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Unusual manner constructions in Shua (Khoe-Kwadi, Botswana)

  • William B. McGregor EMAIL logo
Published/Copyright: June 27, 2017

Abstract

This paper describes a set of three interrelated constructions in Shua (Khoe-Kwadi, Botswana) that make reference to the manner of performance of an event, or to the condition of an entity or entities either in general or as they are involved in an event or situation. There is a subordinate version of the construction that employs reduplication of the verb and a marked case of the subject to signal subordinate status. The other two types are main clause constructions with the overall appearance of copular clauses (i.e., clauses employing a grammeme as a linking device), with a final ‘be’ copula together with an instance of the subordinate variety of the construction. These two constructions, however, show grammatical features that attest to their distinctiveness, distinguishing them from other types of copular clause. The paper discusses the range of meanings and uses of the three manner constructions, and proposes grammatical analyses.

Funding statement: The research on which this paper is based was supported financially by the Danish Agency for Science, Technology and Innovation through the EuroBABEL Program of the European Science Foundation.

Acknowledgements

I am grateful to the speakers of Shua who generously shared their language with me, most particularly to: Blesswell Kure, †Jerryson, †Pono Zuka, Ketebualemang Zuka, Ketshepilemang Kure, Elder Masoko, Margaret Rock, Kakabe Rasethora, Reggie Jerryson, Kegakolegetswe Reggie, Boithaganelo Riitsana, and Dikanelang Hashe. Without their assistance and involvement in the project, this paper would have been impossible. Previous versions of this paper were presented at the Department of Linguistics, KU Leuven, 30 January 2015 and Centre of Excellence for the Dynamics of Language, Australian National University, 8 July 2015. Thanks to the audiences for useful discussion, and to Kristin Davidse, Jean-Christophe Verstraete, Nick Evans and two anonymous referees for further discussion and comments.

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Published Online: 2017-6-27
Published in Print: 2017-7-26

© 2017 Walter de Gruyter GmbH, Berlin/Boston

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