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University of Ghana http://ugspace.ug.edu.gh i UNIVERSITY OF GHANA SERIAL VERB CONSTRUCTIONS IN GURENE BY JOSEPH AYAMGA (10238296) THIS THESIS IS SUBMITTED TO THE DEPARTMENT OF LINGUISTICS, UNIVERSITY OF GHANA, IN PARTIAL FULFILMENT OF THE REQUIREMENT FOR THE AWARD OF M.PHIL LINGUISTICS DEGREE JULY 2018 University of Ghana http://ugspace.ug.edu.gh ii DECLARATION I, Joseph Ayimbila Ayamga, declare that except for references to this work in which I have been duly cited, this thesis is as a result of my original research, under the supervision of Professor Kofi K. Saah and Dr. Paul K. Agbedor and that it has neither been whole nor in part been presented for another degree elsewhere. CANDIDATE …………………………. ………………………. JOSEPH AYIMBILA AYAMGA DATE SUPERVISOR …………………………. ………………………. PROF. KOFI. K. SAAH DATE SUPERVISOR …………………………. ………………………… DR. PAUL K. AGBEDOR DATE University of Ghana http://ugspace.ug.edu.gh iii DEDICATION This thesis is dedicated to Mrs. Adongo Abagna of blessed memory and Mr. Tahiru Aberinga. University of Ghana http://ugspace.ug.edu.gh iv ACKNOWLEDGEMENT I express my profound gratitude to the Almighty God for having helped me to accomplish my academic work that took me this to point. Though it was very tough, God did everything easily for me because of His mercy and favour. I would also like to thank all those who have helped me in diverse ways to achieve my academic goal. My profound gratitude goes to my principal supervisor, Prof. Kofi K. Saah, who did not only supervise this work, but also provided guidance and counseling and words of encouragement that helped me in my course work and in writing this thesis. I also appreciate his patience and precious time spent in reading through the thesis, making corrections and providing very vital suggestions that made me improve this thesis. Almighty God will replenish his energy and the precious time he spent in helping me to write this thesis. I also thank Dr. Paul K. Agbedor, my second supervisor, for having sacrificed his precious time and energy to read through this work, made corrections and provided essential suggestions that helped me to improve the thesis. This thesis would not have been possible without the help of these patient, hardworking and the most experienced senior lecturers that I was privileged to have supervised my work. I pray that the Almighty God will give them more energy and more years to continue helping students as they have helped me. My gratitude also goes to all my lecturers in the Linguistics Department of University of Ghana who have contributed in diverse ways in imparting academic knowledge to me that helped me to write this thesis. They are Prof. K.K. Saah; Prof. University of Ghana http://ugspace.ug.edu.gh v Nana Aba Appiah Amfo, the Dean of School of Languages; Prof. Kweku Osam, former Pro-Vice Chancellor; Dr. James Angkaaraba Saanchi, the Head of Department of Linguistics; Prof. Kofi Agyekum, the Dean of School of Performing Arts and African Studies; Dr. George Akalig-pare; Dr. Fusheini Hudu; Dr. John Tettey Agor; Dr. Evershed Amuzu; Dr. Seth A. Ofori; Dr. Grace Ziabah; Dr. Mercy Boubuafor; Dr. Reginald A. Duan; Dr. Yvonne Agbetsoamedo; Dr. Clement Appah and Dr. Kofi Dorvlo. I also thank Mr. William Atindaana, the Principal of St. John Bosco’s College of Education, for his encouragement that made me to pursue this course. My thanks also goes to Gurene language teachers and all those who had helped me during the data gathering processes, especially Mr. Abange Elias, Pastor Aburiya Robert, and Mr. Aberinga Sulemana. I also thank my wife and children for their encouragement that gave me the energy to complete the course. University of Ghana http://ugspace.ug.edu.gh vi ABSTRACT This thesis investigates “serial verb constructions” in Gurene, a Gur language spoken in the nortern part of Ghana. It examines the defining properties of SVCs, the semantic and the syntactic classification of SVCs in Gurene, using the prototype theory framework. The fundamental principles of the theory which include “prototypicality,” “resemblance” or “similarity to the prototype,” “gradation” and “cognitive economy” are applied in classifying the various types of SVCs in the language. The primary data used in the analysis include interactions between native speakers through informal interviews, recorded public speeches, sermons, local radio discussions in Gurene and a questionnaire based on translations in Gurene. The corpus data used for the analysis are derived from some reading materials written or translated in Gurene and some existing literature on SVCs in some serializing languages across the world. The study presents analysis of “tense, aspect, modality and polarity” (TAMP) marking in serial verb constructions and the types of semantic and syntactic SVCs that exist in Gurene. The semantic types