The use of the narrative final vowel -á by the Lingala-speaking youth of Kinshasa: from anterior to near/recent past

André Motingea Mangulu

doi:10.1515/lingvan-2022-0144

Article

The use of the narrative final vowel -á by the Lingala-speaking youth of Kinshasa: from anterior to near/recent past

André Motingea Mangulu

Published/Copyright: September 13, 2024

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From the journal Linguistics Vanguard Volume 10 Issue s4

Abstract

The aim of this paper is to try to understand why young people in Kinshasa prefer the construction with a subject marker, the verbal base, and the suffix -á (SM-VB-á) to the recent past. After looking at the narrative tense in some local languages, we first look at how this SM-VB-á tense is described for Standard Lingala, before examining its use in the Lingala youth language of Kinshasa. Finally, we investigate whether there are any manipulations at the morphosyntactic level. Without excluding the possibility of a natural shift or substrate interference, it can be postulated that a probable source of this is the French simple past with the suffix -a. The same scenario has been demonstrated with -é in the infinitive and in the perfect/recent tense with all verbs borrowed from French.

Likwe

Ntina ya mwa nkoma oyo ezali koluka kosɔsɔla boniboni bilɛngɛ ya Kisasa bakolula mingi kosalela likelelo oyo etongami na libandi ya mokonza, litina ya likelelo, mpe esukya -á; mpɔ na kolobela makambo euti koleka. Nsima ya botali lolenge likelelo ya motindo wana ezali kosalelama na mɔkɔ minɔkɔ ya mboka, totali nanu mpe ndenge elimbolami na mikanda mpo ya Lingala ya bato nyɔsɔ, yambo ya kotala lolenge bilɛngɛ ya Kisasa bakosalela yango. Na nsuka toluki koyeba soki mabongongoli-bongoli misusu ya mibeko ya lokota ezali. Tobosani tɛ ete momɛsɛno yango ekoki mpe kowuta na mongai ya minɔkɔ ya mboka oyo baboti bazalaki koloba. Tokoki koloba ete kolula kosalela esukya -á ewuti na esukya -a ya passé simple ya lifalase; se ndenge emɔnisama mpɔ ya esukya -é tozali na yango na makelelo-nkombo/manɔkɔ mpe eleko ewuti koleka ete ewuta na makelelo-nkombo ya lifalase.

Keywords: Lingala; urban youth language; verbal inflection; substrate interference; morphological innovation

Maloba ya siksiki: Lingala; koloba ya bilɛngɛ ya vili; libongwoni ya likelelo; mongai ya minɔkɔ ya mboka; kobimisa mibeko ya lokota ya sika

Corresponding author: André Motingea Mangulu, Lettres & Civilisations Africaines, Université Pédagogique Nationale, Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo, E-mail: amangulu@gmail.com

Appendix: Adapted from Comhaire-Sylvain (1973: 92–94)

