DigitalResources Electronic Working Paper 2020-002 The Structure of the Noun Phrase in Viri Clement Mur'bá Wáũ The Structure of the Noun Phrase in Viri Clement Mur'bá Wáũ SIL International® 2020 SIL Electronic Working Paper 2020-002, September 2020 © 2020 SIL International® All rights reserved Data and materials collected by researchers in an era before documentation of permission was standardized may be included in this publication. SIL makes diligent efforts to identify and acknowledge sources and to obtain appropriate permissions wherever possible, acting in good faith and on the best information available at the time of publication. Abstract This study describes and analyses the structure of the noun phrase in Viri. Viri is an Eastern Ubangi language of the Niger-Congo family which is spoken in Southern Sudan. It is an SVO language. Most SVO languages follow one of two patterns in the noun phrase structure: they are either adjective- noun as in English or noun-adjective. Viri, however, has modifiers on both sides of the noun in the noun phrase. This thesis will examine the syntactic relationship of all the constituents in relation to nouns that they describe in the structure of the noun phrase since there has been no prior study carried out on this topic. There are six chapters in this study. Chapter one presents a general introduction. Chapter two contains a literature review, divided into sub-topics. Chapter three presents a phonological overview of Viri. The overview provides a description of phonetic consonants and vowels as well as the phonemic and orthographic representation in the language. Chapter four is a descriptive analysis of the prenominal modifiers in noun phrases, including noun-noun possessive and appositive noun phrases. This is the core of this investigation. Chapter five is concerned with the postnominal noun phrase. Chapter six presents a general summary and conclusions. In addition, some suggestions are provided for further research. ﻣﺴﺘﺨﻠﺺ اﻟﺒﺤﺚ ﺗﮭﺪف ھﺬه اﻟﺪراﺳﺔ اﻟﻰ وﺻﻒ وﺗﺤﻠﯿﻞ اﻟﺠﻤﻠﺔ اﻻﺳﻤﯿﺔ ﻓﻰ ﻟﻐﺔ اﻟﻔﯿﺮى وﺗﻌﺘﺒﺮ ھﺬه اﻟﻠﻐﺔ ﻣﻦ ﻣﺠﻤﻮﻋﺔ ﻟﻐﺎت اﻻﺑﺎﻧﺠﻰ اﻟﺸﺮﻗﯿﺔ واﻟﺘﻰ ﺗﻨﺘﻤﻨﻰ ﺑﺪورھﺎ اﻟﻰ ﻋﺎﺋﻠﺔ ﻟﻐﺎت اﻟﻨﯿﺠﺮ اﻟﻜﻨﻐﻮ اﻟﺘﻰ ﺗﻮﺟﺪ ﻓﻰ ﺟﻨﻮب اﻟﺴﻮدان.ھﻰ ﻣﻦ اﻟﻠﻐﺎت اﻟﺘﻰ ﺗﺘﺮﻛﺐ ﻓﯿﮭﺎ اﻟﺠﻤﻠﺔ ﺣﺴﺐ ﻧﻤﻂ SVO واﻟﺬى ﯾﺎﺧﺬ اﺣﺪ اﻟﺸﻜﻠﯿﻦ ﻟﻠﺼﻔﮫ ﯾﺘﺒﻌﮭﺎ اﻻﺳﻢ ﻛﻤﺎ ﻓﻰ اﻟﻠﻐﺔ اﻻﻧﺠﻠﯿﺰﯾﺔ او اﺳﻢ ﺗﺘﺒﻌﮫ ﺻﻔﮫ.وﺗﺘﻤﯿﺰ ﻟﻐﺔ اﻟﻔﯿﺮى ﺑﺎن اﻟﺠﻤﻠﺔ اﻻﺳﻤﯿﺔ ﻓﯿﮭﺎ ﺳﺒﻖ وﺗﺒﻊ ﺑﺎدوات اﻟﺘﻌﺮﯾﻒ ﻓﺎﻻرﻗﺎم اﻟﺘﺮﺗﺒﯿﺔ .ﺗﺤﺘﻮى اﻟﺪراﺳﺔ ﻋﻠﻰ ﺳﺖ ﻓﺼﻮل ﺣﯿﺚ ﺗﺤﺪﺛﻨﺎ ﻓﻰ اﻟﻔﺼﻞ اﻻول ﻋﻦ ﻣﻘﺪﻣﺔ اﻟﺒﺤﺚ ، اﻟﻔﺼﻞ اﻟﺜﺎﻧﻰ ﯾﺤﺘﻮى ﻋﻠﻰ ﻣﺮاﺟﻌﺔ اﻻدﺑﯿﺔ اﻟﺘﻰ ﺗﻨﻘﺴﻢ اﻟﻰ ﻧﻘﺎط ﻓﺮﻋﯿﺔ .اﻣﺎ اﻟﻔﺼﻞ اﻟﺜﺎﻟﺚ ﻓﻘﺪ ﻋﯿﻦ ﻟﻌﺮض اﻟﺴﻤﺎت اﻟﺼﻮﺗﯿﺔ ﻟﻠﻐﺔ اﻟﻔﯿﺮى (وﺻﻒ اﻟﺼﻮاﻣﺖ واﻟﺼﻮاﺋﺖ).وﻓﻰ اﻟﻔﺼﻠﯿﻦ اﻟﺮاﺑﻊ واﻟﺨﺎﻣﺲ ﻗﻤﻨﺎ ﺑﺎﺟﺮاء ﺗﺤﻠﯿﻞ وﺻﻔﻰ ﻟﻠﺠﻤﻠﺔ اﻻﺳﻤﯿﺔ ﻟﻐﺔ اﻟﻔﯿﺮى ، اﻣﺎ اﻟﻔﺼﻞ اﻟﺴﺎدس ﻓﻘﺪ ﺧﺼﺼﻨﺎ ﻟﻤﺨﻠﺺ اﻟﺒﺤﺚ وﺧﺎﺗﻤﺘﮫ و وﺗﻮﺻﯿﺎﺗﮫ. Contents List of Maps List of Tables Abbreviations Chapter 1 Introduction 1.1 Background of the study 1.1.1 Language classification 1.1.2 History of the language 1.1.3 History of the Viri people 1.2 The statement, aims and limitations of the study 1.2.1 The statement of the problem 1.2.2 Aims of the study 1.2.3 Limitations of the study 1.3 Importance of the study 1.4 Methodology of the study 1.5 Structure of the research Chapter 2 Literature Review 