include clause chaining SVCs, intergrated SVCs, benefactive SVCs, locative SVC, instrumental SVCs, comitative SVCs, escort/accompaniment SVCs, capabilitative SVCs, concomitant SVCs, concurrent SVCs, refusal SVCs, purpose SVCs, motion SVCs, manner SVCs, comparative SVCs and the cause-effect SVCs. The syntactic types also include mono-subject SVCs, multiple subjects SVCs, mono object SVCs, multiple objects SVCs, non-object SVCs, unexpressed object SVCs, and multiple serial verbs constructions. The study shows some similarities and diferences between the defining properties of SVCs in Gurene and those of some other serializing languages; hence, it is beneficial to both speakers and non speakers. University of Ghana http://ugspace.ug.edu.gh vii LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS SVCs Serial Verb Constructions SVO Subject Verb Object SOV Subject Object Verb VSO Verb Subject Object OVS Object Verb Subject OSV Object Subject Verb TAM Tense, Aspect, Modality TAMP Tense, Aspect, Modality and Polarity ASP Aspect MOD Modality DEF Definite Article T.Z Too Zaafi (a type of food normally prepared with either millet or maize flour and eaten with soup in northern Ghana) FUT Future BON Bongo FA Fante NEG Negation NPs Noun Phrases POSS Possessive 1SG First Person Singular 1PL First Person Plural 2SG Second Person Singular 2PL Second Person Plural University of Ghana http://ugspace.ug.edu.gh viii 3SG Third Person Singular 3PL Third Person Plural VP Verb Phrase V1 First Verb V2 Second Verb V3 Third Verb V4 Fourth Verb CCSVCs Clause Chaining Serial Verb Constructions ISVCS Integrated Serial Verb Constructions COMPL Completive FL-ISVCS Full Lexicalized Integrated Serial Verb Constructions PL-ISVCs Partial Lexicalzed Integrated Serial Verb Constructions SPC Subject Predicate Complement SPCA Subject Predicate Complement Adjunct BVC Bound Verb Complement CCC Covert Coordination Constructions ESC Empty Subject Constructions LSV Lexical Serial Verb PROG Progressive HAB Habitual MESVC Multi-Event Serial Verb Construction PERF Perfective IMPERF Imperfective ADV Adverb University of Ghana http://ugspace.ug.edu.gh ix FVO Fusional Verb Object Unexpressed SUBJ Subject OBJ Object AFF Affirmative NAN Nankare (a dialect of Frafra) DEM Demonstrative BOL Bolga PRES Present University of Ghana http://ugspace.ug.edu.gh x LIST OF FIGURES AND TABLES Figure 1: Genetic Classification of Gurene……………………………………. 4 Table 1: A summary of the prototype classification of syntactic SVCs in Gurene …………………………………………………………… 158 University of Ghana http://ugspace.ug.edu.gh xi TABLE OF CONTENTS DECLARATION ................................................................................................... ii DEDICATION ...................................................................................................... iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENT .................................................................................... iv ABSTRACT ........................................................................................................... vi LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS ............................................................................. vii LIST OF FIGURES AND TABLES ..................................................................... x TABLE OF CONTENTS ...................................................................................... xi CHAPTER ONE ..................................................................................................... 1 GENERAL INTRODUCTION ............................................................................. 1 1.0. Introduction .................................................................................................... 1 1.1. An Overview of the Language ......................................................................... 2 1.1.1. The Gurene Language ....................................................................................... 2 1.1.2. Word Order ........................................................................................................ 5 1.1.3. An Overview of “Tense, Aspect, Modality, and Polarity” (TAMP) ................... 5 1.1.3. 1. Tense in Gurene ........................................................................................ 6 1.1.3.2. Aspect in Gurene .................................................................................... 10 1.1.3.3. Modality in Gurene ................................................................................... 15 1.1.3.4. Polarity in Gurene ................................................................................... 16 1.2. Statement of the Problem .............................................................................. 17 1.3. Research Objectives .....................................................................................