2013 Annual Meeting of the Linguistics Association of Great Britain
Maximilien Guérin
[email protected]
The predicative marker na in Wolof: a case of polygrammaticalization
Plan ➀ Wolof verbal predication ➁ Origin of Perfect ➂ Origin of Future ➃ Origin of Optative ➄ A case of polygrammaticalization
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Wolof language Classification: ↳ Niger-Congo ↳ Atlantic Agglutinative morphology
Spoken in Senegambia Vehicular in Senegal 3
Plan ➊ Wolof Verbal Predication ➁ Origin of Perfect ➂ Origin of Future ➃ Origin of Optative ➄ A case of polygrammaticalization
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Wolof verbal predication Based on phrasal patterns Predicative constructions
Predicative Constructions ≈ Conjugations tense, aspect, mood, information structure
Complex predicates Verb + Predicative Marker Verb lexical meaning Predicative Marker grammatical information + subject affix 5
Predicative constructions Subject Focus ma-a liggéey 1SG-PM work
Perfect liggéey work
Presentative ma-angi liggéey 1SG-PM work
Future dina-a
Complement Focus fii la-a liggéey here PM-1SG work
Optative na-a
PM-1SG
PM-1SG
na-a PM-1SG
liggéey work
liggéey work
Verb Focus da-ma liggéey PM-1SG work 6
Similar predicative markers Perfect liggéey na-a work PM-1SG 'I have worked' Future dina-a PM-1SG
liggéey work
'na' marker is in Perfect, Future & Optative
'I will work' Optative na-a
liggéey PM-1SG work 'I should work' 7
Problems in the analysis of 'na' Morphosyntactic Independant word? Verbal affix? Clitic? How many 'na' in Wolof?
Semantic
Indicative Present Perfective Perfect Verb focus Affirmative Finiteness
(Dard, 1826) (Roger, 1829) (Sauvageot, 1965) (Robert, 1991) (Diouf, 2009) (Dunigan, 1994) (Zribi-Hertz & Diagne, 1999)
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Plan ➀ Wolof verbal predication ➋ Origin of Perfect ➂ Origin of Future ➃ Origin of Optative ➄ A case of polygrammaticalization
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Origin of Perfect
Methodology
Difficulties with a diachronic study Wolof is an oral tradition language No text before the 19th century Not many ancient texts Only missionaries or colonial officers' texts
Historical linguistics is useless Genetic relationship with Serer and Fula Large linguistic distance (>6000 yr)
Need grammaticalization theory Evolution leaves traces in today constructions There are typological tendencies 10
Origin of Perfect
Hypothesis
Hypothesis:
Verb Focus
Perfect
V1 na-S V2
V1 na-S V2
*bëgg na-nu liggéey want PM-1PL work 'we do want to work'
bëgg na-nu liggéey want PM-1PL work 'we have wanted to work'
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Origin of Perfect
Process
Verb Focus V na-S
Verb Emphasis def-a V
former state: layering (several constructions for the same function)
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Origin of Perfect
Process
Verb Focus V na-S
Verb Emphasis def-a V
Perfect V na-S
bleaching process (loss of focus features)
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Origin of Perfect
Process
Verb Focus V na-S
Verb Emphasis def-a V
Perfect V na-S
Verb Focus dafa-S V
morphologization + decategorialization 14
Origin of Perfect
Arguments
Bleaching process ''The mechanism behind bleaching is habituation: a stimulus loses its impact if it occurs very frequently'' (Bybee, 2007) [V na-S] highly frequent in Wolof Loss of emphatic value attested in other languages (Bybee & al., 1994)
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Origin of Perfect
Arguments
Subject Foc
Compl. Foc
Perfect
FOC
PM
S
V
S
-a
∅
V
ma
-a
C
la
-S
V
fii
la
-a
liggéey
V
na
-S
∅
liggéey
na
-a
liggéey
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Origin of Perfect
Arguments
Complement Focus
SG
PL
Perfect
PM
SUBJ
PM
SUBJ
1
la
-a
na
-a
2
∅
-nga
∅
-nga
3
la
∅
na
∅
1
la
-nu
na
-nu
2
∅
-ngeen
∅
-ngeen
3
la
-ñu
na
-ñu
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Plan ➀ Wolof verbal predication ➁ Origin of Perfect ➌ Origin of Future ➃ Origin of Optative ➄ A case of polygrammaticalization
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Origin of Future
Hypothesis
Hypothesis:
Foc. Imperfective
Future
di na-S V2