2.1 Theoretical background 2.1.1 Word classes and their functions in noun phrases 2.1.2 Phrase structure 2.1.3 Types of phrases 2.1.4 Word order in the syntax of noun phrase 2.2 Relative clause 2.3 Other related languages Chapter 3 Phonological Overview of the Viri Language 3.0 Introduction 3.1 Consonants 3.1.1 Minimal pairs or consonant contrasts 3.1.2 Consonant phonemes inventory 3.1.3 Orthographic equivalents for consonants 3.2 Vowels 3.2.1 Vowel inventory 3.2.2 Advanced tongue root [ATR] 3.2.3 Orthographic equivalents for vowels 3.3 Tone system 3.4 Syllable structures 3.5 Conclusion Chapter 4 Prenominal Modifiers in Viri 4.0 Introduction 4.1 Plurals 4.1.1 The plural of nouns 4.1.2 The plural of adjectives 4.1.3 Reduplication of the plural adjectives 4.1.4 Plural markers in the noun phrase 4.2 Descriptive Adjectives 4.2.1 Adjectives of quality 4.2.2 Adjectives of size 4.2.3 Adjectives of shape 4.2.4 Adjectives of property 4.2.5 Adjectives of sensation 4.2.6 Adjectives of speed 4.2.7 Adjectives of age 4.2.8 Adjectives of colour 4.3 Prenominal determiners 4.3.1 Number determiners 4.3.2 Indefinite quantifier determiners iii iv 4.4 Appositional noun phrase 4.5 Summary Chapter 5 Postnominal Modifiers in Viri 5.0 Introduction 5.1 Possessive pronouns 5.1.1 Inalienable possession 5.1.2 Alienable possession 5.2 Demonstrative adjectives 5.2.1 Free demonstrative adjectives 5.2.2 Bound or referential demonstrative adjectives 5.3 Referential noun phrases 5.4 Postnominal quantifiers and numbers 5.5 Interrogative determiners 5.6 Relative clauses 5.7 Prepositional phrases 5.8 Coordinate noun phrase Chapter 6 Conclusion and Suggestions 6.1 Conclusion 6.2 Suggestions Appendix A: Additional Literature in Belanda Viri Appendix B: List of Words from Text Material Appendix C: Topical Word List References List of Maps Map 1 Countries where Adamawa-Ubangian languages are spoken Map 2 The location of Western Bahr El Ghazal State and Western Equatoria State in Southern Sudan Map 3 Locations where Viri is spoken List of Tables Table 1.1 Classification of Ubangi languages Table 1.2 Grimes (1992) classification Table 3.1 The Phonetic Consonants in Viri Table 3.2 Consonant Minimal Pair Contrasts Table 3.3 Consonant Phonemes of Viri Table 3.4 Orthographic Symbols Used for Consonants in Viri Table 3.5 Phonetic Vowel Inventory Table 3.6 Set A and Set B of Vowels Table 3.7 The Orthographic Symbols Used for Vowels Table 3.8 The Orthographic Symbols Used for Tones Table 4.1 Prenominal Noun phrase structures Table 5.1 Independent Pronouns Table 5.2 Possessive Pronoun Possessor Table 5.3 Inalienable Possessed-Possessor Genitive Relationship Table 5.4 Combinations of Particles and Pronouns Table 5.5 Concept of Emphasis on Possessor Table 5.6 The Coordinated Noun Phrase Table 5.7 Postnominal Modifiers in the Noun Phrase v Abbreviations Abbreviation Meaning Abbreviation Meaning 1 First person LOC Locative/Location 2 Second person M Mid tone/Modifier 3 Third person M-N Modifier-Noun ADJ Adjective N Noun AP Adjective phrase NEG Negative ATR Advanced tongue root N-Gen Noun-Genitive AUX Auxiliary N-N Noun-noun BENEF Benefective N.HEAD Head noun COMP Comparative NP Noun phrase COMPL