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Chapter 7 The uninflected verb

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A Grammar of Ma'di
This chapter is in the book A Grammar of Ma'di
Chapter 7 The uninflected verb In this chapter we look at the uninflected verb, which is found (a) in sentences with nonpast tense, and (b) in sentences in all tenses with negation. It has a distinctive pronominal paradigm for the subject. It is followed by its object which can also be omitted. It cannot be sentence-final. In the morphology and syntax of the uninflected verb, the 'Burulo dialect differs from other Ma'di dialects. 7.1. The uninflected verb in comparison with other types of verb The uninflected verb is the barest form of the verb. In contrast, the inflected verb has a low tone prefix, while the subordinate suffixed verb has a low tone prefix and a suffix. With the uninflected verb plural ki and reflexive w both immediately follow the verb. 7.2. Subject We take the following two generalizations to be true, though they are not immediately obvious on the surface; we justify them later: The uninflected verb must have a pronominal subject. In the third person this consists of a vowel, which may be deleted before a vowel-initial verb, thus giving the superficial effect of there being no subject. The pronominal subject can be preceded by an 'adjoined subject' which is coreferential with it, a lexical noun phrase or another pronominal. We consider it additional to the true pronominal subject. Thus the subject is either a pronominal on its own as in (1) or the pronominal preceded by an 'adjoined subject' as in (2). (1) Ö-3-SUBJECT 'She/he/it went yesterday.' (2) opi ö-Opi 3-'ADJOINED SUBJECT' SUBJECT mu go VERB mu go VERB ad3inl yesterday adzuü yesterday 'Opi went yesterday.' (literally Opi he went yesterday.')

Chapter 7 The uninflected verb In this chapter we look at the uninflected verb, which is found (a) in sentences with nonpast tense, and (b) in sentences in all tenses with negation. It has a distinctive pronominal paradigm for the subject. It is followed by its object which can also be omitted. It cannot be sentence-final. In the morphology and syntax of the uninflected verb, the 'Burulo dialect differs from other Ma'di dialects. 7.1. The uninflected verb in comparison with other types of verb The uninflected verb is the barest form of the verb. In contrast, the inflected verb has a low tone prefix, while the subordinate suffixed verb has a low tone prefix and a suffix. With the uninflected verb plural ki and reflexive w both immediately follow the verb. 7.2. Subject We take the following two generalizations to be true, though they are not immediately obvious on the surface; we justify them later: The uninflected verb must have a pronominal subject. In the third person this consists of a vowel, which may be deleted before a vowel-initial verb, thus giving the superficial effect of there being no subject. The pronominal subject can be preceded by an 'adjoined subject' which is coreferential with it, a lexical noun phrase or another pronominal. We consider it additional to the true pronominal subject. Thus the subject is either a pronominal on its own as in (1) or the pronominal preceded by an 'adjoined subject' as in (2). (1) Ö-3-SUBJECT 'She/he/it went yesterday.' (2) opi ö-Opi 3-'ADJOINED SUBJECT' SUBJECT mu go VERB mu go VERB ad3inl yesterday adzuü yesterday 'Opi went yesterday.' (literally Opi he went yesterday.')

Chapters in this book

  1. I-XVI I
  2. Chapter 1 Introduction 1
  3. Chapter 2 An overview of Ma'di 13
  4. Chapter 3 Phonetics 27
  5. Chapter 4 Phonology and morphology 47
  6. Chapter 5 Verbs 71
  7. Chapter 6 Other word classes 97
  8. Chapter 7 The uninflected verb 133
  9. Chapter 8 The inflected verb 155
  10. Chapter 9 The directive verb 177
  11. Chapter 10 Suffixed subordinate verbs 191
  12. Chapter 11 Sentences with nonverbal predicates 219
  13. Chapter 12 Noun phrases 259
  14. Chapter 13 Modification of the noun (including possession) 293
  15. Chapter 14 Nonsingular noun phrases 323
  16. Chapter 15 Postposition phrases and other location expressions 363
  17. Chapter 16 Verbs and clausal complements 409
  18. Chapter 17 Modals and negation 451
  19. Chapter 18 Adverbials 475
  20. Chapter 19 Focus and Information structure 541
  21. Chapter 20 Questions 607
  22. Chapter 21 Lexicon 645
  23. Chapter 22 Texts 671
  24. References 729
  25. Index 731
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https://doi.org/10.1515/9783110894967.133

Chapters in this book

  1. I-XVI I
  2. Chapter 1 Introduction 1
  3. Chapter 2 An overview of Ma'di 13
  4. Chapter 3 Phonetics 27
  5. Chapter 4 Phonology and morphology 47
  6. Chapter 5 Verbs 71
  7. Chapter 6 Other word classes 97
  8. Chapter 7 The uninflected verb 133
  9. Chapter 8 The inflected verb 155
  10. Chapter 9 The directive verb 177
  11. Chapter 10 Suffixed subordinate verbs 191
  12. Chapter 11 Sentences with nonverbal predicates 219
  13. Chapter 12 Noun phrases 259
  14. Chapter 13 Modification of the noun (including possession) 293
  15. Chapter 14 Nonsingular noun phrases 323
  16. Chapter 15 Postposition phrases and other location expressions 363
  17. Chapter 16 Verbs and clausal complements 409
  18. Chapter 17 Modals and negation 451
  19. Chapter 18 Adverbials 475
  20. Chapter 19 Focus and Information structure 541
  21. Chapter 20 Questions 607
  22. Chapter 21 Lexicon 645
  23. Chapter 22 Texts 671
  24. References 729
  25. Index 731
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