Agreement
Eyɔse efufeemɔ feesɛɛ kɛkɛni eyimli ni emli ewola ni erɛɛehoehe, shi ekolɛ ni ehiɛ etɛŋ fe tsutsu.
“He later realized his folly and he left angry and sad, but perhaps a little wiser than before.”
| Eyɔse |
| e | yɔse |
| 3SG | realizePAST |
| V |
| efufeemɔ |
| e | fufeemɔ |
| POSS | foolishness |
| N |
| eyimli |
| e | yimli |
| 3SG | went_away |
| V |
| erɛɛehoehe |
| erɛɛehoehe |
| sorrowful |
| ADJ |
Within the domain of the construction above, i.e. the sentence, there is an agreement relationship with recourse to the features NUMBER (specifically, singular) and PERSON (3rd). Specifically, the controller (here, a pronominal ‘e’ - he) which has been integrated into the verb (‘eyɔse’ – he realized) determines the NUMBER and PERSON of the remaining pronouns (highlighted). Hence, since the controller is singular in NUMBER and 3rd in PERSON, the same values are adopted or taken on by the remaining pronouns or controlees/targets.
Clause Linkage
Ena loohɔlɔ ko shwapo kɛkɛni ebote mli oya kɛkɛni eyaju wu fɛɛfɛo dɔkɔdɔkɔ agbo ko ni ka shɛɛfi lɛ nɔ.
“He saw a butcher's shop and (he) went quickly in and (he) stole a nice fat juicy bone from the shelf.”
| ebote |
| e | bote |
| 3SG | enterPAST |
| V |
| eyaju |
| e | ya | ju |
| 3SG | PAST | steal |
| V |
| dɔkɔdɔkɔ |
| dɔkɔdɔkɔ |
| sweet |
| ADJ |
He saw a butcher's shop and (he) went quickly in and (he) stole a nice fat juicy bone from the shelf.
The clause linkage above is indicative of parataxis, i.e. structural equality. Evidently, it is discernible that there are three independent clauses which have been conjoined by a coordinating conjunction "kɛkɛni". Hence, there is neither a form of integration or embedding nor reduction or downgrading. Further, it is perceptible that the clause linkage is one of explicit linking since the connective device (here "kɛkɛni")is present, hence syndesis or syndetic coordination.