Classroom:Ewe Noun Phrases
This page was created as an in-classroom exercise in LING 2208, NTNU
By Mercy Motte and Mango K. Bodua
GENERALISATIONS – Some Ewe linguists have already looked at these.
1. A noun phrase can be made up of a single word. Eg.
agbà “load”
| agbà |
| agbà |
| load |
| N |
2. A noun phrase can be followed immediately by a determiner. Eg.
nyɔnu la “the woman”
| nyɔnu |
| nyɔnu |
| woman |
| N |
| la |
| la |
| AFFMT |
| DET |
3. The plural suffix is ‘’wo’’ which is normally attached to nouns. For example,
Ðeviwo “children”
| Ðeviwo |
| Ðeviwo |
| children |
| N |
However, anytime there is the presence of definite (la), this contracts to ‘’a’’ and then infixes itself between the noun and its plural suffix. Eg.
Ðeviawo “the children”
| Ðeviawo | ||
| Ðevi | a | wo |
| child | DEF | PL |
| N | ||
4. All post noun modifying elements for example, adjectives in the noun phrase precede the definite marker or the demonstrative. The noun phrase is left headed. Egs.
Ðevi sue sia
“this small child”
Ðevi sue sia
Ðevi sue sia
child small this
N ADJ DEM
Ðevi lolo la
“the big/fat child”
Ðevi lolo la
Ðevi lolo la
child big AFFMT
N ADJ DET