 
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(6) <Phrase>9021</Phrase>
 
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Let us also look at an interesting nominalization. Consider sentence (7) below:
 
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(7) <Phrase>8553</Phrase>
 
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The noun n’akokɔafuom translated as ''farm gear'', meaning the cloth that you wear when you work on the farm, is a complex noun composed of the verb ''to go'' and the verb '' Kɔ'' meaning ''to'' as in '' go to the farm''.
 
  
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====The third meaning of '' Kɔ''====
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(5) <Phrase>8555</Phrase>
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In its third function ''Kɔ '' appears as a grammatical marker of some sort. It seems that in this function it may either occur as an independent verb or as a verbal prefix. So far TC-annotators have chosen to gloss ''Kɔ '' when occuring in this capacity as INGR, standing for ''ingressive''. ''Ingressive'' in this context means to 'entering into an event'. This classifies ''Kɔ '' as an aspectual marker.
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(6) <Phrase>8376</Phrase>
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(7)<Phrase>6491</Phrase>
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(8)<Phrase>6471</Phrase>
  
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However, we are at this point not sure if this is the right annotation and invite comments that will help us to do justice to what we call here the aspectual use of ''Kɔ ''.  So please consider example (8) to (13) below
 
  
  
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(8)<Phrase>8603</Phrase>
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====References====
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(9) <Phrase>8555</Phrase>
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<references/>
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(10) <Phrase>8376</Phrase>
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(11)<Phrase>6491</Phrase>
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(12)<Phrase>6471</Phrase>
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(13)<Phrase>6470</Phrase>
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We are not quite sure how we should annotate '' Kɔ'' in these cases. Any suggestions?
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[[Category:Grammar squib|Akan]]

Latest revision as of 23:09, 20 December 2017

Dorothee Beermann (2012)

To cite this page see footnote [1]

The verb kɔ

A mini grammar squib

The verbs bɛ and kɔ occur as independent verbs, meaning come and go respectively. Sometimes however they are used to convey functional information of aspectual nature, or information tied to deixis. There is a third use of kɔ which occurs when it preceeds a noun denoting a location. In this case Kɔ seems to express directionality. In the following we will only discuss kɔ, leaving the discussion of bɛ for another occasion. This squib was based on the TC Akan corpus from December 2012. At that point the database hosted 41 Akan sentences containing kɔ. By now the public TypeCraft Akan corpus, which is an improved version of the older open-end corpus, contains 174 instances of kɔ.

Kɔ either is an independent verb, or a verbal prefix.

Kɔ as an independent verb

Let us first look at sentence (1) and (2) which exemplify the use of kɔ as a main verb meaning go.


The first sentence is a negated imperative while the second shows kɔ as the main verb.

(1)
nkɔ
“Don't go.”
n`kɔ´
nkɔ
NEGIMPgo
Vitr


In (2) the verb is glossed as a past tense verb following standard annotation practice. It has been argued that Akan has an Aspect based verbal inflection system (see for example [2]

(2)

In (3) kɔ is the V3 in a 'Clause Chaining' verb serialisation

(3)

Sentence (4) illustrates an 'Integrated' serialisation.

(4)
hwansena no akɔ si papa no atifi.
“the fly has gone to sit on top of the man's head”
hwansena
hwansena
3SGSBJ
N
no
no
DEF
DET
akɔ
akɔ
PRFgo
V1
si
si
descend
V2
papa
papa
man3SGOBJ
N
no
no
DEF
DET
atifi
atifi
headtop
Nrel


Kɔ combines with a manner of movement verb "si" descend. There seems to be a certain similarity to a satellite marking pattern, using Talmy's terminology [1975]. However, neither of the verbs expressing the descending motion is the head per se, but both verbs are serialised. So far we have seen kɔ as an independent verb, but when part of a serialisation kɔ may also appear as a verbal prefix, expressing the onset of an event. When occuring in this capacity, it is annotated as INGR, standing for ingressive. Its function then is that of an aspectual verb or an aspectual marker.

(5) to (8) shows kɔ as an aspectual verb/prefix


(5)
Mmrahyεbεdwani he de nkondwa akɔma asɔre he.
“The member for parliment has donated chairs to the church.”
Mmrahyεbεdwani
mmrahyεbεdwani
lawmakecouncilNMLZ
N
he
he
DEF
DET
de
de
use
V
nkondwa
nkondwa
PLchair
N
akɔma
akɔma
PFVINGRgive
V
asɔre
asɔre
church
N
he
he
DEF
ART
(6)
Bɛɛkɔhwe aburaa no.
“They are going to drain the stream.”
bɛɛkɔhwe
bɛɛkɔhwe
theySBJPROGgodrain
V
aburaa
aburaa
streamOBJ
N
no
no
the
DET
(7)
Monkɔ nkɔkyeakyea.
“Go and greet them.”
Monkɔ
monkɔ
2PLSBJOPTgo
V
nkɔkyeakyea
nkɔkyeakyea
OPTINGRgreetgreet
V
(8)
Boakye rekɔgye aba abεdi.
“Boakye is going to collect it, come back and eat it.”
Boakye
boakye
B.SBJ
N
rekɔgye
rekɔgye
PROGINGRcollect
V
aba
aba
CONScome
V
abεdi
abεdi
CONSINGReat
V



References

  1. ↑ Dorothee Beermann. 2012. The Akan verb kɔ. TypeCraft Grammar squib. http://www.typecraft.org. Accessed [DATE].
  2. ↑ OSAM, E. Kweku. 2003. An Introduction to the Verbal and Multi-verbal System of Akan. In Dorothee Beermann and Lars Hellan (eds.), Proceedings of the Workshop on Multi-verb Constructions. Trondheim Summer School 2003. Available from: http://www.ling.hf.ntnu.no/tross/TROSS03-toc.html
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