1 THE GRAMMAR OF EMAKHUWA VERBAL EXTENSIONS An Investigation of the Role of Extension Morphemes in Derivational Verbal Morphology and in Grammatical Relations Thesis Submitted for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy by JOSE MATEUS MUARIA KATUPHA School of Oriental and African Studies University of London FEBRUARY 1991 ProQuest Number: 10731566 All rights reserved INFORMATION TO ALL USERS The quality of this reproduction is dependent upon the quality of the copy submitted. In the unlikely event that the author did not send a com plete manuscript and there are missing pages, these will be noted. Also, if material had to be removed, a note will indicate the deletion. uest ProQuest 10731566 Published by ProQuest LLC(2017). Copyright of the Dissertation is held by the Author. All rights reserved. This work is protected against unauthorized copying under Title 17, United States C ode Microform Edition © ProQuest LLC. ProQuest LLC. 789 East Eisenhower Parkway P.O. Box 1346 Ann Arbor, Ml 48106- 1346 2 TABLE OF CONTENTS PAGE TABLE OF CONTENTS 2 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 10 ABSTRACT 13 ABBREVIATIONS 15 CHAPTER 1: THE BACKGROUND AND SCOPE OF RESEARCH 18 1.0 Introduction 18 1.0.1 The state of research of the Emakhuwa language - a brief background 24 1.1 The structure of the main lexical categories in Emakhuwa - a pre-theoretical description 25 the 1.1.1 The morphology ofj^noun class system 26 1.1.1.1 Emakhuwa nominal prefixes and allomorphs 26 1.1.1.2 A historical note on the morphological convergence of Emakhuwa noun class pref ixes 30 1.1.1.3 Gender systems 31 1.1.1.4 Locative noun class system 35 1.1.2 The structure of Emakhuwa verbal lexical item 36 1.1.2.1 The radical and the base 36 1.1.2.2 Personal grammatical co-referents 38 1.1.2. 3 The main " Con j ug'at ional " morphemes of Emakhuwa verbs 39 1.1.2.3.1 The negative and other particles 39 1.1.2.3.2 The "tense" and/or aspect morphemes 40 1.1.2.3.3 Some conjugation structures 40 3 CHAPTER 1: THE BACKGROUND AND SCOPE OF RESEARCH 48 1.2 Methodology and theoretical set-up 48 1.2.1 The Corpus 48 1.2.2 Lexical - Functional Grammar and grammatical relations in Bantu: the Lexical mapping theory 50 1.2.2.1 The underlying principles 52 1.2.3 The theory of Lexical Mapping - a brief outline 5 4 1.2.3.1 The decomposition of syntactic features 55 1.2.3.2 The assignment of syntactic values to theta roles 57 1.2.3.3 Morpholexical operations 61 1.2.3.4 Conditions of grammatical well-formedness 62 1.2.3.5 Parametric variation 62 NOTES TO CHAPTER ONE 65 CHAPTER 2: THE MORPHOLOGY OF VERBAL EXTENSIONS IN EMAKHUWA 66 2.0 Introduction 66 2.1 Earlier research 67 2.1.1 Lexical Morphology and the input to word derivation 69 2.2 Lexical relatedness in Emakhuwa verbal derivation 74 2.2.1 Verbal word formation and verbal word derivation - a working hypothesis 76 2.2.1.1 Decomposition of Emakhuwa extended verbs 80 2.2.1.2 Radical-bound and radical-free extension morphemes 88 2.2.1.3 On the morphonological interaction between the input lexical items and the shape of the derived verb 90 4 CHAPTER 2: THE MORPHOLOGY OF VERBAL EXTENSIONS IN EMAKHUWA 94 2.2.2 Meaning and function of extension morphemes 94 2.2.2.1 Layer ordering, precedence and optionality of extensions in the