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Multi-verb constructions in Edo

Revision as of 20:59, 16 June 2011 by Ota Ogie (Talk | contribs)

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
gbẹ̣̣̣̣̀nnẹ̣̣̣̣́
writeIVPLH
Vtr
èbé
èbé
bookDOTH
CN



3.
Ọ̣̣̣̣̀ gbẹ̣̣̣̣̀n-nẹ̣̣̣̣́ èbé
“He/she wrote books”
Ọ̣̣̣̣̀
ọ̣̣̣̣̀
3SGSBJNOMAGT
PN
gbẹ̣̣̣̣̀nnẹ̣̣̣̣́
gbẹ̣̣̣̣̀nnẹ̣̣̣̣́
writePLIVH
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
gbẹ̣̣̣̣̀nnẹ̣̣̣̣̣̣̣̣̣́rè
writePLIVRT
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
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)”
2PLNOMSBJAGT
PN
be.at
V
yiyim
yiyim
  go
V
má
má
1SGNOMSBJAGT
PN
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
twee
pullPAST
Vtr
Kofi
kofi
kofiDO
Np
hwee
hwee
fallPAST
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
runIVRT
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 , 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.



References for research on Èdó language by Ota Ogie