Multi-verb constructions in Edo

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 Èdó (a Benue-Congo language) with the aim of identifying and classifying them and their argument sharing patterns. Èdó is spoken in Èdó 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. Amaka 2005:2):

Verbal Morphology

With respect to verbal morphology, verbs can be inflected for the purpose of pluralizing nouns they occur with and to mark iteration.

Simple sentence: V+plural suffix

v-tr-suNom_ag_obThincrem-COMPLETED_MONODEVMT

2.

Òzó gbẹ̣̣̣̣̀n-nẹ̣̣̣̣́ èbé

“Ozo wrote a book”

Òzó

òzó

OzoSBJAGT

Np

gbẹ̣̣̣̣̀n-nẹ̣̣̣̣́
gbẹ̣̣̣̣̀n	nẹ̣̣̣̣́
write	IVPLH
Vtr

èbé

èbé

bookDOTH

CN

3.

Ọ̣̣̣̣̀ gbẹ̣̣̣̣̀n-nẹ̣̣̣̣́ èbé

“He/she wrote books”

Ọ̣̣̣̣̀

ọ̣̣̣̣̀

3SGSBJNOMAGT

PN

gbẹ̣̣̣̣̀nnẹ̣̣̣̣́
gbẹ̣̣̣̣̀n	nẹ̣̣̣̣́
write	PLIVH
V

èbé

èbé

bookDOTH

CN

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.

4. Simple sentence: Present tense

v-intrImplobj-suNom_ag-NONCOMPLETED_MONODEVMT

Ọ̣̣̣̣̀ gbẹ̣̣̣̣́n

“He/she is writing”

Ọ̣̣̣̣̀

ọ̣̣̣̣̀

3SGSBJNOMAGT

PN

gbẹ̣̣̣̣́n

gbẹ̣̣̣̣́n

writePRESH

Vtr

5. Simple sentence: Past tense

v-intrImplobj-suNom_ag-COMPLETED_MONODEVMT

Ọ̣̣̣̣̀ gbẹ̣̣̣̣̀n-nẹ̣̣̣̣́-rè

“He/she wrote several times”

Ọ̣̣̣̣̀

ọ̣̣̣̣̀

3SGNOMSBJAGT

PN

gbẹ̣̣̣̣̀nnẹ̣̣̣̣́rè
gbẹ̣̣̣̣̀n	nẹ̣̣̣̣́	̣̣̣̣̣rè
write	PL	IVRT
Vtr

Multi-verb constructions:Tense,Aspect,Mood, argumentsharing and situationtype

The verbs in series in multi-verb constructions need not bear one/same marking for tense, aspect, mood or negation and need not share subjects. They include SVCs, consecutive constructions, covert co-ordination, overlapping constructions and V+ infinitival complement constructions.

Èdó

6. Consequential SVC

sv_suObID_suAg-v1tr-v1obThincrem-v2tr-v2obAff-TRANSFER

Òzó lé ìzẹ̣̣̣̣̣́ khiẹ̣̣̣̣́n

“Ozo cooked rice and sold”

Òzó

òzó

OzoSBJAGT

Np

lé

lé

cookIVH

V

ìzẹ̣̣̣̣̣́

ìzẹ̣̣̣̣̣́

rice.AFFDO

N

khiẹ̣̣̣̣́n

khiẹ̣̣̣̣́n

sellIVH

V

7. Covert co-ordination cc_suID_suAg-v1tr-v1obAff-v2tr-v2obThincrem-CAUSE_RESULT

Òzó gbọ̣̣̣̣̀ọ̣̣̣̣́ ívìn , bòló òká

“Ozo planted cooconut and peeled corn”

Òzó

òzó

OzoSBJAGT

Np

gbọ̣̣̣̣̀ọ̣̣̣̣́

gbọ̣̣̣̣̀ọ̣̣̣̣́

plantPASTH

Vtr

ívìn

ívìn

coconut.AFFDO

CN

,bòló

,bòló

peelPASTH

Vtr

òká

òká

cornDOTH

CN

8. V+infinitival complement construction

ic_suID_suAg-v2tr-v2obThincrem-CAUSE_RESULT

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

rrí

rrí

eat

Vtr

ízẹ̣̣̣̣̀

ízẹ̣̣̣̣̀

riceDOTH

CN

9. Ewe

Consecutive constructions

cs3-v1intr-v1suAg-v2intr-v3intr-v3suAg-DIRECTED_MOTION

Mí-nɔ yi-yi-m má-vá

“You be going (and) I will come (i.e.follow)”

Mí

mí

2PLNOMSBJAGT

PN

nɔ

nɔ

be.at

V

yiyim
yi	yi	m
		go
V

má

má

1SGNOMSBJAGT

PN

vá

vá

come

V

Clause chaining serial constructions

Akan

11. sv_AspID_aspCompl-v1ObIDv2su-v1tr-v1suAg-v1obAff-v2tr-v2suAff-CAUSE_RESULT

Ama twee Kofi hwee fam

“Ama pulled Kofi and he(Kofi) fell (Switch sharing) ”

Ama

ama

AmaSBJAGT

Np

twee
twe	e
pull	PAST
Vtr

Kofi

kofi

kofiDO

Np

hwee
hwe	e
fall	PAST
Vitr

fam

fam

under

One of the verbs in sereis in V+modifier constructions is shown to be reanalyzed as an adjunct. The construction has one marking for tense, aspect and mood.

12. V+modifier constuctions

mc-vintr_suAg-ACHVMNT-MOTION_DIRECTED

Òzó rhùlé ̣rè làọ̣̣̣̣́ òwá

“Ozo ran into the house”

Òzó

òzó

ozoSBJAGT

Np

rhùlẹ̣̣̣̣́rè
rhùlẹ̣̣̣̣́	rè
run	IVRT
Vitr

làọ̣̣̣̣́

làọ̣̣̣̣́

enter.V>P

PREP

òwá

òwá

houseGOAL

N

11 verbal constructions in Èdó 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:

A. V (P) +V (P) constructions: resultatives, negative resultatives, consequential 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 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.

4 of the 11 verbal predicates are shown to be 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

== Schema for multi-verb constructions in Èdó ==

Two schemas are posited to account for Èdó multi-verb constructions:

1.Verb-serial-compl (ement)-phrase with a complementation structure for the

  V (P) +V (P) resultative and V+infinitival complement constructions.

2.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.