Emakhuwa derivedverb 96 2.2.2.2 Gapping and suppletion in morphological layer ordering of extension morphemes 102 2.2.2.3 Blocking and skewing and extension morphemes 104 2.2.2.4 Combinability of extensions in layer2 109 2,2.3 Extension morphemes - exponents of morpholexical operations on verbal lexical items 117 NOTES TO CHAPTER TWO 122 CHAPTER 3: THE GRAMMAR OF EMAKHUWA MATRIX VERBS 126 3.0 Introduction 126 3.1 Verbal polyadicity in the theory of LFG 127 3.1.1 The underlying principles 128 3.1.1.1 The function-argument biuniqueness condition 128 3.1.1.2 The subject condition 130 3.1.1.3 Transitivity and objecthood 131 3.1.1.4 Variable polyadicity and the role of lexical rules 132 3,2 Emakhuwa matrix verbs and polyadicity 133 3.2.1 Objecthood and polyadicity 134 3.2.1.1 The monadic verb 137 3.2.1.2 The dyadic verb 142 3.2.1.3 The triadic verb 150 CHAPTER 3 : THE GRAMMAR OF EMAKHUWA MATRIX VERBS 153 3.2,2 From thematic structure to grammatical structure: two types of transitivity 153 3,2.2 . 1 Lexical transitivity: regular and idiosyncratic 155 3.2.3 Variable polyadicity in Emakhuwa matrix verbs 156 3 , 2 . 3 . 1 The monadic verb and variable polyadicity 160 3.2.3 . 2 The dyadic verb and variable polyadicity 172 3 . 2 . 3 . 3 The triadic verb and variable polyadicity 175 3.2.4 Concluding remarks on. Emakhuwa verbal polyadi c ity 177 3 . 3 Transitivity and the status of grammatical relations in Emakhuwa matrix verbs 178 3.3,1 Transitivity in Bantu - a synopsis 178 3 . 3 . 1 . 1 Hyman and Duranti - on "the object relation in Bantu" 179 3 . 3 . 1. 2 Bresnan and Mchombo on "subject and object agreement" in Bantu - the Chichewa case 185 3.3,2 The object features in Emakhuwa 190 3.3.2. 1 Markedness: oblique vs. object functions 195 3 . 3 . 2 . 2 Transferability of grammatical functions 198 3 . 3 . 2 , 3 Contiguity and word order 199 3 . 3 . 2 , 4 Agreement, control and constituency 203 3 , 3 . 2 . 5 Licensing factors of objecthood 207 3 . 3 . 2 . 2 .1 Symmetrical hierarchy between thematic roles and class/ gender 208 3 . 3 . 2 . 2 .2 Grammatical co-referents or persons 216 6 CHAPTER 3: THE GRAMMAR OF EMAKHUWA MATRIX VERBS 217 3,3.3 The subject features in Emakhuwa 217 3.3.3.1 Markedness: redundancy or exponency of NP’s class and selectional restrictions 217 3.3.3.2 Agreement, control, and constituency: the status of the logical and grammatical subject in some grammatical constructions 220 3.4 Concluding remarks 224 NOTES TO CHAPTER THREE 226 CHAPTER 4: THE GRAMMAR OF EMAKHUWA EXTENDED VERBS: ARGUMENT ADDING EXTENSION MORPHEMES 229 4.0 Introduction 229 4.1 The Applicative construction in Emakhuwa 234 4.1.1 Syntactico-semantic fields 234 4.1.2 The applicative rule and variable polyadicity 236 4.1.2.1 The applicative rule and the monadic verb 237 4.1.2.2 The applicative rule and the dyadic verb 244 4.1.2.3 The applicative rule and the triadic verb 249 4.1.3 The grammar of the Applicative constructions 253 4.1.3.1 Object-marking and the applicative construction 254 4.1.3.2 Word order and the applicative construction 260 4.1.4 The interaction of applicative constructions 261 4.1.4.1 The double applicative and the monadic verb 262 7 CHAPTER 4: THE GRAMMAR OF EMAKHUWA EXTENDED VERBS: ARGUMENT ADDING EXTENSION MORPHEMES 265 4.1.4.2 The double