Aspectual and storyline tension in Emai’s (Edoid) narrative template
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Ronald P. Schaefer
Abstract
We examine aspect usage in an aetiological narrative of southern Nigeria’s Emai people. This follows a brief overview of Emai tonal and segmental aspectual categories. A privileged role emerges for the Past Perfect, as it codes the majority of main event line clauses. Nonetheless, a striking feature of main event line later stages is aspectual discontinuity. In the episode prior to story climax, which itself is expressed by Past Perfect, imperfect Continuous and Habitual along with clause repetition each code distinct main line happenings. Their occurrence alters narrative pace (Fleischman 1990), affecting the advance of information in contrasting modes of deceleration and acceleration, respectively. Their selective placement also identifies salient information moments preceding climax, thus shaping narrative peak structure.
Abstract
We examine aspect usage in an aetiological narrative of southern Nigeria’s Emai people. This follows a brief overview of Emai tonal and segmental aspectual categories. A privileged role emerges for the Past Perfect, as it codes the majority of main event line clauses. Nonetheless, a striking feature of main event line later stages is aspectual discontinuity. In the episode prior to story climax, which itself is expressed by Past Perfect, imperfect Continuous and Habitual along with clause repetition each code distinct main line happenings. Their occurrence alters narrative pace (Fleischman 1990), affecting the advance of information in contrasting modes of deceleration and acceleration, respectively. Their selective placement also identifies salient information moments preceding climax, thus shaping narrative peak structure.
Chapters in this book
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents v
- Preface vii
- Discourse structuring and typology 1
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Nilo-Saharan
- Aspect and thematic clause combining in Maa (Nilotic) 23
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Isolate
- Main event line structure and aspect in Sandawe narratives 53
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Afro-Asiatic
- The functions of Non-Final verbs and their aspectual categories in Northern Mao (Omotic) narrative 81
- Aspect-Mood and discourse in Kabyle (Berber) spoken narratives 117
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Niger-Congo
- The roles of Dissociative and (Non-)Completive morphology in structuring Totela (Bantu) narratives 145
- Narrative uses of the U̱t-Ma'in (Kainji) Bare Verb form 219
- Rethinking narrative tenses based on data from Nalu (Atlantic) and Yeyi (Bantu) 177
- The Factative and the Perfective-Inchoative in Cuurammã (Turka, Gur) 249
- Aspectual and storyline tension in Emai’s (Edoid) narrative template 287
- Topic Index 315
- Language Index 321
Chapters in this book
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents v
- Preface vii
- Discourse structuring and typology 1
-
Nilo-Saharan
- Aspect and thematic clause combining in Maa (Nilotic) 23
-
Isolate
- Main event line structure and aspect in Sandawe narratives 53
-
Afro-Asiatic
- The functions of Non-Final verbs and their aspectual categories in Northern Mao (Omotic) narrative 81
- Aspect-Mood and discourse in Kabyle (Berber) spoken narratives 117
-
Niger-Congo
- The roles of Dissociative and (Non-)Completive morphology in structuring Totela (Bantu) narratives 145
- Narrative uses of the U̱t-Ma'in (Kainji) Bare Verb form 219
- Rethinking narrative tenses based on data from Nalu (Atlantic) and Yeyi (Bantu) 177
- The Factative and the Perfective-Inchoative in Cuurammã (Turka, Gur) 249
- Aspectual and storyline tension in Emai’s (Edoid) narrative template 287
- Topic Index 315
- Language Index 321