Complement NUM Number COORD Coordinate P Preposition COORD.NP Coordinate noun phrase PART Particle/Partitive DEF Definite PRF Perfect DEF.ART Definite article PL Plural DEG Degree PP Prepositional Phrase DEM Demonstrative PCoordNP Prepositional coordinate noun phrase DET Determiner PRON Pronoun DIST Distinctive PRONOM Pronominal DO Direct object PROP Proper EXCL Exclusive PSR Possessor FOC Focus PSD Possessed GEN Genitive QM Question marker GEN.N Genitive noun QUAL Quality H High tone QUAN Quantifer IDO Indirect object REF Reflexive IMP Imperative REL Relative INCL Inclusive SG Singular INDF Indefinite SPEC Specifier INDF.ART Indefinite article SBJ Subject L Low tone/Liquid SVO Subject Verb Object vi Chapter 1 Introduction Language is a body of structured sounds produced by humans for communicating with each other. From a communicative point of view, all normal humans use language to talk about the things and events that surround them. De Villiers and de Villiers (1978:173) have viewed language to be universally unique in two respects: it is “unique as a form of behaviour and unique to man.” These language experts consider language to consist of special properties. According to them, these properties have led many scholars to propose that the capacity for language must be innate in humans. This innateness is then genetically transmitted to their offspring, which enables them to acquire language. Language is a system of symbols that stand for real-life referents. In studying language, Payne (1997:5–6) asserts that the link between symbol and signified item is usually intentional. In order to make this statement clear, he says, “The language user intends to establish the representational bond between form and meaning. And it follows that the forms used to represent concepts will be structured so as to make the link obvious.” Nasr (1980:1) also argues that language is basically oral and the oral symbols represent meaning because they are normally related to real-life situations and to our experiences. Language is a part of culture and a part of human behaviour. Nasr (1980:1) defines language as “an acquired vocal system for communicating information,” that is, language is a vocal system that can be acquired. Thus, language has a social function and without society it would not exist. Brown (1973, as cited in de Villiers and de Villiers 1978:173) mentions that language has characteristics that provide the means of transmitting the culture. Gleason (1965:4) presents a fruitful argument on the complexity of language patterns. According to him, language has an intricate system of patterns that controls the form of words, sentences and the whole discourse. Language variation can occur at any of the traditional levels of linguistic analysis. Such linguistic areas may include: phonetics, phonology, morphology, semantics, syntax and discourse (Payne 1997:19). Bloomfield (1933:5) argues that Greeks studied only their language. They discovered the parts of speech of their language, its syntactic constructions such as subject and predicate and other inflectional categories. The terms used in linguistics are derived from the Greek terms and are still used today.