applicative and the dyadic verb 265 4.2 The Causative construction in Emakhuwa 266 4.2.1 Syntactico-semantic fields of the Causative morpheme 270 4.2.1.1 The Causative construction 270 4.2.1.2 The Adjutive reading of the Causative 273 4.2.2 Role suppression in Causative constructions 275 4.2.2.1 The Inductive Causative construction 276 4.2.2.2 The Rational Causative construction 277 4.2.3 Restrictions to Causative constructions 278 4.2.3.1 Causative construction and the dyadic and triadic matrix verbs 278 4.2.3.2 Causative construction and the unergative and unaccusative matrix verbs 283 4.2.4 The interaction of Causative constructions 285 4.2.4.1 The double Causative construction 286 4.2.5 On the grammatical range of -iSa-, -ULa- and -IHa- causative constructions 289 4.3 The Reciprocative construction in Emakhuwa 294 4.3.1 The grammar of Reciprocative constructions 295 4.3.1.1 The Reciprocative construction proper 296 4.3.1.2 The Comitative construction 298 4.3.2 The double reciprocalive 302 4.4 The interaction of argument adding thematic extension morphemes 306 4.4.1 The applicative versus the causative 307 4.4.2 The reciprocative and other argument adding extension morphemes 311 4.5 Concluding remarks 316 NOTES TO CHAPTER FOUR 318 8 CHAPTER 5 THE GRAMMAR OF EMAKHUWA EXTENDED VERBS: ARGUMENT DROPPING EXTENSION MORPHEMES 322 5.0 Introduction 322 5.1 The Passive construction and objecthood 324 5.1.1 The Passive lexical rule and the monadic verb 326 5.1.1.1 The unergative verb and the Passive rule 326 5.1.1.2 The unaccusative verb and the Passive rule 328 5.1.2 The Passive lexical rule and the polyadic verb 334 5.1.2.1 Dyadic verbs and the Passive lexical rule 334 5.1.2.2 Triadic verbs and the Passive lexical rule 338 5.1.3 The status of Asymmetrical object parameter in Emakhuwa - evidence from Passive 339 5.1.3.1 The Applicative and Passive co-occurrence 341 5.1.3.2 The Causative and Passive co-occurrence 354 5.1.3.3 The co-occurrence of Reciprocative and Passive 358 5.1.3.4 The Passive and the "Accusative construction" 362 5.2 Thematic structure and the grammar of the Stative lexical rule 365 5.2.1 The Stative rule and the monadic verb 365 5.2.1.1 The unaccusative verb and the Stative rule 366 5.2.1.2 The unergative verb and the Stative rule 368 5.2.2 The Stative rule and the polyadic verb 368 5.2.2.1 The dyadic verb and the Stative rule 368 5.2.2.2 The triadic verb and the Stative rule 370 5.2.3 On the interaction between the Stative and argument adding lexical rules 371 9 CHAPTER 5 THE GRAMMAR OF EMAKHUWA EXTENDED VERBS: ARGUMENT DROPPING EXTENSION MORPHEMES 371 5.2.3.1 The Applicative and the stative 371 5.2.3.2 The Causative and the stative 373 5.2.3.3 The Reciprocative and the stative 374 5.2.4 The Stative and the Passive 375 5.3 Concluding remarks 376 NOTES TO CHAPTER FIVE 379 CHAPTER 6: RETROSPECT AND CONCLUSION 380 6.0 Introduction 380 6.1 On the morphology of extension morphemes and degrees of idiosyncrasy in the lexicon 380 6.2 On the variable polyadicity and Emakhuwa grammar 381 6.3 Conclusion 3 85 BIBLIOGRAPHY 387 10 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I find this occasion particularly appropriate to recall one particular riddle my late mother used to say whenever one of us forgot to say: "thank you".