Non-verbal predications in Zarma
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 21758590 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Mahamane L Abdoulaye, Salimata Abdoulrazikou |
| Year | 2024 |
| Volume | 127 |
| Issue | 3 |
| Pages | 3-24 |
| Publication date | 2024-04-08 |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Linguistik Online (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 1615-3014 • E-ISSN: 1615-3014 |
| Publisher | University of Bern (PUBLISHER • CH) |
| DOI | 10.13092/lo.127.11086 |
| OpenAlex | W4394575025 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 5 |
This article presents new findings in the use of copulas nôo ‘be’ and ti ‘be’ in non-verbal predications in Zarma (Songhay; Niger, Nigeria). Based on some exclusive contexts of use and some morphosyntactic criteria, the article distinguishes a basic type of predication with one term “NP + nôo” used in deictic identification (e. g.: Abdù nôo ‘it’s Abdu’) and a type of predication with two terms “NP1 + NP2 + nôo” used in nominal predications and equative sentences (e. g.: wodìn Abdù nôo ‘that is Abdu’). The article shows that copula ti replaces copula nôo in negation but also in non-verbal focus constructions where it is generally preceded by the subordinating conjunction kà/gà and very likely marks the presupposed part of the sentence (e. g.: [Muusà nôo] kà ti càwkŏo ‘[it’s Musa] who is a student’). Finally, the article shows that in Zarma, it is the one-term predication “NP + nôo” that is recruited to mark focus-fronted constituents of verbal and non-verbal predications, thus confirming an observation already made about other languages
Linguistics · Families in Therapy and Culture · Islamic Thought and Society Studies · Language, Linguistics, Cultural Analysis · Philosophy · Psychology
| Highly cited | No |
|---|