Particle verbs in African Englishes
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Gerald Nelson✝
Abstract
On the basis of various Internet sources, we investigate the use of particle verbs (PVs) in Ugandan and other African Englishes. Following Biber et al. (1999) we classify PVs into four major types; their distribution is very similar to that reported for native varieties. We find a number of “innovative” PVs that are not recorded in the major phrasal verb dictionaries. We consider these in relation to “nativization” in new Englishes. Frequency of use in formal contexts suggests that they are at least widely accepted, while the remaining formal restrictions (e.g. passivization) indicate that they are not (yet) fully nativized. Different PV types may undergo nativization at different rates. In future research in this area, the various types should be studied separately. Keywords: particle verbs; African English; new Englishes; nativization; Webbased corpora
Abstract
On the basis of various Internet sources, we investigate the use of particle verbs (PVs) in Ugandan and other African Englishes. Following Biber et al. (1999) we classify PVs into four major types; their distribution is very similar to that reported for native varieties. We find a number of “innovative” PVs that are not recorded in the major phrasal verb dictionaries. We consider these in relation to “nativization” in new Englishes. Frequency of use in formal contexts suggests that they are at least widely accepted, while the remaining formal restrictions (e.g. passivization) indicate that they are not (yet) fully nativized. Different PV types may undergo nativization at different rates. In future research in this area, the various types should be studied separately. Keywords: particle verbs; African English; new Englishes; nativization; Webbased corpora
Chapters in this book
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents v
- International Corpus of English vii
- Introduction ix
- “Off with their heads” 1
- Modals and quasi-modals in New Englishes 35
- The diverging need ( to )’s of Asian Englishes 55
- Will and would in selected New Englishes 77
- Progressives in Maltese English 103
- Mapping unity and diversity in South Asian English lexicogrammar 137
- Particle verbs across first and second language varieties of English 167
- Particle verbs in African Englishes 197
- Relatives worldwide 215
- Change from to -infinitive to bare infinitive in specificational cleft sentences 243
- “And they were all like ‘What’s going on?’” 263
- Index 291
Chapters in this book
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents v
- International Corpus of English vii
- Introduction ix
- “Off with their heads” 1
- Modals and quasi-modals in New Englishes 35
- The diverging need ( to )’s of Asian Englishes 55
- Will and would in selected New Englishes 77
- Progressives in Maltese English 103
- Mapping unity and diversity in South Asian English lexicogrammar 137
- Particle verbs across first and second language varieties of English 167
- Particle verbs in African Englishes 197
- Relatives worldwide 215
- Change from to -infinitive to bare infinitive in specificational cleft sentences 243
- “And they were all like ‘What’s going on?’” 263
- Index 291