dina-S V1
*di na-nu liggéey IPFV PM-1PL work 'we will work'
dina-nu liggéey PM-1PL work 'we will work'
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Origin of Future
Process
Verb Focus V1 na-S V2
Imperfective Focus di na-S V2
instantiation V1 = auxiliary verb 'di'
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Origin of Future
Process
Imperfective Focus di na-S V2
morphologization
Future dina-S V1
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Origin of Future
Arguments
Semantic argument dina (FUT) = di (IPFV) + na (PRF) future = imperfective perfect ↳ incoherent equivalence dina (FUT) = di (IPFV) + na (VFOC) future = focalized imperfective = Focus on the habitual or continuous aspect ↳ ≈ Future
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Origin of Future
Arguments
Further argument Negative Future → Focus d-u-ma
naan FUT-NEG-1SG drink 'I (never) drink' dina-a FUT-1SG
naan drink
'I will drink'
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Plan ➀ Wolof verbal predication ➁ Origin of Perfect ➂ Origin of Future ➍ Origin of Optative ➄ A case of polygrammaticalization
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Origin of Optative
Hypothesis
Hypothesis:
Focus on verb 'yell'
Optative
yell na S V2
na S V1
*yell na Omar dem be.suitable PM Omar go 'it is suitable to let Omar go'
na Omar dem PM Omar go 'let Omar go'
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Origin of Optative
Process
Verb Focus V1 na S V2
Focus on verb 'yell' yell na S V2
instantiation V1 = verb 'yell'
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Origin of Optative
Process
Focus on verb 'yell' yell na S V2
'yell' was progressively dropped Frozen form yell na S V2
'yell' triggered a semantic change of 'na' by inference 27
Origin of Optative
Process
Focus on verb 'yell' yell na S V2
semantic change by inference (conventionalization of implicature)
Optative na S V1
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Origin of Optative
Arguments
Optative absent from oldest grammars Did not exist?
But in these grammars (Dard, 1826) Equivalent construction (same meaning) Describe as frozen construction Involves the verb 'yell' and the PM 'na'
Kind of evolution documented in other languages (Bybee & al., 1994) Explain why the lexical subject is between the PM and the verb in Optative
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Plan ➀ Wolof verbal predication ➁ Origin of Perfect ➂ Origin of Future ➃ Origin of Optative ➎ A case of polygrammaticalization
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A case of polygrammaticalization Verb di
Verb Focus V1 na-S V2
Focus on verb 'yell' yell na-S V2
Imperfective Focus di na-S V2
Future dina-S V1
Verb yell
Perfect V1 na-S V2
Optative na-S V1
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Conclusion Explain the formal similarity of Perfect, Optative and Future Constructions Account for characteristics of these constructions Neutral value of Perfect Actual focus meaning of dina negative form Syntactic position of the lexical subject in Optative
Compatible with the remaining predicative constructions More coherent approach to verbal morphosyntax Provide new perspectives to analyze the relations between such constructions 32
References BYBEE J. 2007. Frequency of Use and the Organization of Language. Oxford: Oxford University Press. BYBEE J., PERKINS R., PAGLIUCA W. 1994. The Evolution of Grammar: Tense, aspect, and modality in the languages of the world. Chicago: University of Chicago Press. CHURCH E. 1981. Le système verbal du wolof. Dakar: Université de Dakar. COMRIE B. 1976. Aspect. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. DARD J. 1826. Grammaire wolofe. Paris: Imprimerie Royale. DIOUF J-L. 2009. Grammaire du wolof contemporain. Paris: L'Harmattan. HOPPER P., TRAUGOTT E. 2003. Grammaticalization. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. ROBERT S. 1991. Approche énonciative du système verbal : Le cas du Wolof. Paris: Éditions du CNRS. VOISIN-NOUGUIER S. 2002. Relations entre fonctions syntaxiques et fonctions sémantiques en wolof. Université Lyon 2: PhD Dissertation.
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