Mwána mobáli alingí kobála ánzelú
mo-ána	mo-báli	a-lingí	ko-bála	ánzelú
1-child	1-male	s.3sg.an-like.perf	inf-marry	angel
‘A boy intended to marry an angel.’
Mamá mɔ́kɔ́ abótákí bána zómi,
mamá	mɔ́kɔ́	a-bót-ákí	bána	zómi
mother	one	s.3sg-give.birth.to.past	children	ten
‘A mother had given birth to ten children.’
bánsɔ basúsu libwá babálí, kasi yé alobí:
bá-nsɔ	ba-súsu	libwá	ba-bálí	kasi	yé	a-lobí
2-all	2-other	nine	s.2-get.married.perf	but	him	3sg-say.perf
‘All the other nine were married, but he said:’
Ngáí nakobála sé ánzelú.
ngáí	na-ko-bál-a	sé	ánzelú
me	s.1sg-fut-marry-fv	foc	angel
‘I’ll only marry an angel.’
Akangí bilɔ́kɔ na yé, akεyí na mbóka mɔ́kɔ́.
a-kangí	bilɔ́kɔ	na.yé	a-kεyí	na	mbóka	mɔ́kɔ́
s.3sg.an-pack.perf	things	poss.3sg	s.3sg.an-go.perf	loc	village	one
‘He took his belongings, he went to a distant village.’
Akútí mobangé mɔ́kɔ́, mobangé atúní yé:
a-kútí	mobangé	mɔ́kɔ́	mobangé	a-túní	yé
s.3sg.an-meet.perf	old.man	one	old.man	s:3sg.an-ask.perf	him
‘He met an old man, who asked him:’
Yɔ́ okokεndε wápi?
yɔ́	o-ko-kεnd-a	wápi
you	s.2sg-prog-go-fv	where
‘You, where are you going?’
Yé alobí: Mamá na bísú abótí bísú zómi,
yé	a-lobí	mamá	na.bísú	a-bótí	bísú	zómi
him	s:3sg.an-say.perf	mother	poss.1pl	s.3sg.an-give.birth.to.perf	us	ten
‘He said to him: our mother gave birth to ten of us.’
baníngá na ngáí babálí,
ba-níngá	na.ngáí	ba-bálí
2-friend	poss.1sg	s.2-get.married.perf
‘All my brothers got married.’
kasi ngáí nalíngí nábála sé ánzelú.
kasi	ngáí	na-língí	ná-bála	sé	ánzelú
but	me	s.1sg-want.perf	s.1sg-get.married.opt	only	angel
‘But I just want to marry an angel.’
Yé mobangé alobí na yé:
yé	mobangé	a-lobí	na	yé
he	old.man	s.3sg.an-say.perf	com	him
‘The old man said to him:’
Kεndέ kúná okomɔ́na mái mɔ́kɔ́,
Ø-kεnd-á	kúná	o-ko-mɔ́n-a	mái	mɔ́kɔ́
s.2sg-go-fv	there	s.2sg-fut-see-fv	river	one
‘Go there, you will see a river there,’
óbómbana na sé ya matíti
ó-bómb-an-a	na	sé	ya	matíti
s.2sg-hide-attr-fv	loc	bottom	of	grass
‘hide under the grass;’
tángu baánzelú bayáka kosokola mái.
tángu	ba-ánzelú	ba-yá-ak-a	ko-sokol-a	mái
time	2-angel	s.2-come-pf-fv	inf-wash.up-fv	water
‘when the angels come to bathe’
Sɔ́kɔ́ bangó nyɔ́nsɔ bakεí na mái,
sɔ́kɔ́	bangó	nyɔ́nsɔ	ba-kεí	na	mái
if	they	all	s.2-go.perf	to	water
‘when everyone enters the water,’
bóngó ókwa elambá ya moto mɔ́kɔ́.
bóngó	ó-kwa	elambá	ya	moto	mɔ́kɔ́
then	s.2sg-take.opt	garment	of	person	one
‘then you shall take the garment of one of them.’
Akεí. Baánzelú bayéí,
a-kεí	ba-ánzelú	ba-yéí
s:3sg.an-go.perf	2-angel	s.2-come.perf
‘He went. The angels came,’
akamátí elambá ya ánzelú mɔ́kɔ́.
a-kamátí	elambá	ya	ánzelú	mɔ́kɔ́
s:3sg.an-take.perf	garment	of	angel	one
‘he took the garment of one of them.’
Tángu baníngá na yé bayókí ngonga ebέtí,
tángu	ba-níngá	na.yé	ba-yókí	ngonga	e-bέtí
time	2-companion	poss.3sg	s.2-hear.perf	bell	s:3sg.inan-ring.perf
‘When his companions heard the bell ring,’
baníngá na yé balátí bilambá,
ba-níngá	na.yé	ba-látí	bilambá
2-companion	poss.3sg	s.2-wear.perf	garment
‘His companions put on their clothes.’
yé áluka ya yé akomɔ́na yangó tέ.
yé	á-luka	ya	yé	a-ko-mɔ́n-a	yangó	tέ
him	s.3sg-look.for.opt	of	him	s.3sg-prog-see-fv	it	not
‘Him, he began to look for his garment, he did not see it.’
Baníngá na yé bakεí.
ba-níngá	na.yé	ba-kεí
2-companion	poss.3sg	s.2-go.perf
‘His companions left.’
Na sima yé, mobáli wâná abimí na elambá na yé.
na.sima	yé	mobáli	wâná	a-bimí	na	elambá	na.yé
after	he	male	that	s.3sg-come.out.perf	com	garment	poss.3sg
‘Afterwards that boy came out with his garment.’
Yé ánzelú alobí na yé:
yé	ánzelú	a-lobí	na	yé
him	angel	s:3sg.an-say.perf	com	him
‘The angel begged him:’
Pardó míngi, pésá ngáí elambá, nákεndε …
pardó	míngi	Ø-pés-á	ngáí	elambá	ná-kεnda
pardon	many	s.2sg-give-fv	me	garment	s.1sg-go.opt
‘Please give me the clothes, let me go.’

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Received: 2022-11-28

Accepted: 2023-06-30

Published Online: 2024-09-13

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Articles in the same Issue

https://doi.org/10.1515/lingvan-2022-0144

Keywords for this article

Lingala; urban youth language; verbal inflection; substrate interference; morphological innovation